Don is an old man who lives on the moon. The cabin he lives in is small but quaint. He has prepared a elegant meal for us. The salmon smells fresh and a little bit of charcoal. Riding in the canoe was refreshing and freeing.

– Cathy Otto

Ya Mo Da La Va

In Ya Mo Da La Va, a poignant and inventive collection, neurodivergent writers share an impressive range of stories. One author describes her brother who “smells because he has good perfume on” (“My Brother and Me”). Another, while talking about cleaning, writes, “I dust, well not very much, but I collect dust which I’m not supposed to do but I do it” (“Cleaning My Apartment”). Readers will witness a cat playing basketball, chipmunk hunting with a bow and arrow, and “a sport where they played against the summer winds” (“The Arabian Desert”). Alongside their playfulness, these writers deftly capture moments of pain and darkness: “Insomnia night 3 / Self- awareness / Tv marathon / Hours on end / Tragedies and triumphs” (“Sleepless”). Regardless of the subject, these authors claim the space they deserve on the page. “I moved into a new place,” one author writes, “my own place” (“A New Place”).

 

Book 69	Spring 2021