Anand Prahlad's writing delves into the intersection of identity, folklore, and personal experience, particularly through the lens of Black and neurodivergent perspectives. His work is characterized by a poetic exploration of culture, language, and the human condition, often drawing from marginalized voices and traditions. Prahlad's unique approach blends creative nonfiction, poetry, and critical scholarship, offering readers a rich tapestry of insight. His literary contributions illuminate the complexities of heritage and self-discovery with profound depth and lyrical grace.
The encyclopedia explores the rich tapestry of African American folklore, tracing its evolution over 240 years from the era of slavery to contemporary culture. It features accessible entries on essential aspects of this heritage, highlighting folklore rooted in African traditions as well as those developed in the United States. Through its comprehensive coverage, the work underscores the profound influence of these stories and traditions on American culture.
Anand Prahlad was born on a former plantation in Virginia in 1954. This memoir, vividly internal, powerfully lyric, and brilliantly impressionistic, is his story. For the first four years of his life, Prahlad didn’t speak. But his silence didn’t stop him from communicating—or communing—with the strange, numinous world he found around him. Ordinary household objects came to life; the spirits of long-dead slave children were his best friends. In his magical interior world, sensory experiences blurred, time disappeared, and memory was fluid. Ever so slowly, he emerged, learning to talk and evolving into an artist and educator. His journey takes readers across the United States during one of its most turbulent moments, and Prahlad experiences it all, from the heights of the Civil Rights Movement to West Coast hippie enclaves to a college town that continues to struggle with racism and its border state legacy. Rooted in black folklore and cultural ambience, and offering new perspectives on autism and more, The Secret Life of a Black Aspie will inspire and delight readers and deepen our understanding of the marginal spaces of human existence.