Last night, I was fortunate enough to interview Marian Schembari about her captivating memoir, A Little Less Broken, in a Manhattan bookstore. Here are five captivating observations…
Firstly, Marian and I (pictured above) both sported shiny silver shoes! (Mine were these flats, but I also adore these and these!)
Next, I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely Cup of Jo reader before the event started, who was flaunting the most stunning red nail polish. She shared her application secret of two thick coats and a clear top coat for added shine and chip prevention. Isn’t it beautiful?
Marian was also sporting a social battery pin, which could be adjusted to reflect one’s tolerance for human interaction. How cool is that — should we all have one?
Lastly, the conversation itself was truly enlightening. Upon her autism diagnosis at 34, Marian discovered that she wasn’t “weird” or “broken,” but simply autistic, as elaborated in her book. This realization explained her social confusion, sensitivity to stimuli, and discomfort with eye contact.
One intriguing revelation was Marian’s feeling of ease while living abroad. Why? Non-conformity to social norms was attributed to her foreignness rather than strangeness, making her feel more accepted. When asked which country resonated with her the most, she cited Germany for its punctuality and direct communication. This insight reminded me of this amusing cake video:
@killersundy
cultural differences of offering
♬ original sound – Killian Sundermann
Have you read anything great lately? I adored Marian’s memoir and highly recommend it, and I’m constantly engrossed in this parenting book. And, as always, please share any nail polish tips 😉
P.S. Getting diagnosed with autism or ADHD as an adult, and what are your top three books?
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