Anand Prahlad

Author: Anand Prahlad Title: The Secret Life of a Black Aspie: A Memoir ISBN: 978-160223321-8 I wanted to let you know about my new memoir, and hope that you'll be interested in reviewing it. Description The memoir begins in 1954, where the author is born on a former plantation in rural Virginia. It gives glimpses into the liminal inner world he inhabits, where sensory experiences blur together and memory is fluid, and where spirits of slave children are his best friends. For the first four years of his life, he doesn't speak. Then he finds his voice. Slowly entering the outside world, he evolves into an artist and educator whose extraordinary literary and musical gifts emerge through unspoken neurological challenges. Anand Prahlad’s distinctly American journey takes readers from school desegregation in the South, to New Age enclaves in the West, to higher education in the Midwest. This memoir is a rich sensory experience of the world. It deepens our understanding of challenges faced by African Americans with disabilities, such as autism, and along the way offers unique perspectives on social conventions, race and gender. Bio Prahlad has published two books of poems, Hear My Story and Other Poems, and As Good As Mango. He has also published critical articles and books on Black folklore, including Reggae Wisdom: Proverbs in Jamaican Music, and African American Proverbs in Context, and he has edited the three volume set, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Folklore, and the one volume African American Folklore: An Encyclopedia for Students. Prahlad is also a songwriter and musician, and has one CD, Hover Near, and is working on a second. He plays multiple instruments, and most recently performs with the African mbira. He recently completed a short film, titled, Mouth Talking is Just Another Sound. He teaches folklore, film, creative writing, and disability studies in the English Department at the University of Missouri, where he has been a professor since 1990. He lectures and does readings and workshops on topics relating to disability and race, autism, black folklore, and creative writing. Website https://prahladauthor.com