Woody Brown on Nonspeaking Autism and His Debut Novel "Upward Bound"
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Summary
Woody Brown, the first person with nonspeaking autism to graduate from Columbia University's MFA program and publish fiction with a Big Five press, discusses his debut novel "Upward Bound" (2026). The novel is a kaleidoscopic work set in a daycare facility for disabled adults, and has attracted both media attention and controversy from skeptics who doubt that a nonspeaking individual could author such a work. The article explores the challenges faced by nonspeaking individuals with autism and Brown's groundbreaking literary achievement.
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Twitter / XWoody Brown on Nonspeaking Autism and His Debut Novel "Upward Bound"lareviewofbooks.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledWoody Brown is the first person with nonspeaking autism to graduate from Columbia University's MFA program and to publish a work of fiction with a Big Five press.
Upward Bound is a kaleidoscopic novel that illuminates the lives of various characters inside the titular daycare facility for disabled adults.
Because of its unique nature, Upward Bound has attracted significant media attention—and, in some corners, controversy from those who cannot seem to accept that an individual
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