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Double Take: A Memoir – A Gripping Photographic Journey on a Skateboard to Discover What It Means to Be Human
“Kevin Connolly has used an unusual physical circumstance to create a gripping work of art. This deeply affecting memoir will place him in the company of Jeanette Walls and Augusten Burroughs.” — Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants “Charming … Connolly recounts growing up a scrappy Montana kid—one who happened to be born without legs... [ Double Take ] makes for an empowering read.” — People As featured on 20/20, NPR, and in the Washington Post : Kevin Connolly is a young man born without legs who travels the world—by skateboard, with his camera—on his “Rolling Exhibition,” snapping pictures of peoples’ reactions to him… and finds out along the way what it truly means to be human.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
November 5, 2009
There’s more to Connolly’s story than the fact that he was born without legs, which makes this memoir an interesting read, but as the author is only in his early 20s, it’s a quick read, too.
We see him raised by parents who treat his disability as matter-of-factly as they can, and he has a fairly normal small-town childhood. He eschews wheelchairs and prosthetics for a skateboard he propels with his hands — it’s just easier for him to get around that way. In trying to find a sport that he can compete in (wrestling turned out to be a disaster), he finds his way into skiing, and eventually competes in the X Games.
But the most interesting part of the book details his travels abroad, where he explores his independence and must deal with others’ reactions to his physical state. When well-meaning people in Ukraine and Germany give him alms, Connolly is so nonplussed that he can’t even attempt to decline.
The stares he encounters, scooting along at ground level, form the idea for his photography project. He begins the project as a catharsis to capture the “combination of curiosity, worry, and shock” that’s everyone’s initial look at him, and ends up with tens of thousands of snapshots.
The writing is lively and the book is a window into a life worth reading about. However, Connolly seems to lack the wisdom and reflectiveness that would give depth to many of his experiences, meaning that some parts feel glossed over and others feel incomplete (he’s so young, they are incomplete). It would be interesting to see a follow-up in 10 or 20 years to find out what he’s been up to in the meantime.
We see him raised by parents who treat his disability as matter-of-factly as they can, and he has a fairly normal small-town childhood. He eschews wheelchairs and prosthetics for a skateboard he propels with his hands — it’s just easier for him to get around that way. In trying to find a sport that he can compete in (wrestling turned out to be a disaster), he finds his way into skiing, and eventually competes in the X Games.
But the most interesting part of the book details his travels abroad, where he explores his independence and must deal with others’ reactions to his physical state. When well-meaning people in Ukraine and Germany give him alms, Connolly is so nonplussed that he can’t even attempt to decline.
The stares he encounters, scooting along at ground level, form the idea for his photography project. He begins the project as a catharsis to capture the “combination of curiosity, worry, and shock” that’s everyone’s initial look at him, and ends up with tens of thousands of snapshots.
The writing is lively and the book is a window into a life worth reading about. However, Connolly seems to lack the wisdom and reflectiveness that would give depth to many of his experiences, meaning that some parts feel glossed over and others feel incomplete (he’s so young, they are incomplete). It would be interesting to see a follow-up in 10 or 20 years to find out what he’s been up to in the meantime.
June 23, 2015
I picked up this book after learning that the University of Florida is using it as a common read for this year's incoming freshmen. I think it's an excellent choice for multiple reasons including the fact that it's a thought-provoking and inspirational story about a young guy dealing with unusual challenges in very unusual ways. And the students will probably like that it's a quick read.
Kevin Connolly was born without legs to a family that expected him to be independent. He rejected prostheses and wheelchairs, preferring to use his hands to crawl or skateboard or ski. He excelled at adaptive skiing with a mono ski and won a silver medal at the x games in 2006. The prize money financed an international photography trip during which he took thousands of photos of people staring at him and turned them into an art exhibition. Some of the photos illustrate this book.
