QDA: A Queer Disability Anthology

by Raymond Luczak (Editor), Liv Mammone, Jax Jacki Brown

Featuring fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and comics by 48 writers from around the world, QDA: A Queer Disability Anthology proves that intersectionality isn’t just a buzzword.

It’s a penetrating and unforgettable look into the hearts and souls of those defiant enough to explore their own vulnerabilities and demonstrate their own strengths.

“Queer sexuality and disability places me so far outside the realms of the everyday that it renders people silent.” —Jax Jacki Brown

QDA is a gathering of people with the transformative—and political—power of love that transcends gender and ability. Ignorance is the biggest barrier.

“I feel exhilarated that you might actually accept me as a sexual being; that you might see the deliciousness that is my disability.” —Andrew Morrison-Gurza

“An anthology often creates a community. In this respect, QDA is truly groundbreaking because it brings two wonderful communities together. There is not a single style, genre, or opinion in the book, but an orchestra of voices. Their seminal works mirror—and do not mirror—each other. Taken together, they light a brilliant path of honesty.” —Jennifer Bartlett, co-editor of Beauty Is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability

Genres: Disability, Queer, Poetry, Nonfiction, LGBT, Disability Studies, Anthologies

510 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2015

Reviews

[Tyler Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of nonfiction, fiction, poetry, a comic .... 48 contributors, 97 stories. I did rate each one and it equaled out to 3.62, i'll round up to 3.75 because some of these really struck me hard and personally. All by people who are queer *and* disabled ... like I am. I am so very glad I read this and highly recommend it.

[Robin Mandell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so needed. The writing is exquisite. I'm really not exaggerating when I say these are some of the best poems, essays, and short stories I've read in years. You can read a full review at: http://readysexyable.com/ready/2015/1...

[Ai Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection; I think in some ways the huge, huge reach of it was helpful (you get many perspectives, a ton of different ways that people understand themselves in their own disabilities, as well as their own relationships to queerness) and in other ways it was kind of a hinderance. There was just so much and a lot of it felt a little whiplash-y. I'm not sure it's a collection I would recommend reading all together, though I think it can definitely be a resource for folks looking to add queer disabled writing to like a syllabus or something like that. Some of it I really enjoyed, some of it was thought provoking, and some of it was kind of just okay, but I think worth having read across the board.

[Moonbook · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: sex sence
I enjoy it but the main issue is that some of them felt weird to rate due being about their life, also if you going to read the e-book (like I did) some stories or poetry look different than the physical copy and they said every time (I don't what is the difference).
But I think important to see people who are queer but also with disables

[Corvus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I expected this book to be different in composition than it was and that has likely affected my experience with it. The positives of this book is that there is representation of voices sometimes unheard in anthologies like this such as Deaf queer folks, folks without super academic or radical backgrounds, and others. That said, I expected more essays than there were. I am not a big poetry person nor do I understand what makes poetry good and bad. When I found most of the entries in this book to be poetry, I was disappointed. There are also fiction and nonfiction stories told in here and sometimes it is difficult to tell which is which. I found a couple of the stories to be downright detestable (especially the one which is basically a woman talking about how ugly everyone is, the story of the developmentally disabled man's parents setting him up on a date with an abled pedophile woman, and various stories heralding assimilationism.) I don't know... I am a queer and trans disabled person who was hoping to read something I'd relate to or gain something from more than I did. The entries that I did enjoy- which tended to be the more radical of the bunch such as Jax Jacki Brown and others- I enjoyed a lot, which is why this gets the middle-of-the-road rating. If you're a person who really enjoys poetry, you will probably like this better than I did.

[S.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5. Some pieces are better reads than others.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a little biased, but I think this book is awesome. So many different stories of how disability and queerness are woven together in the lives of others... So good!

[adiantum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hits and misses, like any anthology, but with some really strong pieces. I’ve pulled some favorite sentences below.

“You just want to be normal… just someone who can take his pants off without explaining” - Mark Ellis

“I get to decide how it [language] is done, not you. If I say cripple, it’s because I like how the consonants break like bones” - Liv Mammone

“I say ‘the spine’ because it is easier than saying ‘my body feels broken and your touch makes it real’” - D. Allen

[Jenna D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal, honest. Not an easy read. Some entries are direct and powerful, which others are more artistic, surreal and abstract.
TW for many, including: rape, suicide idealation, mental illness/depression, instances of homophobia, and the many, many illnesses and levels of disability the book covers. I’m glad to have read it.

[Jon Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

jag störde mig på introt som jämförde funkofobi och rasism på ett väldigt förenklat sätt (från en vit persons perspektiv) och vissa texter var såklart bättre än andra men överlag en så himla viktig bok!!!

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an enjoyable read and gave me some insight into the disabled queer community. I liked that there was a ton of different authors, written in different styles. I didn't understand most of the poetry but poetry isn't my thing so😬

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't care for any of the longer works. Enjoyed the poems though. And always nice to read about people similar to and also different from me.

[Emma Kolditz Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my master thesis on desexualisation of the disabled body. Features some of the best and most relatable poems I've ever read.

[Mills College Library]

305.90808 Q11 2015