“High School Jungle” was published in Hyperlexia Journal on Friday, October 14. It was written about my own experiences with being bullied in high school.

Hyperlexia Journal is a literary journal about the autism spectrum that publishes poetry, fiction, and personal essays. The editors of Hyperlexia seek “genuine and truthful writing about autism”.

SYKE!

Actually, that is me playing my father in the video shoot for my poem, “Letter to My Father” which be submitted for the Art of Autism exhibit this November. The video was shot Sunday and is currently being edited.

And stayed tuned to my YouTube channel…the video will be uploaded there after the November exhibit.

-Nicole

My poem, “A Theology of an Autistic Body“, was published yesterday in qarrtsiluni. You can also hear me reading the poem on the podcast for that day on its website.

Qarrtsiluni is an online journal of poetry, prose, and art which publishes themed issues each quarter, with one poem/piece of prose/piece of artwork per day during each issue. This poem was published as part of the imprisonment issue — the contributors for that issue examine the idea of confinement, either voluntarily or involuntarily. “A Theology”, for me, is a statement about the sometimes voluntarily withdrawal that I sometimes need as an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome.

So, go check it out…as well as the rest of the fine pieces in the latest issue

One of my poems, “Lamppost Hierophant” was published today at Shift Journal. It had been written for Sam Drezner, the son of documentary filmmaker Todd Drezner. His latest documentary, “Loving Lampposts” takes a look at his son’s autism, neurodiversity, and the current autism debates.

Go check out the poem. And while you’re at it, take a look at the rest of Shift Journal as well. It’s an eclectic publications whose contributors attempt to define autism as a legitimate way of being in the world.

-Nicole

As you might surmise from the journal’s title, the journal’s premise is that autism has existed all along and it entertains “the notion of autistic as a legitimate way to be in the world, from the crossroads of theory, society, and personal experience”.

The poem was inspired by a piece by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg of Journeys with Autism which appeared earlier this month in Shift Journal, “An Open Letter to Robert MacNeil Regarding PBS’ Autism Now Series“. I used the same quote by Robert MacNeil from the series to jump-start this poem as one of my NaPoWriMo poems. Please jog over to Shift Journal to read it, and check out the many other contributions in the journal about autism and neurodiversity.

-Nicole

The segment has been posted on MyLITV’s website in two videos. Part 1 features Awe In Autism, its founders (Deborah French and Kim Covell), and some of the work featured on the site, include the excerpt of my poem. Part 2 features “for dylan”, a song and music video which the founders call “the song behind the Awe in Autism” project.

In and amongst this bit of news and self-promotion, I feel the need to express a couple of things. First of all, if I haven’t said it before, my thanks and gratitude go to Awe in Autism for giving the opportunity for my poetry, namely “You Don’t See It”, to be featured on their site. AWE has given many autistic artists, musicians, poets, and others an opportunity to have their work seen, heard, and accessed. Also, as Kim Covell states in the first video, artists with autism often have a harder time self-promoting, and while I’ve gotten used to it thanks to the Internet, I must say I still find the task daunting sometimes. I am grateful for the opportunity for my work to reach a wider audience and go beyond this blog thanks to AWE.

Secondly, as I have said before, “You Don’t See It” is probably my best statement and expression to the world of what having Aspergers/being autistic is like. The experience of self-discovery and acceptance has been joyful and at times painful and overwhelming — but probably the most significant thing I could say is that is has been enlightening. And through it all, the craft of writing and poetry have been a conduit and a means for this journey.

Writing is my native language. I am much, much better at the written word than I am at oral communication: there are times that my tongue fails, but praise God my pen does not. This is part of my reality as an autistic person, and is true for many others. The poetry helps me say what sometimes my lips cannot. I hope I have given you, the readers of RWP, at least a glimpse or a peek at what that reality — and my reality as a whole — is. I also hope that through the poetry on this page that I have reached you, moved you, made you think, and most of all, made you feel.

Finally, please consider not only watching the videos of the segment but visiting Awe in Autism to see the vast, wonderful spectrum of art by creative and talented autistic individuals. I can promise you that you will not be disappointed, but amazed at the breadth of expression the site has to offer.

Saludos,

Nicole
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Stumble It!

One of my articles, “The Poetry of Difference”, was published on the brand new We Write Poems community site. In this article, I discuss what the poetry of difference is — it is poetry infused with the “stuff” from the cultures to which we belong.

Go read it here.

-Nicole
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Stumble It!

“Listen” is an excerpt from a longer work, “Tales of the Night”, which I plan to eventually record as a spoken-word album with music.

I’ll give you a one-stanza sample from the poem:

“listen
one voice rises above the ghosts of pueblos
an older woman, grandmother of the tribe
sprinkles dust into the quiet fire before her
she calls up souls
to dance in the fire
out of the fire
behind her
against the sky”

About Spring Street: Spring Street is Columbus State Community College’s literary magazine and is published once a year. Spring Street is available in print form from the Columbus State Community College bookstore

Stumble It!

http://www.strongverse.org/poems/nicholson_nicole.html