Reading this book might make you think about disabilities differently--all of us have some things we cannot do---and about the assumptions you make when you see someone whose physical disabilities are obvious. I enjoyed reading the details of the adaptations Connolly's parents engineered through trial and error as well as Connolly's description of navigating the streets of Kiev.
Ultimately it is not a satisfying read for an adult reader because it doesn't go deep enough and as a narrative, it isn't long enough. He was just 23 when this was written and I would love to read his perspective at the age of 40 or 50.
Kevin Connolly was born without legs to a family that expected him to be independent. He rejected prostheses and wheelchairs, preferring to use his hands to crawl or skateboard or ski. He excelled at adaptive skiing with a mono ski and won a silver medal at the x games in 2006. The prize money financed an international photography trip during which he took thousands of photos of people staring at him and turned them into an art exhibition. Some of the photos illustrate this book.
Reading this book might make you think about disabilities differently--all of us have some things we cannot do---and about the assumptions you make when you see someone whose physical disabilities are obvious. I enjoyed reading the details of the adaptations Connolly's parents engineered through trial and error as well as Connolly's description of navigating the streets of Kiev.
Ultimately it is not a satisfying read for an adult reader because it doesn't go deep enough and as a narrative, it isn't long enough. He was just 23 when this was written and I would love to read his perspective at the age of 40 or 50.
May 27, 2015
His continuously negative outlook on other people and their intentions makes reading this book exhausting. Every chapter or so I felt like I, as a person who might happen to look at or glance at someone who is missing two legs who is riding on a skateboard down a street, am a bad person who can feel only one emotion: pity. I don't buy that.
As far as the rest of the book goes, I think it would have been a very strong choice to include a ghost writer. The writing fluctuates between repeating the obvious (that he doesn't have legs and he doesn't want people feeling sorry for him...maybe he doesn't want people looking at him either?) to distancing himself from the readers but underplaying crucial moments (X Games and traveling the world seem non-chalant).
On a personal note, after trying to meet he writer in person at my college, turns out he's pretty much as negative in real life as he is in this book.
Would not read again, learned nothing new about life or love or obstacles, it's a book full of reasons to feel with someone who is constantly saying "STOP FEELING EMOTIONS AT ME".
May 12, 2020
When I first started this book I wasn't sure what all the pictures were about. I try not to read the synopsis on the front inside or back of the book because too often they contain spoilers. So I kept seeing these pictures of people in foreign countries that obviously weren't the authors family. I finally had to look and then it all made sense. The book starts off good. The author is born perfectly normal, except for one thing...he doesnt have any legs. But he went on to have a fairly normal childhood. He doesn't like artificial legs or wheelchairs and finds it easier to get around on his hands. He seems to get in fights occasionally with kids that tease him and I find it hard to believe that even a kid would tease someone about not having legs, but who knows. Nothing seems to hold him back from life and he leads a fairly normal life. As a college student he was able to travel to several countries and found it was easier to get around on a skateboard. He decided to take pictures of the people he caught staring at him. This is where he kind of lost me. A guy with no legs going all over on a skateboard and he is offended by people staring at him. And in one country he even got offended by a guy that came right up to him and asked him what happened to him. So I was kind of confused exactly how he wants people to react to him. But he never really tells us. He is upset when people stare and upset when people try not to stare. I think people are uncomfortable with people with disabilities because they dont know how their reactions are going to come across. Hence, the 3 star rating, but could have been 4 or 5 stars if he had told more about the pictures and the people's reactions, maybe interview some of the people, and less about his being butt hurt about how people look at him in public.
January 14, 2010
Even though I felt that a large portion of this small book was disjointed somehow, I still liked it. A lot of what I read in Mr. Connolly's story reinforced the idea that people can "go for broke" and create a positive out of a bad situation.
The biggest lesson that I learned from Connolly's story, though, is that he's a much better person than I am. Even just reading about stranger's initial reactions to him had me clicking my tongue and shaking my head, while I was secretly acknowledging the fact that I probably would have reacted the same way.
