Labeled Autistic

Emergence: Labeled Autistic by Temple Grandin and Margaret M. Scariano
1996
Weight: 6 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving in a public place or giving it to you if you are willing to ask for it



This year I had the chance to see Temple Grandin speak at a training conference and, as expected, she was amazing. A whole chain of events has led me to Temple Grandin and to my extreme respect for her, though I did not recognize it for years. I never remembered author’s names before I attended college and now I remember authors before titles. Because of this, when I bought and read Emergence over a decade ago I did not think about it again when I picked up another one of Grandin’s books. The other book I put on a shelf and did not get around to reading for a couple years. One year, for my birthday, my brother bought me her book on understanding animal emotions. I had trouble with the writing style, but I got through it and was impressed with the information. I bought another book of hers about animals.

Eventually, I would see the movie on the recommendation of a friend. It helped me give a voice to the words I had been reading, and I couldn’t stop myself. I talked about her all the time, re-read her books, bought new ones, named two dogs at the shelter Temple and Grandin, and eventually was able to see her in person because of the helpfulness of a complete stranger that I met when we brought some PAWS dogs to a training facility. Everything just fell into place and, the next thing I know, I have a hotel room over 30 floors up and a very expensive name tag that can get me into the right building. Who cared that my name was Jennifer, and I came from out of state?

I just re-discovered this book a week ago. I saw it on the shelf, remembered reading it, but had never made the connection. The cover is so dramatic and has since changed. It has a scratched up photo of a girl looking sad, font that is meant to look like scratchy handwriting, the words “a true story” posted over the title, and “She lived in a world like no other…” on the back. It is absurd. It has since been updated to feature a girl in a thin dress jumping on green grass. It is much less bleak, and the transformation cracks me up.

I recommend that every one read the work of Temple Grandin and watch her movie. She is amazing. You will learn a lot about animals and about autism. If someone does not ask me for this book I will not know what to think. You are really missing out. There will be more coming too. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to part with them.

The other thing you will glean from Grandin’s biography is the strength and affection of her mother, who I also admire very much. Grandin was not always well-behaved, but she was always smart. That can be a difficult mix for some people, but her mother reveled in the challenge and always supported and loved her daughter, who truly was unique and world-changing. Just read her stuff! I don’t know how to relay all the information to you.

Freedom From Fear

Freedom From Fear and Other Writings: Revised Edition by Aung San Suu Kyi
1995
Weight: 10 oz
Method of Disposal: It is up for grabs. If no one asks for it I will leave it on a park bench somewhere.




I was in Colorado visiting my brother when Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on November 13, 2010. He had just had a little baby, and there was a lot going on. The television was just on, temporarily, in the background but the excitement bubbled up, quietly, inside me. It is widely known that she had spent most of the last two decades under house arrest, through her husband’s death, amongst other things. There has been pressure from all over the world for her to be released. It was amazing that she was finally able to get out, though it wasn’t the first time she had been released. Let’s hope it is the last time she has to be.

The jubilation of her new freedom quickly faded, in the media, into a constant debate about if she would be able to unite the opposition, if she had any sway left, or if she would help or hurt the situation. It was sad to hear it all come on so fast, but there is a lot of work to be done still. The New Yorker had an article on her in the January 24th issue. She looked older and beautiful. She is presented as a calm and persistent woman. They did write about the younger generation being less patient, and brought up the anger of her children. I have really enjoyed interviews with her, video clips of her, and movies about her. She is incredible to watch.

I bought this book in December of 2009 when I went to a bookstore with my brother in Atlanta. I wanted to hear more directly from her. I had heard so much written by others about her. She gave a good, basic overview of the history in Burma. I believe she had originally written that part for young students, but it was helpful for me anyway. She wrote about her father, and she discussed her own role in politics. It is a collection of writings so you are brought to several places in a short time. Let me know if you want it.