How I Work (Neurodivergently) - Bernard Grant Ph.D.

Following up from last week's entry in quick time (as they arrived together), it's writer, editor, and advocate Bernard Grant ??, Ph.D. !

You can find out more about their work at the following pages:?BernardGrant.com ,?WriterlyNourishment.com , NeuroBelonging.com , or on his LinkedIn . Or send an email to?[email protected] .

As always, if there's someone you'd love to see featured, or you're interested in sharing how you work, please let me know! We all have something to share.

P.S. before you ask, you don't capitalise bell hooks' name. And you should check out their hugely influential work.

Name:?Bernard Grant

Location:?Cincinnati, Ohio. I work from home.?

Current gig(s):?Writer, editor, (life and writing) coach, recorder, consultant.?

One word that best describes how you work: ?Diligent.

Neurodivergent? Multiply so. Autistic, attention hyperactive (AH), dyscalculic, dyspraxic.?

First of all, tell us a little about your work background and how you got to where you are today.

My life revolves around writing. I’ve been involved in literary publishing for ten years and currently work as a fiction editor at Tahoma Literary Review. I also taught undergraduate creative writing, screenwriting, and composition courses for five years while earning my PhD in creative writing and literature at the University of Cincinnati.?

I also have an MFA in creative writing. My undergraduate coursework centered films studies and literary and cultural studies, which lead me to creative writing.?

I’ve organized my life around writing. So most of my income comes from writing for various organizations and publications. I also coach writers and edit their manuscripts. And I coach Autistic teens and adults as well as their parents at Autism Personal Coach.?

In the summers I work as a recorder for the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW). The recorder job involves writing and editing while sharing my screen with multiple people on the call. I find it fulfilling and exhilarating.?

What are your job responsibilities??

Depends on the job. I’m a polymath. I have a lot of responsibilities. Writing, editing, coaching, consulting, marketing, scheduling and organizing virtual meetings and events.?

I regularly attend a lot of meetings and quite a few events.?

As a freelance editor I accept manuscripts throughout the year from various writers, usually fiction writers, but also essayists and memoirists. As a fiction editor at Tahoma Literary Review, I review around 500 submissions per year and judge submissions for an annual BIPOC fellowship.?

Earlier this year I judged an undergraduate creative writing contest for Willamette University, which was fun.?

I also write critiques, both at Tahoma and through my LLC, Writerly Nourishment. Though my own services are more varied to serve not only writers but businesses as well, brands.?

I write a lot.

I also proofread manuscripts, as not all authors want detailed comments; some just want their work polished for publication.?

And I’m working on two manuscripts, a collection of essays and a novel.?

Take us through a typical workday.?

My workdays may be as atypical as my mind. Most weeks I focus on writing and editing. But many weeks I mostly focus on meetings. Many weeks are a mixture of both, especially during the summers.??

What’s your workspace setup like??

Two monitors atop a dining table used as a desk and a cat stand that covers my keyboard. I like the table because it has shelves where I keep books. With over 1,000 books in my small house, I appreciate furniture with shelves. Attached to my left monitor stand is a microphone covered by a pop filter; clipped to the right monitor is a small lamp.?

What apps, gadgets, or tools can’t you live without??

Wall calendar. Microsoft Word. Gmail. Echo Dot. Under-desk footrest.??

Do you stim? If so, how and when?

I bite my fingernails. I exercise: ride a stationary bike, lift weights. I read a lot of books and watch a lot of films, mostly indie films (I grew up on indie films), often while riding the stationary bike or standing on a mini trampoline.?

Taking notes during meetings is a stim that helps me focus and organize information. From my front window, I watch birds eat from the birdfeeder that hangs from my porch—and the cherry blossoms that bloom outside my house each spring.?

How do you align your neurodivergence with your work environment? (e.g. planning, supports, environmental).?

I work from home, which is already aligned with my bodymind. I also a footrest beneath my chair and sometimes place a weighted blanket on my lap. I sometimes wear ear plugs during the workday or listen to music to anchor my mind. My wall calendar guides my planning—meetings, deadlines, etc.?

Are there any challenges or misconceptions that you've faced in your work? How have you addressed them??

People are often shocked to find out that my work isn’t volunteer. That’s what ableism looks like. Whether I’m talking about writing, editing, speaking, consulting, or coaching, I’ve met people who assume these are all volunteer positions.?

Earlier this year a psychiatrist kept trying to force me to admit that I’m on SSI even though I’d told him about my work, and never mentioned SSI in the first place. He didn’t seem to believe me when I told him I don’t collect SSI. Or that I’m a writer.?

Similarly, many people expect me to provide free labor, usually speaking and writing “opportunities.” Based on their behavior, I suspect they expect me to feel flattered by their attention. That’s what ableism looks like.?

I address this type of ableism by starting a discussion about pay rates. Sometimes I tell them I don’t work for free.?

The truth is that sometimes I do work for free. But I only volunteer for people I trust. I currently volunteer as a board member of NeuroGuides: Life Guides for Autistics, for example, because that nonprofit is a truly neurodiversity-affirming organization.?

Many organizations who call themselves neurodiversity-affirming or neuroinclusive don’t actually understand what those words mean, I’ve found.?

What’s your favourite shortcut or hack??

I don’t believe I use shortcuts or hacks. I plan carefully and adhere to my values, my boundaries, and the systems I’ve created.??

How do you keep track of what you have to do??

Wall calendar mostly. I send emails to myself, too, and remind Alexa, via Echo Dot, of certain plans for the day, meetings usually.?

How do you recharge or take a break?

Yoga nidra meditation, at least twice daily. Powerlifting. Stationary bike. Rocket League. Reading.?

What’s your favourite interest??

Literature and film. Reading and writing literature are my primary interests. For me, reading and writing are two parts of the same activity.?

Film is a major interest that ties into literature and writing. I especially like indie films. I watch them with my sibling all weekend.?

I also adore cats, birds, and cows. I live with three cats (and my twin sibling).?

What are you currently reading/listening to, or what do you recommend?

I just finished a memoir-biography (a hybrid text) called Missing Lucille by Suzanne Bernes, who was my second MFA mentor. Also recently read an anthology of lyric essays: The Lyric Essay as Resistance: Truth from the Margins, edited by Zo? Bossiere and Erica Trabold.?

I’m now reading The Testaments, Margaret Atwood’s 2020 sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, which I reread late last year. I’ve never read The Testaments.?

Soon I’ll reread Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront?, a novel I love but haven’t read lately, and Percival Everett by Virgil Russell, a novel by Percival Everett. That’s my plan but I may reread that lyric essay anthology soon.?

A book I?recently read and recommend is The Autism Industrial Complex: How Branding, Marketing, and Capital Investment Turned Autism into Big Business, by Dr. Alicia A. Broderick.?

I believe that all inclusionists—anyone involved in social justice work—benefits from reading that book. As well as bell hooks, Rebecca Solnit, Judy Singer, James Baldwin, and Dr. Nick Walker.?

Anyone who considers themselves a leader benefits from reading Stephen Mitchell’s translation of Tao Te Ching.?

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received??

Establish your own rules, live within your values, follow your interests, and create joy daily.?

Anything else you'd like to tell us??

Thank you for listening.