It took a bit of personal endurance, a bit of familial strength and a good heaping of a "who gives a rat's ass?" attitude for him to travel the world alone. But it was more than that, I think. There's a spirit there, that was implanted and cultivated from his childhood, and I think it's that spirit that pushed him out the door when he was in danger of succumbing to despair.
The pictures he shared were awesome, but they didn't really mesh for me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but whatever it was bothered me. It wasn't the subject of the shots, or the fact that they were included at all...I just don't know. I do, however, feel like the pictures could have been left out and it wouldn't have made that big of an impact on my reading experience.
Kevin Michael Connolly had to learn to grow and be a bigger person much faster than most of us, and yet he still had the capacity to feel pity and sadness for those around him. He's much more insightful and honest than I was at his age, which intrigues me. I'm sure his family (especially his parents) should be taking a lot of the credit, but he only really touches on their impact on his life fleetingly. It's a good memoir for someone so young, but a bit lacking in the accolades to those around him. As his mother said, This isn't just your show. But damn if he didn't make it seem that way.
The biggest lesson that I learned from Connolly's story, though, is that he's a much better person than I am. Even just reading about stranger's initial reactions to him had me clicking my tongue and shaking my head, while I was secretly acknowledging the fact that I probably would have reacted the same way.
It took a bit of personal endurance, a bit of familial strength and a good heaping of a "who gives a rat's ass?" attitude for him to travel the world alone. But it was more than that, I think. There's a spirit there, that was implanted and cultivated from his childhood, and I think it's that spirit that pushed him out the door when he was in danger of succumbing to despair.
The pictures he shared were awesome, but they didn't really mesh for me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but whatever it was bothered me. It wasn't the subject of the shots, or the fact that they were included at all...I just don't know. I do, however, feel like the pictures could have been left out and it wouldn't have made that big of an impact on my reading experience.
Kevin Michael Connolly had to learn to grow and be a bigger person much faster than most of us, and yet he still had the capacity to feel pity and sadness for those around him. He's much more insightful and honest than I was at his age, which intrigues me. I'm sure his family (especially his parents) should be taking a lot of the credit, but he only really touches on their impact on his life fleetingly. It's a good memoir for someone so young, but a bit lacking in the accolades to those around him. As his mother said, This isn't just your show. But damn if he didn't make it seem that way.
September 3, 2011
I liked this book and I'm glad I read it. However, somehow I was expecting more. I appreciated his stories of growing up and overcoming the many difficulties of not having legs. I appreciated his drive to excel and his honesty, even about how he felt about his big photo project. I'm not sure what his main message was regarding these photos though. It seemed that he wanted to show that universally people will stare at someone without legs. But is that really a big surprise? He even found himself doing it to someone else that was missing limbs. It was interesting to see these photos but I'm not sure what it really signifies. What I did get out of the book though was a feeling of gratitude for having legs (not something one thinks about daily.) I also really admired his parent's casual attitude towards him travelling alone around the world using a skateboard to get by and spending his last bit of money. Now if my kids decide to travel the world with very little money, I will remember the inspiring story of Kevin Michael Connolly and hopefully be as supportive as his parents were.
November 1, 2010
The memoirs of a 23 year old guy born with no legs. He's a remarkably tenacious person and seems like a good guy. But a really great writer, unfortunately, he is not. And 23 years is not quite enough life to generate book-worthy memories. Of course he has some interesting insights and experiences to share as a consequence of his disability, and there were parts I enjoyed, but his age and inexperience as a writer definitely tainted the book.
February 29, 2024
This was one of the most boring books I've ever read. It really had nothing to do with his perspective of growing up bipedal. It also had nothing to do with his "art project" of photography. What it WAS about was his drunk father on "disability" who mooched money off relatives and freeloaded his adult life. Somehow, even though he was too disabled to work due to his back, he could ski all year long with Kevin. That's it. Boring.
