From Scientist to Stroke Survivor: Life Redacted (Disability Studies)

How does the journey of self-discovery unfold in the aftermath of a life-altering stroke?

From Scientist to Stroke Survivor is a poignant work of narrative nonfiction, a tapestry woven of prose, poetry, and lyrical essays. Diving deep into the facets of identity and the quest for self-reclamation, Elly Katz navigates the aftermath of a stroke, using the written word as a tool for understanding and articulation.

In her journey of self-discovery, Katz delves into migratory episodes of person-building. Each of these acts serves as a lens through which she explores identity, grapples with disability, and strives to reclaim the center of her life story-despite the eclipse caused by a life-altering stroke. These contemplative encounters exist at the margins shaping her realization of self. This book is an intimate exploration of disability which zigzags across genres, blurring boundaries and troubling the linearity of time. It is a pilgrimage of the soul-a journey that weaves through calamity and emergence, leaving no emotion untouched.

Drawing the readers into the profound depths of human resilience, this book is ideal reading for students of disability studies, writing courses and trauma courses.

Elly Katz verged towards a doctorate in Genetics at Harvard University, but a stroke at age 27 prevented her from realizing this dream. She suffered with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disease, for much of her life.