Thank you to Penguin Random House for my free copy!

“Even if the sounds and words we create might require greater concentration and attention, I believe our stories are worth the effort.” (“Diversifying Radio with Disabled Voices”)

I became aware of Alice Wong when my friend Kendra gave me a copy of Disability Visibility, which was one of the most powerful books I read in 2020. Alice edited this anthology of pieces by disabled folks, and I highly recommend it to anyone in medicine, education, or social work, as well as curious learners who would like to add the perspectives of the disabled community to their world view. Her more recent memoir, Year of the Tiger, compiles a number of essays, blog posts, and interviews into this vivid collage of activism and advocacy.

I didn’t know this book was a collection of pieces, so hey, the Year of Essays continues, inadvertently! The tone might be surprisingly lighthearted, but Alice doesn’t shy away from describing the world as it is, which is to say, inaccessible and intolerant. But there’s hope, because we can grow in our knowledge, vigilance, and boldness. The stories, as she says, are worth the effort. I was struck by the concept that Alice kept hammering home: she needs to keep telling the same stories and conveying the same messages of access all the time. Sometimes, I feel that way with Dressember, like I’m saying the same thing over and over, and I get tired. But if a large part of activism is passion, there’s a big part that’s persistence, too. So we keep going, right? Right. 👏👏