Milkweed Books, Cow Tipping Press, & Unrestricted Interest Present: Neurodivergent Book Launch with Max Eati, Mark Eati, & Mary Ayetey

Join Milkweed Books as we host a launch event for three neurodivergent writers and their new books with Cow Tipping Press and Unrestricted Interest.

Mary Ayetey likes to write. She is a Black Autistic writer and winner of the Cow Tipping Prize. She likes Disney. She likes trolls. She likes listening to calm music and upbeat music. She’s been writing the first book of Henriette Meets Mully, and she wrote the “Respect” poem and “Pepper Spray.” She also likes to paint.The Ghosts I Know introduces a bold literary voice. At times blurring the past, and other times distilling exquisite details from her memories, Ayetey builds cities to wander through. Her writing probes at her identity and personal history, taking the world apart and putting it back together with dynamic, purposeful language.

Today There Is a Lamp in My Throat is Mark Eati’s third chapbook. He co-wrote his first two chapbooks with his sibling Max. He scribed these poems to nurture himself and to share his being with others. He is a nonspeaking neurodivergent. He writes on many topics: spirituality, leadership, disability, organizational growth, fiction, integrative wellness, arts, sensory balance, nature, cooking, astronomy, animals and birds. Mark’s writing was also featured in Chris Martin’s book May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future. He also enjoys public speaking and presentations. You can find more of his work at growourjoy.org.

It Took Me Time to Lean Into Myself is the third of eight chapbooks Max Eati memorized in their brain. They scribed these poems with endless dedication to feeling themself and their space in this world. They are a disabled nonspeaking neurodivergent. They write poems, songs, blogs and essays. They write and publish in sprints because, similar to many other disabled artists, their health interferes with their ability to work on them as much as they want to. They love writing about history, leaders of the past, aphorisms, spirituality, nature, impacts of human behaviors on nature and community, disability rights, self advocacy and most importantly how people with and without disabilities can be radically integrated into shared communities. Max has three published poetry chapbooks, co-written with their sibling Mark. Their writing was also featured in Chris Martin’s book May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future. You can find more of their work at growourjoy.org.

We will host a reading followed by Q+A, book signing, and reception with the authors.