Three years ago I began an interactive poetry challenge on my blog.   It involved the public sending me 1-2 word titles and I had to send back a poem to each title within 48 hours.

Ranging from surreal, to grungy, from romantic, to funny, from political to symbolic and everywhere in between, the poems were as diverse as the titles sent in.   I gathered them into a collection called Weirdos Like Me.  It’s a collection of poetry, art and surrealism.  Amidst the poetry are also song lyrics to songs by Donna And The Aspinauts with whom I am the lead singer and main singer-songwriter. Read the rest of this entry »

This week, I released my new book, Weirdos Like Me. It’s a collection of art, poetry and surrealism.  And, so, dedicated to all of you living with snow up to your eyeballs, here’s one of the works from the book, entitled SNOW.

SNOW

Confetti soft, it fell, calling me, the girl from a land of sun.

From the window it took my heart.

My feet ran me down the stairs.

I turned, music box dancer in a world of falling sky

And I knew snow. Read the rest of this entry »

He came at me from nowhere, rushing toward me.  By instinct, I had grabbed my corn chips, Hole-Sum Originals, no less. No added anything.  Then, twack, I’d landed my first blow. Still he flailed, manicly.  Inside of me, my conscience screamed, “stop it, you murderer”.  But my bag of corn chips struck another heavy blow.  His legs detached and my guilt was merciless.  He’s broken now, you bitch, how could you, finish him off.  So I did, with full consciousness, trying to justify how this one inch creature had so threatened all five foot three of me.

I apologised to God, just in case there was one (I’m a spiritual Atheist) and cursed my arachnophobic instincts.  I’m sorry I murdered you in my kitchen, Mr Spider. I swear, in my warped instantaneous reality, I murdered you in self defence. Read the rest of this entry »

When my mother was pregnant she was reading the Spanish dictionary.  She was a ‘boy mother’, that kind that gets along with boys, can relate to them.  If I was a boy, I understand I’d have been named Stewart , meaning ‘steward’, someone who is the caretaker.  But I was a girl Read the rest of this entry »

In childhood I was called Dolly Burger by my mother’s side, Miss Polly by my father.  I’d rather have been Miss Polly even if I was sick, sick, sick too often than be anyone’s doll.  I didn’t like doll’s, those staring, plastic almost demonic representations of a one-size-fits all normality or perfection.  I never identified with being Doll-y or anyone’s doll.  When my mother told me I was hers, her doll, I felt the foundations of my feminist rejection of conformist expectations of ‘what a girl should be’.  I liked the ballet dress with its fluttering leafy skirt, its sheeny pink sating and mother of pearl beading catching rainbows in the lights.  But the doll thing… Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve always considered Donna and The Aspinauts to be diversity friendly but what does it mean to be a disability friendly band?  Is it about having people with disabilities in the band?  Is it about making it easy for those with disabilities to attend your gigs and shows?  Is it about having a natural sense of equality with and respect for those with disabilities?  Is it about having a strong presence in the wider disability community?  Read the rest of this entry »

AIME is a mentoring program for Indigenous Australian high school kids.  It links them up with Indigenous University Students to inspire and encourage them to take their hopes, dreams and skills further.  AIME has launched a TV campaign to raise awareness of their program.  They need (tax deductible) donations to keep this important program going.  They need to spread awareness of the program and the inequality indigenous Australian’s, particularly youth, are still experiencing in Australian cities and towns today.  Check out their work.  Blog about it.  Volunteer.  Donate.  Read the rest of this entry »

The rock musical, Footsteps of a Nobody, next goes to Doncaster Playhouse in Doncaster on Saturday 20th Jan.  We’re also planning on a show in April to support international Autism Month.  For information about the show visit www.aspinauts.com .

Donna Williams, Dip Ed, BA Hons.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.

http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com

It’s amazing how humble you get after 6 antibiotics have failed you and you’ve almost drowned in your own lung muck, had your infected throat too painful to swallow, lost all your energy so you’re walking like a 95 year old (and are only 46) and feel your biggest exercise of the day was breathing as the weight falls off what’s left of your skinny self.  I remember the shrink who would always say, ‘one day you’ll look back and laugh’.   And I feel so happy to be off Bactrim, yet I can’t help but be grateful to that demon drug.  Read the rest of this entry »

Hi Folks,

I’ve got 2 pay per view lectures up on Autism Hangout you might find of interest. Read the rest of this entry »