SUCH A PRETTY GIRL
SUCH A PRETTY GIRL
A Story of Struggle, Empowerment, and Disability Pride
Nadina LaSpina
New Village Press • New York
Copyright © 2019 Nadina LaSpina
All rights reserved. Except for brief portions quoted for purposes of review, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, or utilized in any medium now known or hereafter invented without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Published in the United States by
New Village Press
New Village Press is a public-benefit, nonprofit publisher
Distributed by New York University Press
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-61332-099-0
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-61332-103-4
EBook ISBN: 978-1-61332-104-1
EBook Institutional ISBN: 978-1-61332-105-8
Publication Date: July 2019
First Edition
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Available online at http://catalog.loc.gov
Front cover and frontispiece photo of the author at age 4 or 5, courtesy of the author. Back cover photo: Nadina LaSpina being arrested at the Occupy Wall Street action, New York City, November 17, 2011. Photo credit: Stephanie Keith. Courtesy of Stephanie Keith.
Interior photos are courtesy of the author except where indicated.
Cover design: Lynne Elizabeth
Interior design and composition: Jordan Wannemacher
This book is dedicated to my parents,Giovanni and Maria LaSpina,and to my husband,Daniel Robert,in memoriam
Those with power can affordTo tell their storyOr not.
Those without powerRisk everything to tell their storyAnd must.
—FROM THE POEM “TELLING,” BY LAURA HERSHEY, POET AND DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVIST
In this memoir, aesthetic and emotional truth is given precedence over factual truth. To protect privacy, the names and characteristics of some people and places are changed, and, in some cases, two or more individuals are made into one. Some events in my personal life are compressed and their sequence altered to improve the flow of the narrative. Dialogue is recreated. The disability language changes according to the usage of the times. I use “cripple” in some instances for its shock value. I regret if anyone is offended. In no way do I intend to speak for all people with all different types of disabilities.
CONTENTS
PART I: Che Peccato: What a Shame
7. A Place Where I Never Want to Go Back
8. We Can Fight for Our Rights
9. Just One of the Graduate Students
12. You Do What You Have to Do
14. Love and Activism on Two Continents
PART IV: Come Sono Contenta: How Happy I Am
21. Vado Via Contento: I’m Going Away Happy