March 14, 2011
Great story of overcoming one's self and their world. I will say that Sara Gruen (Water for Elephants) has obviously never read Augusten Burroughs' books since she used that as a comparison in her review. The only thing that they have in common is both being memoirs.
July 29, 2012
Although I admire what the author has faced and overcome in his life (born without legs), I actually felt 90% of the book was anger and self-pity with very little reflection on growth and perspective. I was extremely disappointed.
January 14, 2014
This "memoir" was not as insightful or heartfelt as I had hoped, but it was an easy read.
August 17, 2014
This book had a good purpose, but it was very boring.
May 1, 2019
3.5 stars
I enjoyed reading about Kevin's upbringing, particularly how his parents did their best to prepare him for navigating the world on his own, never babying him because of his condition. And I was impressed with his sense of adventure, doing so much travelling at a young age and all on his own. While his story is inspiring, you can tell that it's written by a young person who has learned and experienced a lot in his life but still has a ways to go to grow and change. I'm glad I finished it (especially as it had been sitting on my shelf for probably a decade), but I don't think I'd recommend it or read it again.
I enjoyed reading about Kevin's upbringing, particularly how his parents did their best to prepare him for navigating the world on his own, never babying him because of his condition. And I was impressed with his sense of adventure, doing so much travelling at a young age and all on his own. While his story is inspiring, you can tell that it's written by a young person who has learned and experienced a lot in his life but still has a ways to go to grow and change. I'm glad I finished it (especially as it had been sitting on my shelf for probably a decade), but I don't think I'd recommend it or read it again.
September 24, 2020
Born without legs to blue collar parents, Kevin Connolly grew up tough. He never let his disability stop him and has found success in several areas. He prefers a skateboard to prosthetic legs or a wheelchair and most people do a “double take” when they see him. He can usually shake it off but it bothers him at times. When someone started taking pictures of him, he decided to turn the tables and take pictures from his perspective.
While I admire his tenacity and spunk, I thought Connolly’s memoir lacked focus. The writing was uneven and his story didn’t flow smoothly. This book was just okay for me.
While I admire his tenacity and spunk, I thought Connolly’s memoir lacked focus. The writing was uneven and his story didn’t flow smoothly. This book was just okay for me.
December 1, 2021
Kevin Connolly was born without legs. He tries many things to fit in and travels the world to take pictures of peoples’s responses to his disability.
Favorite part: I could understand why those questions were asked. But still, it was exhausting trying to constantly justify my existence to others. It made me feel like an alien who needed to provide an explanation for how I arrived. Every question or assumption people made pushed me a little further from feeling human, and more like an act in the circus- something to stare at and wonder about.
Favorite part: I could understand why those questions were asked. But still, it was exhausting trying to constantly justify my existence to others. It made me feel like an alien who needed to provide an explanation for how I arrived. Every question or assumption people made pushed me a little further from feeling human, and more like an act in the circus- something to stare at and wonder about.
November 5, 2021
Born with no legs, Kevin doesn't let that slow him down or stop him from pursuing his dreams. It is also a testament to family and the role they play in the journey of life. The title refers to all the double takes he sees throughout the many countries he travels to.
Kevin has a way with words that make this a good read. Don't expect a sappy "poor as me," book. There is a lot of humour throughout.
Kevin has a way with words that make this a good read. Don't expect a sappy "poor as me," book. There is a lot of humour throughout.
February 3, 2023
For a man who didn't think he had a story to tell he sure is one helluva story teller and clever writer. I loved the concept of his cathartic decision to take his own photos of the gawkers even though he chastised himself for doing that at one point. I also really enjoyed the relationship he had with his father, who was willing to do just about anything to support his son. This is a very quick read that I highly recommend.
October 23, 2019
Interesting memoir about a kid born without legs to the right parents. Raised pragmatically just like any other kid, in a compassionate, solution-based way — just like one would hope every kid could be raised. Realized surreptitious photos of the looks he got traveling all over the world would make a good art project, he just ... did it.
