This episode includes a discussion of How to Be Normal,as well as reading recommendations including:
- Someone Like Me: An anthology of non-fiction by Autistic writers
- Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
- The Complete Dramatic Works by Samuel Beckett
- Vikki Wakefield
- How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox
- Living on Hope Street by Demet Divaroren
- When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah
- Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller
- The Skin I'm In by Steph Tisdell
- Blood Moon Bride by Demet Divaroren
- Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King
- The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin
Also discussed are:
- The ways in which English teachers give students the frameworks to understand the people they want to be, in terms of critical thinking, feminist thought, anti-racism, etc.
- A defence of young adult novels as serious literature, capable of tackling complex issues like abuse, identity and resilience, in ways that resonate with students.
- The ways personal experiences (queerness, neurodivergence, family dynamics) can inform fiction, and shape more honest, nuanced representation.
- How schools can approach “dark” themes in text studies in way that is supportive, trauma-informed, and empowering.
- Using “normality” as a lens to interrogate social pressures and difference, and embrace diversity.
- How texts foster empathy, open dialogue, and give students language for experiences they may struggle to articulate otherwise.