Late Bloomer: How an Autism Diagnosis Changed My Life

(Paperback)

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Introducing a bold new voice in Australian nonfiction, Late Bloomer is a heartfelt coming-of-age memoir that will change the way you think about autism.

Clem Bastow grew up feeling like shed missed a key memo on human behaviour. She found the unspoken rules of social engagement confusing, arbitrary and often stressful. Friendships were hard, relationships harder, and the office was a fluorescent-lit nightmare of anxiety. It wasnt until Clem was diagnosed as autistic, at age 36, that things clicked into focus.

The obsession with sparkly things and dinosaurs. The encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music. The meltdowns that would come on like a hurricane. The ability to write eloquently while conquering basic maths was like trying to understand ancient Greek. These werent just personality quirks but autistic traits that shaped Clems life in powerful ways.

With wit and warmth, Clem reflects as an autistic adult on her formative experiences as an undiagnosed young person, from the asphalt playground of St Joseph's Primary School in Melbourne to working as an entertainment journalist in Hollywood. Along the way she challenges the broader cultural implications and ideas around autism, especially for women and gender-diverse people. Deconstructing the misconceptions and celebrating the realities of autistic experience, Late Bloomer is as heartbreaking as it is hilarious, and will stay with you long after the reading.

Reviews

'Sharp, perceptive and alive to the many ways of being in the world,Late Bloomersheds light on the wild and wonderful colours on the spectrum that are, all too often, invisible to or misread by the neurotypical eye.' -Kerryn Goldsworthy and Fiona Capp,The Age

'Late Bloomeris rich with experience, feeling, and the shared language of references.'-Erin Stewart, Arts Hub

Late Bloomerauthentically illustrates the importance of understanding our autistic identity and loving who we truly are.Clems clever and heartfelt storytelling walks us gently through the journey she has taken since her life-changing diagnosis.An important read for every parent, teacher, therapist, or individual wanting to learn more from the #actuallyautistic community. -- Katie Koullas, CEO of Yellow Ladybugs
'Sharp, perceptive and alive to the many ways of being in the world,Late Bloomersheds light on the wild and wonderful colours on the spectrum that are, all too often, invisible to or misread by the neurotypical eye.' -- Kerryn Goldsworthy and Fiona Capp * The Age *

'Late Bloomeris rich with experience, feeling, and the shared language of references.'

-- Erin Stewart * Arts Hub *

Author Bio

Clem Bastow is an award-winning cultural critic whose work appears regularly in The Saturday Paper, Fairfax newspapers and The Guardian. She has written about film and television for journals including The Lifted Brow and Kill Your Darlings, and books includingInvestigating Stranger Things (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021),ReFocus: The Films Of Elaine May (Edinburgh University Press, 2019) and Copyfight (NewSouth Publishing, 2015). She co-wrote and co-presented the 2017 ABC podcast Behind The Belt, a documentary deep dive into professional wrestling. Based in Melbourne, she holds a Master of Screenwriting from VCA, and teaches screenwriting at University of Melbourne. Clem is currently undertaking a PhD in action cinema and screenwriting at RMIT University.