May 3, 2020
Getting into reading and was able to fall in love with this book quickly. I love to travel and take photos so this was up my alley. Would like to meet Kevin in person and go take photos and hope to find a project he decided to follow. Give it a read you won't regret it.
September 18, 2025
this book put me in such a bad slump omg! but it's overall okay, i hate to say that about a memoir but it's true! i just felt like it was very repetitive but i'm glad that he continued to be positive and live his life the best way he could!
December 27, 2019
Legless man rides a skateboard around the world and takes pictures of people’s facial expressions when they see him.
April 7, 2020
Funny, thought-provoking, bildungsroman
Read
March 9, 2021Gifted to me by a student who attended a presentation by the author. Highlights embracing life and your differences.
December 23, 2023
I appreciated the raw honesty in this book. And made me think about how I treat people.
February 2, 2011
The cover drew me in during a bookstore excursion, and when I flipped through I was delighted to see a lot of photography interspersed.
Kevin (because we're close like that) was born without legs. It's not a disease or the result of anything his mother did or didn't do - it just happened. But his book isn't about that. Well, ok, to an extent it is, because you can't just gloss over something like that. But I guess because he was born that way, he didn't have much adjusting to do. It was simply how he always lived.
As a kid, he played like everyone else – running around getting dirty, getting into trouble - but he walked with his hands. He addresses some of the problems with bullies, trying to ask girls out, typical school stuff. On the other hand, he talks about being fitted for prosthetic legs that made him look "normal" but didn't help him walk, how his mom hemmed special pants for him, and how exciting it was to finally buy a pair of shoes. When these topics came up, I had to pause for a second and remember why they were noteworthy; it was easy to forget he doesn't have legs. Every other line wasn't a "pity me!" statement - in fact, it was the opposite.
Kevin became a skier and competed in the X Games. With the money he won for finishing 2nd place, he bought a camera and traveled to foreign countries on a skateboard. From this unique angle, he captured the stares he'd been getting all his life. The results are some great stories, interesting introspection, and a set of amazing photographs.
It made me think of Adam Shepard's Scratch Beginnings, even though I feel like the two shouldn't really be compared. The only similarities are that they're written by two young men (it makes me proud to be in their age bracket) who are trying to make a difference in some small way. Adam (because WE'RE close like that...) wanted to prove that the American Dream was still alive - and wrote a really inspiring book about it. Kevin addresses a lot of the things strangers thought about him regarding why he was legless and what he was capable of. In a different way, I also found his story inspiring: it made me think about assumptions, personal goals, proving people wrong, etc.
Kevin (because we're close like that) was born without legs. It's not a disease or the result of anything his mother did or didn't do - it just happened. But his book isn't about that. Well, ok, to an extent it is, because you can't just gloss over something like that. But I guess because he was born that way, he didn't have much adjusting to do. It was simply how he always lived.
As a kid, he played like everyone else – running around getting dirty, getting into trouble - but he walked with his hands. He addresses some of the problems with bullies, trying to ask girls out, typical school stuff. On the other hand, he talks about being fitted for prosthetic legs that made him look "normal" but didn't help him walk, how his mom hemmed special pants for him, and how exciting it was to finally buy a pair of shoes. When these topics came up, I had to pause for a second and remember why they were noteworthy; it was easy to forget he doesn't have legs. Every other line wasn't a "pity me!" statement - in fact, it was the opposite.
Kevin became a skier and competed in the X Games. With the money he won for finishing 2nd place, he bought a camera and traveled to foreign countries on a skateboard. From this unique angle, he captured the stares he'd been getting all his life. The results are some great stories, interesting introspection, and a set of amazing photographs.
It made me think of Adam Shepard's Scratch Beginnings, even though I feel like the two shouldn't really be compared. The only similarities are that they're written by two young men (it makes me proud to be in their age bracket) who are trying to make a difference in some small way. Adam (because WE'RE close like that...) wanted to prove that the American Dream was still alive - and wrote a really inspiring book about it. Kevin addresses a lot of the things strangers thought about him regarding why he was legless and what he was capable of. In a different way, I also found his story inspiring: it made me think about assumptions, personal goals, proving people wrong, etc.
