by Alice Wong
Vintage Books
09/06/2022, paperback
SKU: 9780593315392
This groundbreaking memoir offers a glimpse into an activist's journey to finding and cultivating community and the continued fight for disability justice, from the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project
In Chinese culture, the tiger is deeply revered for its confidence, passion, ambition, and ferocity. That same fighting spirit resides in Alice Wong.
Drawing on a collection of original essays, previously published work, conversations, graphics, photos, commissioned art by disabled and Asian American artists, and more, Alice uses her unique talent to share an impressionistic scrapbook of her life as an Asian American disabled activist, community organizer, media maker, and dreamer. From her love of food and pop culture to her unwavering commitment to dismantling systemic ableism, Alice shares her thoughts on creativity, access, power, care, the pandemic, mortality, and the future. As a self-described disabled oracle, Alice traces her origins, tells her story, and creates a space for disabled people to be in conversation with one another and the world. Filled with incisive wit, joy, and rage, Wong's Year of the Tiger will galvanize readers with big cat energy.
Reviews:
"Wong's collection provides a truly multidimensional portrait of a disabled writer effectively fighting the tendency of able-bodied people to treat the disability community as a monolith, an idea the author effectively deconstructs throughout the book. Not just beautifully written, the book is formally innovative, incorporating fiction (most notably, science fiction) and illustrated elements that are both profoundly insightful and consistently creative. Wong's grasp of social justice issues is as impressive as her ability to explain complex ideas clearly, passionately, and often humorously... A stunningly innovative, compulsively readable hybrid of memoir, cultural criticism, and social activism." -- Kirkus Reviews
"From its first pages, Year of the Tiger embodies rebellion and defies expectation. Alice's tenacity and winking mischievousness make her a pleasure to read -- this book is empowering, thought-provoking and an enthusiastic call to action. Her absolute confidence and creative devotion to herself, her safety, and most importantly, her joy... it's truly exhilarating." -- Stephanie Foo, author of What My Bones Know
"Year of the Tiger is a ferocious, fun adventure in the style of my favorite fanzines of the '90s. Alice Wong is one of our foremost disability advocates, and yet this book isn't only about disability, though it discusses disability with frankness and humor; more importantly, it's not about 'overcoming' a condition. This book is about a colorful life lived alongside disability -- a full life. This memoir is a must-read." -- Esmé Weijun Wang, author of The Collected Schizophrenias
About the Author:
Alice Wong is a disabled activist, media maker, and research consultant based in San Francisco, California. She is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture. Alice is also the host and co-producer of the Disability Visibility podcast and co-partner in a number of collaborations such as #CripTheVote and Access Is Love. From 2013 to 2015, Alice served as a member of the National Council on Disability, an appointment by President Barack Obama. Alice is also the editor of Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century as well as its young adult adaptation.