Pt 8: Donna Williams reads Nobody Nowhere; Autobiography of an Autistic Girl

The eighth of several readings by author, Donna Williams, of her autobiography, Nobody Nowhere; Autobiography of an Autistic Girl.

Nobody Nowhere was an international number one bestseller, with 15 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List and published in 20 languages throughout the world. It has been read by millions of people.

Published in 1991, and although preceded by Temple Grandin's pioneering book, 'Emergence' ten years earlier, Nobody Nowhere was the first autobiography of a person with autism to become an international bestseller and paved the way for many exciting autistic authors to become published.

Film rights to the book Nobody Nowhere were sold to Hollywood producer, Beverly Nero. Later, producers Norman Stephens and Su Armstrong came on board along with talented and award winning Australian director, Garth Davis. Intended for cinema release, the film is currently in pre production.

Praise for the book Nobody Nowhere

New York Times

"She allows us to understand our own perceptions as never before".

Los Angeles Times

"As brave a book as you'll ever read".

People Magazine

"By turns fascinating and harrowing".

The Globe and Mail

"Deserves every superlative a reviewer can muster".

Mode

"Powerful enough to make one reassess what it means to be human".


Nobody Nowhere has 3 sequels:

Somebody Somewhere
Like Colour To The Blind
Everyday Heaven

and is the first of Donna's 9 published books with Jessica Kingsley Publishing

More information can be found at http://www.donnawilliams.net

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• Donna+Williams
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• autistic
• autism
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• Temple+Grandin

[LadyInsane96]

I love this, I thought reading the book was good, but hearing you allows me to see it from a whole new perspective.

[1210donna]

It is very odd too. I wrote the book in 1990, when I was 26. So it's a whole world away now. I couldn't have imagined reading it aloud then (I only read it once after I wrote it then not for some years before I dared read it again) and especially not on video (eww) but doing this now is therapeutic and makes it accessible to those who can't read it but also so many people project all and sundry onto my personality so viewing the readings they can reality check that :-)

[LadyInsane96]

daaaang 1990? If it was before October 31st I wasnt even alive then! Trippy!! It certainly takes alot of guts, can't wait for the rest!

[1210donna]

hilarious :-)  I can swap you some arthritis :-)

[1210donna]

As I recall I wrote it around August 1990. I was in a pretty dingy London bedsit in Balham on the very top floor... the attic room. Fine place to go nuts and ironically a full circle given I'd been the loony in the attic as a kid too.

[7NTM61Ic]

If you had the choice, would you rather have been born without your differences? Do you think autism contributed to your artistic talents, or that they hindered them? Neither?

[1210donna]

But exposure anxiety (compulsive involuntary avoidance, diversion, retaliation responses) made me deny and avoid artistic creation until adulthood because of fear of audience, fear of being known, of connection. So I resented that because I was deeply into sounds, textures, lines, form, movement, color, but couldn't dare show that directly, only 'autistically' (ie 'stimming').

[LadyInsane96]

you and me both, sister!

[7NTM61Ic]

You certainly have managed to overcome the stage fright. By the way, your hand movements while talking strongly remind me of the singer Dusty Springfield, who is famous for them and uses them to add depth to the lyrics of whatever she's singing. Here's an example on YouTube (add the front part of the URL):

/watch?v=IZip7Y_IDqQ

See what you think!

[1210donna]

I often wished I didn't have the health issues, I've often felt tormented by the co-morbids (except mania ;-) I sometimes felt deeply sad about the meaning deafness and I struggled hugely to understand or fluently use language until late childhood. But the agnosias definitely heightened my ARTism, by tuning me into movement and music and felt form, so did bipolar by heightening my sense of art and perceptions. And autism in general made me very Taoist, which is part of my ARTism.

[1210donna]

I can't imagine the choice. I've had immune dysfunction since 6mths old, was object blind, faceblind, meaning deaf and had tics from 2 and a half (had measles & mumps at 2, don't know if that contributed), and mood fits by 3, OCD by 9. So I don't know any different.