Don't Call Me Inspirational: A Disabled Feminist Talks Back

Rousso confronts her disability head-on in this engaging memoir. Sometimes emotional, often blunt, Rousso (economics, Brandeis Univ.; Gender Matters: Training for Educators Working with Students with Disabilities) recounts what it was like growing up with cerebral palsy in New York City, while denying that she had a disability. Not until her activist years in college, when she began working in the feminist movement and meeting other disabled women, did she came to terms with her condition and the need to advocate for disability rights. The book also chronicles her efforts to juggle her career with difficulties in her personal life, including a complicated relationship with her parents and her desire for an adult social life. This memoir is comprised of essays, poems, and personal memories, the combination making for an unusual, compelling read. Rousso highlights her struggles but also reminds readers that she is still disabled, not a tool for the inspiration of others.