I would like to give a warm welcome to David Perlmutter! David is author of Toons In: A History Of Television Animation (McFarland and Co.) and The Encyclopedia Of American Animated Television Shows (Rowman and Littlefield) and more!
Thank you for being a guest on this blog series. I know that your contributions and insights will be invaluable for the autistic and neurodivergent community. Let’s dive right in!
Introduction
- Interviewer: Tas
- Interviewee: David
Tas: If you are comfortable sharing, do you have a visible or invisible disability?
David: I am autistic, which is an “invisible” disability. In terms of whether it impacts me or not, it only seems to do so when I disclose it. I have had to disclose it whenever I have applied for jobs outside of my writing work, and I think some people may have used it against me in the hiring process in the past.
Tas: Disclosure can be a benefit and a curse. I have had similar experiences. It is disheartening how much discrimination happens by just being yourself. The stigma around autism triggers implicit and explicit bias in professional settings. What industry do you work in or want to?
David: I am seeking to be employed as a library assistant/shelver in my local community’s library system, or in equivalent positions in other record keeping organizations. I am a graduate of a Library/IT program at a local college, and hold an MA degree in History, so I am looking for entry-level positions in these fields that I can advance to higher positions within easily.
Tas: Growing up I always wanted to work in a library! In my area, it is almost impossible to get a job at libraries. They tend to hire internally only, and have some very ableist job descriptions. Do you find that the literature world, whether in a library or in general, is accommodating of your needs as a neurodivergent professional?
David: The industry is quite accommodating to neurodivergent people as both employees and customers. Which is why I find it odd I have yet to be employed in it.
Tas: It is good to know that the libraries there are more accommodating. I think the perspective on disability is ever evolving. Not just in professional settings, but also personal. Looking back, how has your personal perspective about disability and neurodiversity changed?
David: It hasn’t changed much. I knew I was neurodivergent from a young age and it has remained relatively stable as I have acquired more knowledge on the topic.
Manitoba is legally and socially accommodating in multiple ways to neurodivergent perspectives. I have never experienced any form of outright discrimination living here.
Tas: It is good to hear of such a positive community experience! As an author, do you find that the traditional publishing world has more barriers for you as an autistic author?
David: No more than any other person would in trying to present a proposal to a traditional publisher open to proposals. I read over their submission guidelines and presented them on their terms with what I wanted to do, and they agreed to let me go ahead.
Tas: As someone that did the indie author grind, I am always impressed by those that can be successful at it. The author world can be brutal, especially for indie authors. Is there any advice you would give to a disabled/neurodivergent writer that wants to traverse the publishing world?
David: Make sure you want to commit to the project, because you may not succeed immediately in finding a sympathetic publisher. It may take time.
Tas: For the people that want to pursue freelancing/contract work in writing spaces, what steps can they take to be self -sustaining and successful?
David: Understand the kind of thing you want to write first. Read up within the historical and contemporary work in that field so that your own work will be somewhat informed by past and future development in the field. You will be taken more seriously if you show some understanding about where to place your work in the field here and now.
Tas: Tell me about your published works! How did you balance executive functioning while writing "Toons In: A History Of Television Animation (McFarland and Co.) and The Encyclopedia Of American Animated Television Shows (Rowman and Littlefield)"?
David: It was a matter of making priorities and selecting periods of time for research, draft writing, etc. Because of the nature of the subject matter I had to make time in order to view the programs but also needed time to determine what the critical arguments I would make would be and how objective I could make them.
Tas: You have done so much as an author, such a variety of genres and topics. You have been featured in anthologies like 2015's Shoreline of Infinity 1: Science Fiction Magazine (Shoreline of Infinity-Science Fiction Magazine) with The Brat.
One credit that stood out to me was the Burly Qs and in 2017's The Supreme Archvillain Election, where you co-wrote with other authors to build a cohesive story. I can't even imagine the process for writing the same story parts and making it fit. When you collaborate on something like this are there barriers when navigating the collaboration as a neurodivergent author?
David: On those occasions, I was only working with the author who accepted and edited my piece, so I haven’t had to be concerned with conflict in that sense.
Tas: As a writer, how does your lived experience influence your character development?
David: I have explicitly “coded” some of my characters as being autistic. In those cases, I have drawn on my own experiences and thought patterns.
Tas: Some of the best stories are authentically based on the author's experiences. Write what you know is cliché, but also true.
Thank you so much for interviewing here on Expert Voices. Where can people find you and your work?
David: My Substack, Made From What’s Not Real, is probably your best bet. I have accounts on all the major social media organizations but this is the one that is most often updated.
Outro
This is an ongoing series that will post 1-2 times per month. If you enjoyed this interview, please share!
If you are interested in being interviewed in this series, please reach out via my contact form. Please note: I am only accepting requests from disabled and neurodivergent adults. If you are a parent or caretaker, I cannot accept your interview request.
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