Rebekah Taussig – författare

Amemoir-in-essays from disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account@sitting_pretty Rebekah Taussig, processing a lifetime of memories to paint abeautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently thanmost.Growingup as a paralyzed girl during the 90s and early 2000s, Rebekah Taussig only sawdisability depicted as something monstrous (The Hunchback of Notre Dame),inspirational (Helen Keller), or angelic (Forrest Gump). None of this feltright; and as she got older, she longed for more stories that alloweddisability to be complex and ordinary, uncomfortable and fine, painful andfulfilling.Writingabout the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’tfit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness andcharity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, andhow the pervasiveness of ableism in our everyday media directly translates toeveryday life.Disabilityaffects all of us, directly or indirectly, at one point or another. Byexploring this truth in poignant and lyrical essays, Taussig illustrates theneed for more stories and more voices to understand the diversity of humanity.Sitting Pretty challenges us as a society to be patient and vigilant, practicaland imaginative, kind and relentless, as we set to work to write an entirelydifferent story.

A memoir-in-essays from disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty Rebekah Taussig, processing a lifetime of memories to paint a beautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most.

Growing up as a paralyzed girl during the 90s and early 2000s, Rebekah Taussig only saw disability depicted as something monstrous (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), inspirational (Helen Keller), or angelic (Forrest Gump). None of this felt right; and as she got older, she longed for more stories that allowed disability to be complex and ordinary, uncomfortable and fine, painful and fulfilling.

Writing about the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and how the pervasiveness of ableism in our everyday media directly translates to everyday life.

Disability affects all of us, directly or indirectly, at one point or another. By exploring this truth in poignant and lyrical essays, Taussig illustrates the need for more stories and more voices to understand the diversity of humanity. Sitting Pretty challenges us as a society to be patient and vigilant, practical and imaginative, kind and relentless, as we set to work to write an entirely different story.

We are the scrappy ones. / We live, we adapt, we defy. / Made of stardust and grit, we are spectacular.Children with disabilities experience the world in all kinds of ways. Yet one thing they share is navigating a world that doesn’t always make space for them as they are. Existing on the edges can feel unfair—and downright exhausting. And at the exact same time, it can also foster creativity, resourcefulness, and adaptability. In a word, scrappiness.Author and disability advocate Rebekah Taussig has written a groundbreaking anthem of belonging that celebrates the wide range of disabled children and affirms their worth, just as they are. Luminous illustrations by Kirbi Fagan portray a diverse cast of characters living, learning, and playing. A warm, joy-filled book for disabled and non-disabled readers alike.