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Inside Out: The Stories and Poems from an Autistic Mind
“I really enjoyed reading Russell’s autobiography and poems.”
-Mark Haddon
Author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
- Darfur, Mother Nature, the Afterlife, Mythology. These are just some of the subjects that are included in the poems of Russell Lehmann’s first book. Russell has high-functioning autism (not to be confused with Aspergers syndrome) which gives him a very unique perspective of the world. Diagnosed when he was 12, he has lived an extremely difficult life due to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, severe anxiety and an eating disorder. Not to mention the ongoing discrimination his family and he have to go through just because he is different. Many of these challenges he has described in this book, along with poems that express his emotional opinions about them. His story and poems will surely inspire all who lay eyes on his words, while also shedding light on how difficult it really is to live with autism. A must read.
-Mark Haddon
Author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
- Darfur, Mother Nature, the Afterlife, Mythology. These are just some of the subjects that are included in the poems of Russell Lehmann’s first book. Russell has high-functioning autism (not to be confused with Aspergers syndrome) which gives him a very unique perspective of the world. Diagnosed when he was 12, he has lived an extremely difficult life due to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, severe anxiety and an eating disorder. Not to mention the ongoing discrimination his family and he have to go through just because he is different. Many of these challenges he has described in this book, along with poems that express his emotional opinions about them. His story and poems will surely inspire all who lay eyes on his words, while also shedding light on how difficult it really is to live with autism. A must read.
82 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2011
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 10, 2019
For sheer insight, this book is invaluable. Lehmann conveys what it is like to live with autism with honesty and courage. He is also a gifted writer.
July 12, 2025
As the parent of a son with autism, I appreciate Russell's insight. Just be aware if you plan to share this with someone on the spectrum (as I planned to do with my son) there are several poems or stories that present suicidal ideas and one poem in particular that seems to present it as the answer. I don't mean to invalidate the authors feelings at all, and I respect his honesty. It just isn't something I want to hand my son who also struggles with similar feelings. The poem is written as if the gun is encouraging him to take that option. On a positive note, I really connected with the prose section of this book, where the author shares incidents of his childhood. I learned a about how he was interpreting the events.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews