The fourth and final season of Netflix’s Atypical presented a valuable opportunity to assess both how far we’ve progressed when it comes to autistic representation in pop culture, and how far we still have to go.
Sarah wrote about why in an essay for TIME Magazine.
To read the piece go here.
Filed under Culture, Health, Shameless Promotion, Television
International pop star Sia made a movie called Music that was, in theory, about autistic representation.
When Sarah reviewed the film for TIME her chief concerns where that the film could potentially be “patronizing, exploitive and genuinely harmful.” What she found out was that, in addition to arguably being many of those things, it was also simply bad art.
To read Sarah’s review go here.
Filed under Culture, Films, Health, Music, Shameless Promotion
Mass murderer Alek Minassian is currently on trial in Toronto for a van attack he conducted in 2018 that killed 10 people and injured 16. He’s facing 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.
Meanwhile, his defense is arguing he should not be found not criminally responsible owing to the fact he’s autistic. It’s a defense that’s dangerous, short-sighted and could have tremendous negative impacts on the autistic community. Sarah wrote about the reasons why in a piece for Flare.
Sarah in Portmeirion, where The Prisoner was filmed.
Sarah’s first book I Overcame My Autism And All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder: A Memoir is being released April 18, 2020.
Below is a small list of other notable pieces she has contributed to various publications around the world:
Dysfunction, Drama, and Diarrhea: The Making of ‘The Magnificent Seven’
Diarrhea comes up in the Risky Fuel household quite often. The throughlines for this being a) Sarah’s Robert Vaughn fandom, b) Vaughn and the rest of the cast having diarrhea on the set of The Magnificent Seven, and c) Sarah finding this really funny.
Requiem for a Small-Town Taco Bell: Welland, Ontario
A Taco Bell in a small town. This impossibly bright beacon would shine forever. But nothing lasts forever.
Depression-Busting Exercise Tips For People Too Depressed To Exercise
Sometimes just doing anything is what counts. This piece was incredibly popular and incredibly valuable when Sarah wrote it a few years ago. It’s probably more valuable right now.
Time Is Running Out for a Beloved Mechanical Horse-Race Game in Vegas
In which Sarah and a billionaire casino owner consider their shared love for a mechanical horse racing game, the last of its kind.
Fire Walked with Me: Living a Real-Life Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks eerily paralleled the crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka in the Niagara region. The impact these crimes had on a 10-year-old girl from the area linger still.
In Memoriam: That Time Daisuke Sasaki Had A Sword
Japanese professional wrestler and troubled dirtbag Daisuke Sasaki won a ceremonial sword in a match. And then a short time later he lost it. It was a journey.
Delta Let Someone Steal My Luggage And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt
What happened when Sarah’s luggage got stolen at McCarran International Airport.
When the Way You Love Things Is “Too Much”; or: Why I Went to Portmeirion
Reflections on a journey to Portmeirion in North Wales to pay homage in the location where idiosyncratic spy show The Prisoner was filmed.
Nothing Has Prepared Me For The Reality of Womanhood Better Than “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”
Sarah was told that films like this exploited young women, but for her it didn’t feel degrading — it felt familiar.
Real Autism
This is the piece that kick-started I Overcame My Autism And All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder into existence.
Filed under Art, Books, Comedy, Culture, Health, Jock Stuff, Music, Politics, Recollections, Television
Recently Sarah’s beloved sixth-generation black 80GB iPod Classic died.
This wasn’t just a loss because of the difficulty in trying to find some new surrogate device, it was a loss because the iPod represented a specific type of comfort object for her.
Sarah explained why in a piece for Vox’s The Goods section.
To read it go here.
Filed under Culture, Music, Recollections, Shameless Promotion
I Overcame My Autism And All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder: A Memoir
Risky Fuel 