AUTISTIC AUTHOR ENLIGHTENS IN IRREVERENT, HONEST MEMOIR

I Overcame my Autism and all I got was this Lousy Anxiety Disorder

By Sarah Kurchak (Douglas & Mcintyre, 2020) $24.95 | 224pp

Autistic people don’t get to speak for themselves very often.

In this book of linked essays, autistic author Sarah Kurchak speaks up eloquently for herself and for others who share her neurodivergent situation.

But don’t turn to Kurchak if you want weepy sentimentality about what an affliction autism is, or, alternatively, unrealistic claims that autism is the next step in human evolution or mere harmless eccentricity.

Autism is a different experience for every autistic person, and Kurchak takes pains to remind the reader that she speaks only for herself and her unique experience. She refuses to be the voice of autism, but she does want some attention and respect for her voice as a legitimate, if not definitive, one.

She also insists that “autistic” is only one dimension of her multi-faceted identity, and refuses to be reduced to any one of those. Kurchak is a diagnosed autistic person, but she is also an accomplished freelance writer, a professional pillow fighter, a wife, a daughter of the beloved parents she celebrates in her essays, and a brave, fierce spirit.

This engaging book reflects all these identities, and more.

Kurchak sets her tone with her irreverent title, and never looks back as she tackles sex, marriage, social anxiety, old TV shows, music journalism and vaccine debates, to name only a few of the many topics she covers in this briskly written book.

The author, who grew up in small town Ontario and graduated from the Humber School for Writers, received her autism diagnosis well into her 20s, although she had suspected for years that autism might explain many of the difficulties she had with sensory overload, eye contact and repetitive movements.

Some readers will remember when Nobody Nowhere, Donna Williams’ spectacular book on her experiences growing up autistic in Australia, appeared in 1992. That book’s publication was a landmark event for many of us “normals” who had worked with autistic children or knew families with autistic members.

Williams, who literally wrote her way out of neurodivergent isolation into the world of human discourse, taught us all many lessons about what it can mean to be autistic or neurodivergent.

Kurchak is profane, smart, irreverent, honest and brave as she teaches us important lessons, and all these qualities make for an enjoyable, albeit often challenging read.

Her comments on vaccination debates and autism alone are worth the price of admission. Highly recommended.

Tom Sandborn lives and writes in Vancouver. In years past, his work as a childcare worker, camp director, journalist and Handydart driver introduced him to many autistic people. He welcomes your feedback and story tips at tos65@telus.net