February 8, 2013
This book was a fairly quick read. The chapters are concise and reader friendly. The photographs from the author’s photo project definitely set the tone for the book, and are a creative thread holding the narrative together.
I read this book to add to my repertoire of disability memoirs, though at a point in the book Connolly points out that he does not identify himself as disabled, which was an insightful commentary in his range of experiences. I had a few issues with some of the way the narration went, but those are the same issues I have with a lot of memoirs, so I’ll leave that to me being nit-picky with the genre and move on. His photo project (in which he travels to different countries and photographed people staring at him) takes central focus and I found the most interesting part to be when he had doubts and regrets about the project, even considering not finishing it. His experiences of how people from other cultures and social histories react to his legless-ness was at times jarring, but I think a necessary point to make. For example, the fact that in America, traveling by skateboard is independent and individualistic, was seen as undignified in other countries. Connolly also comments on the need of people to apply a social/emotional context to his physical state, from war to disease to accident -- merely stating “I was born without them” wasn’t good enough in some cases.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. At times the narrative may have felt cut short, but the perspective Connolly brings to the reader can be applied to many personal experiences and areas of study.
I read this book to add to my repertoire of disability memoirs, though at a point in the book Connolly points out that he does not identify himself as disabled, which was an insightful commentary in his range of experiences. I had a few issues with some of the way the narration went, but those are the same issues I have with a lot of memoirs, so I’ll leave that to me being nit-picky with the genre and move on. His photo project (in which he travels to different countries and photographed people staring at him) takes central focus and I found the most interesting part to be when he had doubts and regrets about the project, even considering not finishing it. His experiences of how people from other cultures and social histories react to his legless-ness was at times jarring, but I think a necessary point to make. For example, the fact that in America, traveling by skateboard is independent and individualistic, was seen as undignified in other countries. Connolly also comments on the need of people to apply a social/emotional context to his physical state, from war to disease to accident -- merely stating “I was born without them” wasn’t good enough in some cases.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. At times the narrative may have felt cut short, but the perspective Connolly brings to the reader can be applied to many personal experiences and areas of study.
August 13, 2012
I was somewhat disappointed in this book. Connolly is a decent enough writer (the recounting of his skiing adventures were especially entertaining - if somewhat painful!) but I found myself a little put off by his attitude. A common theme (and the impetus for the book in the first place) was his annoyance at how people would look at him and the different reactions they would have. I don't mean to be cold, but let's face it - a legless man zipping around on a skateboard should expect to see shock, pity, surprise, whatever on people's faces. For example, in one instance, a Russian (or some Eastern European - don't quite remember) man saw him and insisted on giving him money, thinking he was a beggar. Connelly found this highly insulting and was angry about it. But Connolly didn't stop to think that this man was acting based on his own experiences and culture; in that culture, Connolly would be a beggar. The man wasn't deliberately slighting Connolly, but that's how he took it. It seemed he was so focused on his own feelings that he didn't stop to consider what informed another person's reaction/actions.
I much more enjoyed the episodes in which his parents made an appearance - his father in particular seemed like a real character, and I admired how his mother prepared him for going to school.
I read the book, and shared it with a friend at work, but ultimately, it's not a keeper. It's in my bag of books to bring to the used book store. Sorry, Kevin, but your Double Take was a one-time read for me.
I much more enjoyed the episodes in which his parents made an appearance - his father in particular seemed like a real character, and I admired how his mother prepared him for going to school.
I read the book, and shared it with a friend at work, but ultimately, it's not a keeper. It's in my bag of books to bring to the used book store. Sorry, Kevin, but your Double Take was a one-time read for me.
