“Good-humored and self-deprecating…deals with his drama elegantly.” Harper’s
Description
After a full-throttle brain bleed at the age of twenty-five, Ashok Rajamani, a first-generation Indian American, had to be reborn, relearning the most basic of things, piecing together a past, reclaiming a life, and coping with the societal prejudice inflicted on those with traumatic injury. With humor, spirit, and insight, he describes the catastrophic event (his brain exploded just before his brother's wedding!), as well as the long, difficult recovery period. In the process, he introduces readers to his family—his principal support group, as well as a constant source of frustration and amazement. Irreverent, coruscating, at times shocking, but always revelatory, this audio production of his critically acclaimed memoir takes the listener into unfamiliar territory, much like the experience Alice had when she fell down the rabbit hole. That Ashok lived to tell the story is miraculous; that he tells it with such aplomb is simply remarkable.
Praise
“Good-humored and self-deprecating…deals with his drama elegantly.” Harper’s
“Frightening, raw, droll, and hopeful.” NPR
“First-time author Rajamani delivers a fascinating look at his life and his recovery as a brain-injury patient that is both heartbreaking and uplifting.” Publishers Weekly
“Brilliant and engaging. Perfect sarcastic humor…a hilarious, irreverent, fascinating, Holden Caulfield-esque story of a twenty-five-year-old ‘brain-damaged, Indian American redneck.’" School Library Journal
“In this frank and witty account of his own brain ‘explosion,’ Rajamani describes in vivid detail the circumstances leading to the injury and its devastating aftermath on both his family and himself…With disarming drollery, the author also recounts his racism-tainted upbringing as an Indian American in white-dominated suburban Chicago. Shedding much-needed light on a little-known medical trauma, Rajamani’s sharp-edged prose is both informative and inspiring.” Booklist
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Jan 8, 2015 |
| Release Date | January 9, 2015 |
| Release Date Machine | 1420761600 |
| Imprint | Made for Success |
| Provider | Made for Success |
| Categories | Health & Wellness, Biographies & Memoirs, Professionals & Academics, Physical Illness & Disease, Nonfiction - Adult, Nonfiction - All |
Author Bio
Heralded by Barnes & Noble as one of the “Great New Writers of 2013,” Ashok Rajamani is an internationally published author, poet, artist, essayist, radio host, and activist in New York City. At the age of twenty-five, he suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage due to an undetected birth defect. Though he survived, he was left with bisected blindness, epilepsy, distorted hearing, erratic amnesia, metal staples in his brain, and, ultimately, a carved skull courtesy of open brain surgery. Ashok’s amazing survival resulted in his triumphant memoir, The Day My Brain Exploded: A True Story, which has received worldwide acclaim, hailed by multiple media outlets, including Publishers Weekly, Harper’s, Booklist, PBS, Atlantic Monthly,and more. In addition to The Day My Brain Exploded, his first book, Ashok’s prose and poetry have also appeared in multiple publications, such as Scholars & Rogues, South Asian Review, Danse Macabre, 3:AM magazine,and dozens more. He has been host for Brain Injury Radio and belongs to the Authors Guild, New York Writers Coalition, Asian American Writers Workshop, and South Asian Journalists Association. He is a nationwide speaker as well, having conducted multiple reading engagements in venues such as the United Nations and renowned book festivals. Ashok is a magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of New York University, where he received his journalism degree with Kappa Tau Alpha honors. He attended Columbia University for advanced cultural studies.
Narrator Bio
Heralded by Barnes & Noble as one of the “Great New Writers of 2013,” Ashok Rajamani is an internationally published author, poet, artist, essayist, radio host, and activist in New York City. At the age of twenty-five, he suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage due to an undetected birth defect. Though he survived, he was left with bisected blindness, epilepsy, distorted hearing, erratic amnesia, metal staples in his brain, and, ultimately, a carved skull courtesy of open brain surgery. Ashok’s amazing survival resulted in his triumphant memoir, The Day My Brain Exploded: A True Story, which has received worldwide acclaim, hailed by multiple media outlets, including Publishers Weekly, Harper’s, Booklist, PBS, Atlantic Monthly,and more. In addition to The Day My Brain Exploded, his first book, Ashok’s prose and poetry have also appeared in multiple publications, such as Scholars & Rogues, South Asian Review, Danse Macabre, 3:AM magazine,and dozens more. He has been host for Brain Injury Radio and belongs to the Authors Guild, New York Writers Coalition, Asian American Writers Workshop, and South Asian Journalists Association. He is a nationwide speaker as well, having conducted multiple reading engagements in venues such as the United Nations and renowned book festivals. Ashok is a magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of New York University, where he received his journalism degree with Kappa Tau Alpha honors. He attended Columbia University for advanced cultural studies.
Overview
After a full-throttle brain bleed at the age of twenty-five, Ashok Rajamani, a first-generation Indian American, had to be reborn, relearning the most basic of things, piecing together a past, reclaiming a life, and coping with the societal prejudice inflicted on those with traumatic injury. With humor, spirit, and insight, he describes the catastrophic event (his brain exploded just before his brother's wedding!), as well as the long, difficult recovery period. In the process, he introduces readers to his family—his principal support group, as well as a constant source of frustration and amazement. Irreverent, coruscating, at times shocking, but always revelatory, this audio production of his critically acclaimed memoir takes the listener into unfamiliar territory, much like the experience Alice had when she fell down the rabbit hole. That Ashok lived to tell the story is miraculous; that he tells it with such aplomb is simply remarkable.
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