What was the most interesting fact about Temple Grandin that you learned in your research?

I knew a lot about Temple Grandin because she’s been a hero of mine for a long time. I didn’t know however that she kept a collection of all the hats and badges that she got from companies when she advised them on taking care of their animals or when she attended conferences. I do the same thing. When I go to conferences or speak in schools, and it’s one of the things that connected me to her when I worked on this book. In fact, if I speak to your school and you give me a T-shirt or sweatshirt, I promise I will wear it.

What is the biggest lesson you hope young readers take away from the book?

When Temple talks about being autistic, she uses the words “different, not less”. People who are different, who think differently, who have different backgrounds and experiences, can often identify big problems that other people don’t see as problems, and they can find solutions because they look at those problems from fresh perspectives. For instance, Temple observed farm animals and was able to interpret the world from their eyes because of her experiences as an autistic person. In doing so, she figured out what frightened or upset the animals and made them harder care of or get sick and injured.

How did you do the research for this biography?

I already own many of Temple’s books, but I ended up reading every one that’s still in print, along with several articles she wrote. I also re-read the great neurologist Oliver Sacks’ article in The New Yorker about the time he spent with her in Colorado, where she lived and still lives. That article came out in 1995, and it was how I found out about her in the first place. In addition, I watched videos of her talks and the HBO movie based on her life. Finally, I read the memoir that her mother published in 2016, A Thorn in My Pocket. There’s a lot written by and about Temple, and my biggest challenge was choosing the most interesting stories and important information from all the information that’s out there.

What question would you ask Temple Grandin if you had the chance to meet her?

I actually did meet Temple Grandin. She was the keynote speaker at a conference I attended in 2013. She was there to talk about her book, The Autistic Brain. She signed her book for me, and I told her how she inspired me to speak out about my own experiences as an autistic person. In her speech she said, “When you’re a weird geek, you’ve got to learn to sell your work.” And when I spoke with her, she encouraged me to promote my work based not on my personal charm but on its quality and how my writing can improve the lives of my readers.

What does the Persisterhood mean to you?

The persistence of these women is the common thread that unites them across time, place, culture, language, and field of endeavor. Every one of them has made a contribution that benefits all of us. They have opened doors, created opportunities, and challenged stereotypes, and it’s up to us to walk through those doors and create new opportunities for those coming along behind us.