This year, I focused on writing short fiction. I had just finished a very long and emotionally demanding novel, and writing short fiction was a healthy shift for me in terms of creative rhythm. The great thing about short fiction is that it's SHORT. It's entirely possible to write, edit, and submit in a matter… Continue reading 2022 in Review: Publications
When I was a kid, magic was essential to my inner world. I read fantasy books full of witches and magicians and children with innate powers over the elements. I read about magic rings and wishing stones. I read about fairies and their glamours, about dragons and djinns. In The Real World, there was no… Continue reading What Magic We Make
I was diagnosed with Celiac disease 10 years ago this month. As time passes, the clearer it is to me how burdensome Celiac is. How it divides people from social engagement. How it adds stress and labor to daily life. It is disabling. And it's taken 10 years to realize that.
Hi all! Long time, no post! Just dropping you blog-readers a line to let you know that I've published a new essay via The Art of Autism. It's a fierce critique of Netflix's new satirical film, Don't Look Up, which features a disturbing portrayal of an autistic-coded villain. Read the whole essay here! This is… Continue reading Publication Announcement: A Critique of Autistic-Coded Rep in ‘Don’t Look Up’
Imagine a perfect morning. You're walking down a cobblestone street. Sun rays peer through leaves in the trees, around roofs and chimneys. A cool breeze bobs the geraniums in the window boxes. You have a coffee or a tea in hand. It is made exactly the way you like, from an open-air cafe just up… Continue reading Short Stories, $1
That's right, Millennials have coping skills. How could we have gotten this far without them? Reveling in the Ridiculous might be our most powerful skill.
I recently paid $40+ for a used paperback book. I wasn't required to buy it for any reason. And no, it wasn't a college textbook. (That'd be a steal!) It was a book I was very much interested in reading, that was not available through my library, and that was out of print. So I… Continue reading The Value of a Book
One of the most difficult parts in processing my late autism identification and diagnosis (at 30 years old) is dealing with a constantly shifting perspective, specifically in comparing how I function in the world and how non-autistic people function in it. I spent my whole life assuming my way of being was "normal" or neurotypical,… Continue reading Querying While Autistic
I was diagnosed with autism and inattentive ADHD in November 2020. Almost immediately after I found this out, I realized I hated saying that sentence, especially the "diagnosed with" part. I am still getting used to, "I am autistic," but through those words, I feel a sense of pride and relief: they help me know myself more fully. "Diagnosed with" never sat well, and as time goes on, it's sitting worse and worse and worse.
I knew I was autistic. So why did I bother getting assessed?
Allison Wall 