‘Sitting Pretty’ author to deliver Go Big Read keynote Oct. 16
Rebekah Taussig
Our stories matter.
It’s a mantra Rebekah Taussig not only believes but repeats in her book “Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body.”
She’ll share the message in person at this year’s Go Big Read keynote at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at Union South — Varsity Hall, Section II. No tickets are required for the free event, which will also be livestreamed. To access the livestream link, please visit gobigread.wisc.edu.
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin will join Taussig for a discussion about disability, accessibility and other topics from this year’s book followed by a Q&A with questions from the audience.
Taussig will also meet with students on campus next week, including an appearance at the class Disability and Society.
Paralyzed since the age of 3, Taussig grew up feeling alone. Now she’s written a book and created the Instagram account @sitting_pretty to remind herself and others that there are many people trying to navigate a world that often feels like it’s not meant for them.
Taussig is a Kansas City writer with her doctorate in Creative Nonfiction and Disability Studies. She has led workshops and presentations at the University of Michigan, University of Kansas, and Davidson College on disability representation, identity, and community.
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin hands out copies of the 2024 Go Big Read book “Sitting Pretty” by author Rebekah Taussig following the Chancellor’s Convocation for New Students on Sept. 3. Photo: Althea Dotzour
A combination memoir, essay collection and call to action, “Sitting Pretty” invites readers to consider disability from a different perspective. “Instead of disability as the limitation, what if a lack of imagination was the actual barrier?” she asks.
“Inclusion isn’t better just because it’s kinder,” Taussig writes. “We should bring disabled perspectives to the center because these perspectives create a world that is more imaginative, more flexible, more sustainable, more dynamic and vibrant for everyone who lives in a body.”
Other events include:
- Panel discussion on disability and accessibility in the community from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct 12, at the Madison Public Library Central, Room 301 and 302, 201 W. Mifflin St. The panel will be moderated by the City of Madison’s Disability Rights & Services Specialist Rebecca Hoyt and will include representation from the City of Madison’s Disability Rights Commission, Access to Independence, UW–Madison, and more.
- Panel discussion on disability featuring Taussig and UW–Madison students, faculty, and staff from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15 in the Symphony Room of the Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 W Dayton St. The panel will be moderated by Al Nemec, digital accessibility program manager, and Jenn Streator, disability program coordinator and employee accommodation specialist. CART Captioning is available. Please email gobigread@library.wisc.edu or bwillig@wisc.edu to request other accommodations.
- Models of Disability, Disability Culture and Identity. a Go Big Read Event, will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Sequoya Public Library, meeting rooms A & B, 4340 Tokay Blvd. Hosted by Hoyt, attendees will learn different models of disability and ways to expand access, equity and inclusion practices.
This year the Go Big Read program published a Canvas Commons module to help instructors incorporate the 2024-2025 book into their courses with resources including chapter summaries, book themes and topics, sample discussion questions, and more. Discussion questions are designed to serve classes in the following fields: Humanities, Social Sciences, STEM & Medicine, Education, and Interdisciplinary Fields.
Other resources include:
- A teaching guide on disability and campus history created by The Center for Campus History. The guide features primary sources on UW–Madison’s history regarding disability and accessibility and also has discussion questions.
- Cooperative Children’s Book Center Reading List on Disability, created by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center. This reading list has book recommendations for children and teens (ages: 0-18).
Information about accessibility on campus can be found at accessible.wisc.edu.
The Go Big Read program is an initiative of the Office of the Chancellor. It engages members of the campus community and beyond in a shared, academically focused reading experience. For more information, visit Go Big Read.