Bedsit, with three clowns, and a rottweiler

I was inspired to pick up this book after listening to Chimamanda's 2022 Reith Lectures on the Freedom of Speech. Chimamanda, argues that it feels like freedom of speech is under attack. She names cancel culture, arguments about “wokeness" (I am old enough to remember when we called this political correctness) and the stabbing of Salman Rushdie as producing this atmosphere. Meanwhile, autocrats, populists and an anti-science identity culture have undermined the very notion of an accepted fact-based truth which lives above politics. So how do we calibrate freedom in this context? 'Half of a Yellow Sun,' is as profoundly human, as it is unsettling. The terror and the domestic are cheek by jowl. They live side by side, in the same spaces. I have heard it said that Iris Murdoch's contribution to ethics is that she (along with other feminist philosophers) reframed ethics from the public to the intimate. Similarly, Adichie's narrative highlights that ethics canno...

This compelling anthology of interviews features individuals who have devoted their lives to activism. It has been brought together by Sarah Fitzgerald and the Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) and commemorates 30 years of that organisation's existence. These are the stories of the disabled activists in their own words and illustrate not just their dedication to their cause, but also the very human aspect of their struggle, underscoring the importance of friendship in sustaining their activism. It is tragic to witness, the creeping prevalence of anti-science rhetoric within the dialogue of Ireland's Disabled Persons' Organisations (DPOs), particularly when it concerns autistic people. Empirical evidence can shine a light on our way forward, outlining the steps to progress. However, it is crucial to remember that it is the individuals - the ones who are meant to benefit from this evidence - who must ultimately decide the path to follow. Science should serve humanity...

  Patrick Freyne's heartfelt memoir addresses the comic and tragic with a lightness of touch that makes reading it a joy. For me a particularly affecting essay is when Patrick, describes his experiences supporting a young woman living with a significant disability and additionally disabled by the continual fractures in relationships that are characteristic of organised 'care'. Our systems of care continue to be modelled on an arcane system that removes people from their communities and families. Neither does it sustain or respect the relationships, of the people living in these systems. There are many strands here, touching on the value we put on roles that are vital for the functioning of our communities yet seem to be continually devalued. Of course, these roles are typically female roles. Freyne illustrates the genuine kindness displayed by those operating within this flawed system, yet also reveals how their benevolence cannot rectify the deep-rooted flaws wi...