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Strangers Assume My Girlfriend Is My Nurse
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2019
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Publishers Weekly Review
In his second memoir, a collection of 23 essays, Burcaw candidly shares hilarious, cringe-worthy, and poignant stories about his life and living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Readers gain a deeper understanding of Burcaw as the collection progresses-he discusses making jokes to diffuse tension after a "pee fiasco" as a child and becoming a man who uses shocking humor to challenge assumptions about his life. Burcaw juxtaposes introspective and sometimes painful memories with incisive observations on how disability is perceived. Regarding a childhood experience as a guest on the annual MDA Labor Day Telethon, where he was portrayed as pitiable in order to raise money: "Society had it wrong, but their wrongness is so deeply ingrained from centuries of outcasting the disabled that it didn't help to get angry." From his sex life to first attempts at trying marijuana edibles, Burcaw doesn't shy away from topics that might be considered delicate; instead, he emphasizes the awkwardness, celebrating highs and lows alike. Above all, Burcaw succeeds in illustrating that "disability does not equal sadness." Ages 14-18. Agent: Tina Wexler at ICM. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-In the follow-up to his memoir Laughing at My Nightmare, Burcaw recounts his life with spinal muscular atrophy in this collection of 23 essays. Equal parts humorous, tender, and insightful, the pieces give an unfettered look at Burcaw's life and the assumptions others make about living with a disability. Vignettes include a disastrous trip to New York City with a dying electric wheelchair, starting a career as a motivational speaker, falling in love, and confronting the difficulties of transitioning to life outside of his parents' care. Intimate details, such as going to the bathroom and having relationships, are treated with frankness, and awkward situations are addressed head-on. The stigma he encounters day-to-day, from strangers giving him money to waiters giving him the kids menu, will be eye-opening for readers with and without disabilities. At points, the book is laugh-out-loud funny, making a sometimes difficult subject matter approachable and engaging, and each essay is concise and highly readable. The more vulnerable sections make the biggest impact, such as Burcaw's recurring fear of being a burden on those he loves. VERDICT This collection provides both funny and insightful firsthand anecdotes of living with spinal muscular atrophy. A recommended purchase for both teen and adult collections.-Kathryn Justus, Renbrook School, West Hartford, CT © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Summary

With his signature wit, twenty-something author, blogger, and entrepreneur Shane Burcaw is back with an essay collection about living a full life in a body that many people perceive as a tragedy. From anecdotes about first introductions where people patted him on the head instead of shaking his hand, to stories of passersby mistaking his able-bodied girlfriend for a nurse, Shane tackles awkward situations and assumptions with humor and grace.

On the surface, these essays are about day-to-day life as a wheelchair user with a degenerative disease, but they are actually about family, love, and coming of age.

Shane Burcaw is one half of the hillarious YouTube duo, Squirmy and Grubs, which he runs with his girlfriend, now fiancee, Hannah Aylward.

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