Thursday, November 13, 7 PM: Authors Melissa Hart and Brian Trapp, Reading, Conversation and Q&A about Growing Up in Special Needs Families

This event will be a reading and then a conversation between Melissa and Brian about growing up as a “sib” in a special needs family, writing disability and caregiving in the comic mode, and how we can learn to think about people like our brothers in more complex and profound ways. We’ll follow that up with a Q&A

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Melissa Hart's newest book is Down Syndrome Out Loud: 20+ Stories of Disability & Determination (Sourcebooks, 2025), inspired by growing up with a brother who has this genetic condition. School Library Journal calls the book "a powerful testament to the strength and potential of individuals with Down syndrome, and an essential read for anyone seeking representation or to broaden their understanding of intellectual disabilities." 

Melissa's articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Smithsonian, CNN, Real Simple, Nat Geo Kids, Orion, and numerous other publications. She teaches for the MFA in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University. Find out more at www.melissahart.com .

 Range of Motion is a comic yet poignant coming-of-age novel about twins, caregiving, and connection. It follows a pair of twins: Michael, the awkward “normal one,” and Sal, who is charming, mischievous, and has cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and speech disabilities. The novel is partly based on my experience of growing up with my own twin brother Danny, who could only say 12 words but still found ways to express himself in profound ways. It’s a novel about the resilience of special needs families and the secret language of siblings. It’s received advanced praise from writers Zach Anner, Greg Marshall, Jonathan Evison, Mat Johnson, Chris Bachelder, and Elizabeth McKenzie.

I love this blurb especially: "Irreverently hilarious and profoundly moving, Range of Motion manages the near impossible: to distill into words the unspoken bond between brothers, the resilience of family, and how the beautiful chaos of disability can make life more meaningful. A brilliantly crafted story I've been waiting to read my entire life."  ― Zach Anner, actor and writer for ABC’s "Speechless," author of "If At Birth You Don’t Succeed," and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Ambassador

Brian Trapp is director of disability studies at the University of Oregon, where he also teaches fiction and nonfiction. He's the new editor-in-chief of the relaunching Northwest Review. His work has been published in the Kenyon Review, Southern Review, Longreads, Brevity, and elsewhere. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, with his twin brother, Danny. Learn more at https://briantrappwriter.com/.