Published by tall-lighthouse, February 2021
Being Called Normal is written as a direct response to the clinical experiences of the poet in how the ‘system’ accepts and treats (or doesn’t) children with (dys) abilities. The poems are a dialogue between her documented psycho-educational evaluations and her reaction to the analysis and words used. This heartfelt sequence exposes the tribulations of people carelessly labeled (dys). Here is poetry that challenges our assumptions, posing as many questions as it answers.
“Memory Bunker”
“The Following Relevant Information Was Obtained”
In this compelling pamphlet, Shapiro speaks back to the impersonal language of diagnostic evaluations as a ‘girl [once] silenced’ – by juxtaposing text taken from her own medical report with creative responses she illustrates the brilliance of her own mind.
— Mary Jean Chan
Buy Bullshit Cosmos from Porter Square Books – $9 – In-store only, Cambridge, MA
Buy Bullshit Cosmos from Grolier Poetry Book Shop – $9 – In-store only, Cambridge, MA
Buy Being Called Normal from the publisher – £8 + shipping / $9 + shipping from the UK