December 17, 2009
A memoir by a 23-year old would not normally sound promising, but this one is highly engaging. Author was born without legs and describes how that affected dating, finding an outlet for his interest in competitive sports (frustrating to have to just watch h.s. football; didn't take to wrestling; found his niche in skiing so well that he earned lots of money via the X games, has sponsors, etc.), being mobile enough to keep up with girlfriend and family in getting around (rides a "longboard" on his hands), etc.
The main theme, though, is his learning to accept others' reactions to him. The stares, the question ("what happened to you?"), the pity, and the unwanted attention bother him tremendously. He turns this issue into an art project by travelling internationally on his X Games winnings and taking pictures (one is reprinted here at the start of each chapter) of people staring at him. Develops some empathy for others by noticing his own automatic desire to take a second look at a guy he encounters in Europe who had lost an arm and a leg in combat.
Very well-written. Hard to put my finger on just what I liked so much about it, as the nutshell version is pretty much what you would expect given his condition (people react to the sight of him; it gets tiresome for him). I guess it's just that he comes across as very curious about life, his family, people in general and brings you along for the ride.
The main theme, though, is his learning to accept others' reactions to him. The stares, the question ("what happened to you?"), the pity, and the unwanted attention bother him tremendously. He turns this issue into an art project by travelling internationally on his X Games winnings and taking pictures (one is reprinted here at the start of each chapter) of people staring at him. Develops some empathy for others by noticing his own automatic desire to take a second look at a guy he encounters in Europe who had lost an arm and a leg in combat.
Very well-written. Hard to put my finger on just what I liked so much about it, as the nutshell version is pretty much what you would expect given his condition (people react to the sight of him; it gets tiresome for him). I guess it's just that he comes across as very curious about life, his family, people in general and brings you along for the ride.
February 1, 2010
This was strangely fascinating. The author was born without legs in a small town in Montana to parents who really encouraged him to be independent. Over the years, he tried both artificial legs and a wheelchair, but found both methods of transport confining, and ultimately crafted himself a little skateboard that he whizzed around on very expeditiously. Since he never had legs, he didn't really feel badly about his condition, and there was very little he couldn't do, including skiing in the X games. But he noticed that when he travelled during his college years that people looked down on him on his skateboard with a mixture of revusion, pity and sadness that he did not experience when he was in a wheelchair. One day he had his camera with him down on his skateboard, and with his head turned, surreptitiously snapped photos of people he knew were staring down at him. Wondering what reaction he would get from different cultures around the world, he used his X games prize money to finance a world wide adventure where he snapped 33,000 pictures of people staring at him when they didn't realize he had a camera. It's hard to imagine being stared at with real pity and horror by 33,000 people. He once had a New York City traffic cop look down at him and gasp, "What the f -- happened to you??!!" I really give the young author props for his bravery and insistence on living his life on his own terms.
November 17, 2018
Double Take, A Memoir by Kevin Michael Connolly (pp 227). This memoir is largely built around a photography project best described by the author: “This photography has allowed me to use my leglessness as a way to create an art project that otherwise would have been impossible to create.” The genesis of the photography was an attempt to capture photos of the almost inevitable downward-looking stares Connolly endured while moving about the world. The author’s reaction to being the object of pity, curiosity, and confusion ranged from understanding to annoyance to anger. Not until he found himself in Sarajevo staring at a man with missing limbs from war, finding himself silently asking “what the happened to him?” did he second guess his motivations for his project. This memoir has no neat wrap up, concluding epiphany, or insight into the human condition. Rather, it tells the story of a person born without legs and his experiences dealing with virtually everyone around him (except family) who considered him handicapped. Importantly, it is not what some people call inspiration porn, i.e. an inspirational story based on a person’s disability. It is about family, competition, love, travel, and growing up: the stuff of life. In fact, it’s not overtly inspiring, so don’t read it if you want to get a golden glow of goodness.
Spoiler alert: in the end he does NOT get the girl. Again, the stuff of life.
Spoiler alert: in the end he does NOT get the girl. Again, the stuff of life.
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