My teenage son and I wrote a book together! 

S has cerebral palsy and communicates differently. The book consists of prose descriptions from my perspective, which fill in the blanks created by the yes/no questions and responses that follow from interviews and conversations between myself and him, as well as other important people in his life, such as his sister, caregivers, and my co-parent (you bet, there’s a story or two there…). 

Through the weaving of essays, poetry, and interviews, a documentary style narrative shares both of our stories, together. The disabled child becoming a teen and the mother of the disabled child. 

Some folks prefer person first language, which states “the child with the disability.” Other folks include disability in their identity and prefer to be referred as a “disabled child.” My son dabbles in a bit of both, depending on the situation. So here, I include disability as a significant part of is identity, because that’s how the book began. 

Themes of adolescence, communication, family, love, inclusion/exclusion, health, friendship, and various challenges and successes about navigating life as a teenager with a physical disability are covered. This project fills a niche that has not been filled previously, providing the perspective of both the parent and the disabled child. 

The first 12 pages have been published in the Tampa Review as a part of the AWP Intro Journals Project Awards. A recording of me reading from this project for AWP can be found here. If you are an agent or publisher and would like more information, please contact me for a larger sample of my writing from this project.