This fascinating collection of voices from the disabled community is presented with care by a talented team of narrators. In her introduction to these 40 powerfully affecting essays, activist Alice Wong, who edited this volume, stresses the value of seeking and exploring intimacy. Each essay opens a window that may contain familiar elements or, perhaps, a novel mode of expression. Most impressive are this production's precise audio descriptions of images included in the print edition. While nearly every essay is exquisitely rendered and narrated, standouts include Stephanie Gould and Nancy Wu's poignant narration of "Igniting Our Power by Reclaiming Intimacy," Carmen Jewel Jones's stirring evocation of "Disabled Queer Love Exists," and Danielle Morsberger's heartbreakingly vulnerable performance of "Rosasharon Teaches Me to Breathe."
Pub Date: April 30, 2024
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593821732
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A life-affirming, entertaining listen that finds comedy and meaning even in the darkest moments.
In this memoir presented through a collection of essays, actress and author Gurwitch takes listeners on a humorous journey following a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis. Refusing to become a “cancer warrior,” she instead embraces being a self-proclaimed “cancer slacker,” offering practical advice laced with levity rather than despair. Rejecting the idea that one should live each day as if it were one's last, Gurwitch relishes in joy in the ordinary. She goes on tour with a metal band as their “Merch Girl” and shares her unfiltered thoughts on everything from bread to ketamine therapy to juicers. Her warm, conversational delivery evokes the feeling of listening to an honest, witty friend.
A life-affirming, entertaining listen that finds comedy and meaning even in the darkest moments.Pub Date: March 17, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 3 mins
DD ISBN: 9798992377095
Publisher: Zibby Books
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: yesterday
Narrator George Newbern's warm, conversational tone reflects the author's empathy for fellow headache sufferers. Tom Zeller Jr. argues that the headache is a common yet misunderstood malady that doesn't get enough funding for medical research. Often, it isn't taken seriously--as shown in the common expression "just a headache." Newbern is patient, and his phrasing is always excellent, so when Zeller delves into the science, the lay listener is engaged and swept along. The descriptions of Zeller's debilitating cluster headaches sound absolutely miserable, making his occasional desperate forays into psychedelic mushrooms and shady doctors seem entirely reasonable. Next time someone says they have a headache, you might be a bit more patient--and that seems like a positive outcome.
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063442306
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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