The Battery Park City Library is happy to announce Unrestricted Interest, a permanent display located on the second floor of the library.
Unrestricted Editions has published chapbooks since 2016. These chapbooks – originally designed by Mary Austin Speaker and now designed by Tijqua Daiker – have found their way into library collections from the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis to the University of Arizona Poetry Center and beyond. The library continues to grow.
From Unrestricted Editions, about the work they support: "We gather with neurodivergent writers to explore writing practices in their own way, at their own pace. We practice neurodiversity as an ensemble. We move against the notion that creative life should be normalized under neurotypical demands. We move with the notion that writing flourishes in all directions, as do lives."
Below are three excerpts from chapbooks in the collection:
The Divine Maze by Mark and Max Eati
We find ourselves mischievously
looking for trouble
exploring the ins and outs
of our autistic selves
A new 2024 edition of a beautiful chapbook. Mark (he/him) and Max (he/they) Eati are nonspeaking autistic siblings. They are the co-founders of two nonprofits, Alapa and Autism Sibs Universe, working to build and support neurodiverse communities. Alapa, their community in Plymouth, MN, is rooted in sustainability, interdependence, self-advocacy, and healthy living. Mark and Max are the authors of five chapbooks, all published by Unrestricted Editions. You can find more of their work at growourjoy.org.
Purple Rain Exodus by Khalil
Khalil is a poetry machine. He wants you to learn and listen. His poems are out of this world and Prince is his favorite musician.
from Purple Rain / Exodus:
Prince will wear a purple suit
and his voice will sound like
one hundred shining stars
I will decide to give that light
to everybody in the nation
because light should always be free
Other Together by Amelia Bell
sailing wide i am waiting tides approaching
wanting wagering always casting am i resisting tearing
weary above now sinking am still standing wavering am
near treading before all ways crashing believing reeling
decisions escaping am i trying angering am weather vane
shaming lost still watching searching am gone hearing calls
anchor am i rising lapping begging dragging regressing am i
fleeing returning waves of seeing holiday i am floating
Amelia Bell is a 16-year-old nonspeaking autistic poet. She lives in the Tampa, Florida area, and is a senior in a public collegiate high school where she is working toward receiving a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree from a local college in the Spring of 2024. Since she started communicating through spelling in 2020 she has greatly heard and responded to a call to increase awareness around the needs and abilities of nonspeaking autistic individuals.