A Blessing and a Curse: Autism and Me [Paperback]

Caiseal Mor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2007

Growing up in Australia in the 1970s, Caiseal Mor was labelled 'retarded' and 'an idiot', and his parents were led to believe that physical punishment could cure his autism. In this courageous and captivating autobiography, Mor vividly captures his early experiences of dissociation from his true existence - a common reaction by children suffering from repeated abuse - and the various personas through which he lived through in his teens and early adulthood - the Mahjee, Charles P. Puddlejumper, Marco Polo and Chameleon Feeble. The rocky path towards discovering his true identity and finally accepting himself takes him on a spiritual pilgrimage via several different countries, once nearly getting caught unwittingly carrying drugs over the Moroccan border; forming relationships with people he meets but very often misjudges; to the revelation - the awakening - of love and acceptance.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Caiseal Mor is a writer and musician who has autism. He has written 14 novels, composed six albums and lives in Australia with his wife.

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub; 1 edition (April 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184310573X
• ISBN-13: 978-1843105732
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,753,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Since childhood Caiseal Mór has been haunted by a deep, abiding, autistic obsession with the Holy Grail. As a teenager he made a personal vow to dedicate his life to the Quest. In his early twenties he set off alone to travel the world, following any clue that might lead him to the Sacred Treasure. He was living near Glastonbury, in the U.K. when he embarked on an exhaustive study of Celtic legends and folklore, eventually travelling to Ireland to hear the old stories first hand. Over the next twenty years he gained a degree in Theatre Arts, published twelve novels centred around Irish tales he'd collected and another two non-fiction books based on his research. He also recorded six CDs of original music to accompany the books. His autobiography, "A Blessing and A Curse- Autism and Me", was published in 2007 to critical acclaim. Since then he's produced a further five CDs of original music, published another novel, "The Lady of the Lamp" and a personal account of his encounters with the miraculous, titled; "What is Magic?"
Caiseal is an author, musician, painter, sculptor and spiritual seeker. He lives and works in Australia with his wife, the portrait artist, Helen Wells.
The accompanying video, "Pilgrimage" is from his CD "Alchemy for the Heart", published in May 2011. More samples of his music may be heard on his website;

http://www.mahjee.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Blessing and a Curse: Autism and Me, June 18, 2008

By 

lightworker77 "Lightworker77" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Blessing and a Curse: Autism and Me (Paperback)

This book is beautifully written. I kept reading until I'd finished it, pausing along the way for my own emotional encounters with the text. The softness of the language and the storytelling gift only brought the indescribable brutality and cruelty of Caiseal's early life into stark awareness. Those with the disability were his family, his community, his doctors -homophobic Australia at its worst- and its not so many years ago. His extra-ordinary full life experiences and his clear descriptors of fragmented personalities captured my imagination. He has an amazing intellect and an equally huge capacity to move beyond "survival". As a neurotypical I have much to learn from him. As a teacher, I often tell parents of autistic children about Caiseal's story - to encourage them to THINK BIG for their children. Please read his story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!, July 23, 2007

By 

Kenneth S. Dailey "Aspie Runner" (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Blessing and a Curse: Autism and Me (Paperback)

Caiseal Mor courageously told the story of his difficult childhood, and how he has risen above it. A very inspiring, and at times shocking, autobiography.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Challenging book, September 3, 2009

By 

Joseph C. Aulenbrock (Torrance, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Blessing and a Curse: Autism and Me (Paperback)

Caiseal Mor's book "A Blessing and a Curse: Autism and Me" tells a wild story from my point of view as an old man. I find it almost incredible. But I'm reassured when he finds love and peace with his wife Helen. Most of all, I'm impressed with his authenticity when he describes dreaming sequences of novels and orchestral compositions before writing them down. I compare that with Henri Poincare's ability to conceive new mathematical proofs before writing them down.

Henri Poincare was a great philosopher, physicist and mathematician. He was born in 1854, and was nearsighted, had poor muscular coordination, and was seriously ill for a time with diphtheria. His mother gave him special instruction. He reached maturity and success before the word autism became current. But could he be understood as autistic? There is no definitive biography of Henri Poincare.