Episodes

September 21, 2009
Ginsberg's mother wrote about parenting a highly functioning autistic child in Raising Blaze
(2003), and in this autobiography Blaze tells his own story. Inspired by the format of the Internet Movie Database, Ginsberg organizes his life as a progression of television series, such as “Thanksgiving Special 2002” and “Freshman Senior Year 1.” Each series has a release date and cast list (“Amber: friend. Played herself in 2002's My Freshman Year as a girlfriend of mine”) and is further subdivided into episodes, each with their own summaries, quotes, soundtracks and trivia. Despite the inherently cerebral nature of the book's structure, the episodes paint a vivid picture of Blaze's thought processes (“This year was something unforgettable and legendary beyond conceivable knowledge because it really changed the way school had been for me for the past ten years”), life experiences and preoccupations, such as his crush on Hilary Duff or obsession with the year 1994 (“There is something about the numbers in the year 1994 that draws me to them”). A singular reading experience that gives insight into an equally singular way of processing and reflecting on life. Ages 12–up.