Following up on a memorable event here in 2023, Brian Laidlaw returns to the Poetry Center to perform a set of new songs composed by nonspeaking autistic lyricists. 

In collaboration with Unrestricted Interest, an organization offering mentorship to neurodivergent writers, these spellers (whose motor-control challenges prevent them from reliably speaking aloud, but who use keyboards or letterboards to communicate eloquently in writing) have amassed a remarkable body of work in recent years. Their songs illustrate a thrilling variety of embodiments and consciousnesses, and, in the process, gently correct the misconceptions that many neurotypicals have about autism and disability. These songs capture an extended spectrum of human experience, silly and sublime, visionary and irreverent, celebrating all the ways a mind can rock and roll. 

The set will include songs by several Arizonan spellers, some of which were written during songwriting retreats at Teva Community. Teva is a nonprofit organization in Prescott, Arizona creating opportunities for nonspeaking autistic individuals to live, work, and participate in creative expression, and engage in all aspects of society. 

In addition to the in-person reading, most Reading & Lecture Series events are streamed live on our website.