It is possible that all two or three of my regular followers have noticed the relative inactivity of this blog. Though I have tried to consider if there’s anything of value to share, the simple fact is that nothing is compelling me to write about autism, autistic culture, autism causes,…
Category: Writing
All things writing related in my life.
Each new semester begins with anxiety, doubt, fear, and insecurity. Teaching means standing before a group of people, trying to convince them you are going to say and do something worthy of attention. This was difficult teaching at a mid-range state university, a land-grant research university, and even a small…
Until the last year or so, I fought insomnia on a weekly, even nightly, basis. Stumbling into a regular sleep schedule for the last year has been nice. And now it seems to have ended. I’m back to a shifted, annoying, non-sleep schedule. I’ve tried wine, coffee (yes, it puts…
The Autism Hub is the best guide to autism blogs on the Internet. However, it is primarily a way to track the latest posting and topics on blogs. It is not really meant to discuss the nature of blogging or the technology challenges. To help autism bloggers keep in touch…
I officially completed my Ph.D in May, meaning I’m far from joining the “long-term unemployed” statistically. The problem is that I have been unemployed off and on since leaving my undergraduate program at the end of 1990. Writing is an on-going project, certainly, but actual jobs have come and gone.…
I have a long list of things I want to organize. The list dates back to the late 1990s, as some collections never stop expanded. Some of the items I’m trying to organize: Books. Most are shelved by topic and author while others remain in boxes. Books are entered into…
Earlier today someone asked, “Do you really write 100 pages or more a month?” Absolutely. I cannot imagine any serious prose or dramatic writer produces fewer than 15,000 words a month and much closer to 25,000. Most of what I write is for myself, but a substantial amount is intended…
This morning I awoke to Mimi and Alex purring next to me. It is overcast, which I like, and cool. As I was doing the dishes, I thought about how fortunate we are right now. We have a house, incomplete as it is, the yard is looking much better this…
On LinkedIn, in addition to scam therapies and nutcase “cures” for autism, parents keep asking for ways to “help” their children “become normal.” Some of this is a desire for a better life for the child, but there is also a selfish desire to interact with the child in a…
Yesterday, I defended my doctoral dissertation and paid the last $120 in fees to the University of Minnesota. For the cost of tuition, they really should include the dissertation filing, even though the money is technically paid to a private publisher. Here is a portion of the “ETD” report you…