It Won’t Kill You (Until It Does)
Tip: Writing about being 19 might make you feel 19, but you’re still 24. I’ve been holding off on talking about my eating disorder for the past few years. I’m nearing 7 years in recovery. Why haven’t I passed the time writing essay after essay about how brave I am for overcoming the most deadly…
You’re not “neurospicy” Jessica, you’re disabled.
I’m writing to a non-existent Autistic woman named Jessica. I came across her writing piece today describing the experience of being a late-diagnosed Autistic woman. I am always looking for a deeper connection to the label I feel defined by, so, of course, I was elated. Almost immediately, though, I read the catchline: “for my…
What Could Be More Selfish Than That?
“Selfish”: (of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for other people. Autistic people rarely get to be selfish. The existence of “accommodations” might lead you to believe that, actually, Autistic people are frequently selfish. After all, they are the ones asking the non-Autistic population to adjust their behaviours, right? However, consider how much and…
Happy Birthday! Who Will I Be Tomorrow?
It’s my birthday (everyone say happy birthday)! I’m officially in my mid-twenties. I find birthdays intimidating; there’s so much pressure resting on them to be a quick measure of yearly progress. Look on social media, speak to your friends, ask your parents— everyone has an opinion about when you should be doing things. Although life…
Why I Hate My Hometown
I’m back in London for a week in March. The weather is dull and grey when I arrive, and it feels comfortingly familiar. I missed it the way you miss cigarettes once you’ve quit smoking. Like you’re ready to throw away all the time apart just for one puff of nostalgia. That’s exactly how London feels to me, pure masochism under a…
Am I a Good Daughter?
My mother is larger than life. Sometimes I worry that we are two big personalities fighting to be heard over one another. When we are together, she reads my tarot and asks me hard questions about the parts of myself I hide from the world. My father is reserved and aloof. Sometimes I worry I…
When the sun sets are we watching the same sky?
My best friends live around the world. Each crossed into my life, changed me fundamentally, and continued along their path. For however long, months or years, we built the foundation of a beautiful connection. My favourite memories of my friends seem to take place in the brief period between day and night. For us, laughter…
Grief Made Me Briefly Religious
I’m not gonna bore you with the details of a failed relationship, especially when both parties were simply navigating problems too big to fit in a one-bedroom apartment. The important part (unfortunately) is that I was heartbroken. I went from having my entire life planned out to floating in space without a tether. I lost…
Simone Brown 