I Don't Do Disability and Other Lies I've Told Myself
Adelle Purdham
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
A raw and intimate portrait of family, love, life, relationships, and disability parenting through the eyes of a mother to a daughter with Down syndrome.With the arrival of her daughter with Down syndrome, Adelle Purdham began unpacking a lifetime of her own ableism.
In a society where people with disabilities remain largely invisible, what does it mean to parent such a child? And simultaneously, what does it mean as a mother, a writer, and a woman to truly be seen?
The candid essays in I Don't Do Disability and Other Lies I've Told Myself glimmer with humanity and passion, and explore ideas of motherhood, disability, and worth. Purdham delves into grief, rage, injustice, privilege, female friendship, marriage, and desire in a voice that is loudly empathetic, unapologetic, and true. While examining the dichotomies inside of herself, she leads us to consider the flaws in society, showing us the beauty, resilience, chaos, and wild within us all.
Product Details
Price
$21.99
$20.45
Publisher
Dundurn Press
Publish Date
December 03, 2024
Pages
240
Dimensions
5.5 X 8.5 X 1.0 inches | 0.62 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9781459754539
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Adelle Purdham is a writer, educator, and parent disability advocate. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of King's College and teaches creative writing at Trent University. Adelle lives with her family in her hometown of Nogojiwanong (Peterborough), Ontario.
Reviews
Beautiful and moving.-- "Ayelet Tsabari, author of The Art of Leaving"
A beautifully intimate blend of personal narrative, cultural critique, and sharp-eyed social commentary on disability and motherhood, this stirring debut is lyrical, heartfelt, and uncomfortably honest. Adelle Purdham, with uncanny precision, cuts our heart strings and dissects our minds with her archeological approach to excavating life's difficult truths. I Don't Do Disability and Other Lies I've Told Myself is a riveting collection of essays that will deeply resonate with readers.-- "Lindsay Wong, author of The Woo-Woo"
At its heart, I Don't Do Disability And Other Lies I've Told Myself is a story about creativity and love, the essential ingredients necessary to harness the wildness and the wonder of our world, and, in Purdham's case, to face down inherent ableism, both in herself and others. Purdham shows us that disability is life, and she illustrates this with fierce veracity and through intensely readable prose, writing with a wisdom and clarity that comes from great self-reflection and research, but also via the simple act of living.-- "Emily Urquhart, author of Ordinary Wonder Tales"
Purdham's fearless honesty and vulnerability fills these pages with magic. This is a stunning debut.-- "Christina Myers, author of The List of Last Chances"
An extraordinary memoir that takes us on an arduous journey of heartbreak and evolving new ways of perceiving love -- even meaning, itself.-- "Betsy Warland, author of Breathing the Page"
At once heartbreakingly honest and defiantly joyful, I Don't Do Disability and Other Lies I've Told Myself is a poetic tribute to the relationships that have shaped Adelle, her family, and their experiences with Down syndrome. Beautiful, deliberate, and thought provoking.-- "Jen Sookfong Lee, author of Superfan"
A beautifully intimate blend of personal narrative, cultural critique, and sharp-eyed social commentary on disability and motherhood, this stirring debut is lyrical, heartfelt, and uncomfortably honest. Adelle Purdham, with uncanny precision, cuts our heart strings and dissects our minds with her archeological approach to excavating life's difficult truths. I Don't Do Disability and Other Lies I've Told Myself is a riveting collection of essays that will deeply resonate with readers.-- "Lindsay Wong, author of The Woo-Woo"
At its heart, I Don't Do Disability And Other Lies I've Told Myself is a story about creativity and love, the essential ingredients necessary to harness the wildness and the wonder of our world, and, in Purdham's case, to face down inherent ableism, both in herself and others. Purdham shows us that disability is life, and she illustrates this with fierce veracity and through intensely readable prose, writing with a wisdom and clarity that comes from great self-reflection and research, but also via the simple act of living.-- "Emily Urquhart, author of Ordinary Wonder Tales"
Purdham's fearless honesty and vulnerability fills these pages with magic. This is a stunning debut.-- "Christina Myers, author of The List of Last Chances"
An extraordinary memoir that takes us on an arduous journey of heartbreak and evolving new ways of perceiving love -- even meaning, itself.-- "Betsy Warland, author of Breathing the Page"
At once heartbreakingly honest and defiantly joyful, I Don't Do Disability and Other Lies I've Told Myself is a poetic tribute to the relationships that have shaped Adelle, her family, and their experiences with Down syndrome. Beautiful, deliberate, and thought provoking.-- "Jen Sookfong Lee, author of Superfan"
I loved riding shotgun with Purdham's kind, funny, and unflinchingly sharp observations. This book is a vehicle of expansion.
-- "Cooper Lee Bombardier, author of Pass with Care"
