MEDIA RESOURCES
I find media, and particularly film, to be a powerful medium for reframing societal narratives surrounding divergent identity and mental health. I hope the below recommendations stir your imagination for what is possible in your own life. Breaking stigma and shaking up the conversation in our communities is how change happens and I can’t wait to see what you do. Tell me about it! If you’d like to share, you can comment on Facebook at @neurodiversityproject, tag me on Twitter at @bopsource, or send me a note through divergentlit.com.
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
It’s unusual for Hollywood to take on the mundane aspects of mental health, and this film does some of that, depicting how an unconventional family struggles to balance its philosophical convictions about modern life with the reality of modern life. It’s a beautiful film, portraying loss and grief juxtaposed with suburban indulgence and the pull of nature.
THE HOURS
One of my favorite films from when I was younger, this movie woke something up within me, but I wasn’t sure what at the time. Now, of course, I understand that its precise portrayal of women and masking from a historical and contemporary perspective is something that many can relate to. The way the stories are interwoven also creates a kind of synesthetic feeling.
ATYPICAL
The Netflix show does a wonderful job of capturing the experience of sensory overload and also illustrating how neurotypical friends and family coexist with and work alongside to create a sense of community with neurodivergents.
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Portraying my hometown of San Francisco, fellow School of the Arts alum Joe Talbot captures a felt sense of the city’s culture and streets. I particularly appreciate the way the young playwright, Mont, is depicted—clearly neurodivergent, his sensitivity, empathy, artistic sensibilities, and kindness are portrayed with such depth by actor Jonathan Majors.
FROZEN 2
This breathtaking animated film shows the pull that many have to abandon society’s social norms and find community while doing so, something that was a strong motivator in creating The Neurodiversity Project. The film depicts bright magenta and midnight blue as the main character navigates an icy world and literally follows a voice only she can hear. It creates a synesthetic sensation between land and person. It also, in a sense, normalizes the experience of “hearing voices” and depicts the experience in a very grounded, spiritual way, which is a bold and beautiful move for Hollywood. I think this film will greatly impact generations to come.
LOU ANDREAS-SALOMÉ
This is one of the most gripping portrayals of a woman’s intense curiosity, determination, and fierce intellect and the ways in which the frames of society meld together to shape how we view personhood, identity, and ability. It is a fantastic feminist account of Western thinking in psychology and philosophy.
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
It’s been a while since I’ve watched it, but this film captures some harder aspects of growing up in neurodivergent families. When mental difference isn’t accompanied by kindness and humility, it can turn mean. Many people get into a kind of “guru” mentality, which can turn into narcissism, and the effects on children and families are painful.
THE GLASS CASTLE
This film also depicts growing up in a neurodivergent family, in combination with the effects of alcoholism and trauma and their lasting aftereffects. The main character finds her own life through writing and establishes herself in a more mainstream neurotypical world but eventually finds a harmony and synthesis of both worlds, by forgiving her father. A sweet film.
INFINITELY POLAR BEAR
Interweaving themes of interracial relationships, class, biracial identity, and mental health, the film is a tender and realistic portrayal of a family navigating a bipolar father’s episodes. Like Captain Fantastic, the film takes on the mundane of finances, breakfast, school routines, and more topics that affect neurodivergent families the world over.
MY ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS
For further reading, here is a sampling of my work related to mental health, neurodiversity, media narratives, and culture shifts.
ARTICLES
“What Neurodiversity Is and Why Companies Should Embrace It.” Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/40421510/what-is-neuro diversity-and-why-companies-should-embrace-it
This article delves into neurodiversity at work, featuring interviews and recommendations, with a focus on women and Silicon Valley.
“About High Sensitivity, Autism, and Neurodiversity.” The Highly Sensitive Person website. https://hsperson.com/about-high-sensitivity-autism-and-neurodiversity
Elaine Aron called me to ask some questions about how the neurodiversity framework connects autism with the highly sensitive trait, and this is the blog post we coproduced.
“The Tiger’s Journey of Nonconformity and Neurodivergence.” Quiet Revolution. https://www.quietrev.com/tigers-journey-nonconformity-neurodivergence
This piece began as a very personal Facebook post to open up to my family and friends and to share what I was going through, and then it turned into a published essay—and then it turned into Divergent Mind. A special piece, it gives further historical context on my own life story.
“Why Neurodiversity Matters in Healthcare.” The Aspen Institute. https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/neurodiversity-matters-health-care
This is an in-depth Q&A with me about my writing, work, personal experiences, and what led to The Neurodiversity Project.
“The Science of Awe and Why It Matters at Work.” Quiet Revolution. https://www.quietrev.com/the-science-of-awe-and-why-it-matters-at-work
Here I share some of the research on awe by my colleagues at UC Berkeley, as well as practical examples of how awe can be woven into design and daily life. A sense of awe, wonder, and immersion certainly have sensory components, and the way buildings and workplaces are designed can greatly impact our mental well-being.
“How Design Is Helping Us Understand the Brain.” Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/3061887/how-design-is-helping-us-understand-the-brain
This piece highlights a TED residency project whereby interactive design exhibits help attendees better understand neuroscience.
INTERVIEWS
“Finding Stillness in New York City: An Interview with Bill Hayes.” Garrison Institute. https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/blog/finding-stillness-new-york-city
Hayes is an award-winning author and photographer and was the partner of the celebrated neurologist Oliver Sacks. In this interview we discuss topics of sensitivity and reflection, Sack’s life, finding community and a sense of place, and forging connections across neurodivergences.
“The Fire of Now.” Garrison Institute. https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/blog/the-fire-of-now
In this interview with author, activist, and Netflix director of inclusion, Darnell Moore, we talk about Moore’s coming-out story as a young queer black man and how he reconciled his various identities alongside his spiritual community. Themes of liberation, contemplation, and societal transformation are all discussed.
“Women Rowing North: An Interview with Mary Pipher.” Garrison Institute. https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/blog/women-rowing-north-an-interview-with-mary-pipher
Pipher, a therapist, is an acclaimed bestselling author who traces the impact of wider cultural shifts on her individual clients in therapy. In this interview she takes on the subject of women in their later years, aging, and reframing narratives about what it means to get older.
“Mindful Design and Remembering that Women Are Half of Humanity.” Garrison Institute. https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/blog/mindful-design-remembering-that-women-are-half-of-humanity
This interview with author Caroline Criado Perez exposes the ways in which women have been left out of virtually all aspects of life—from urban planning to health care—and Perez issues a challenge to readers to “remember that women are half of humanity.”
“How to Address Gender Inequality in Health Care.” UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_address_gender_inequality_in_health_care
This interview with Doing Harm author Maya Dusenbery exposes the extent of gender bias in scientific research and the medical system.
“Does Neurodiversity Have a Future?” UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/does_neurodiversity_have_a_future
NeuroTribes author Steve Silberman is interviewed here on the impact of politics on neurodiversity policy and research.