The Gift of Words: But You Don’t Look Sick: The Real Life Adventures of Fibro Bitches, Lupus Warriors, and Other Superheroes Battling Invisible Illness

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But You Don’t Look Sick: The Real Life Adventures of Fibro Bitches, Lupus Warriors, and other Superheroes Battling Invisible Illness features 123 powerful voices living with invisible chronic illnesses— voices often stigmatized, ignored, or isolated by society. These pages are emblazoned with the words and art of those waging a war against a wide range of debilitating, and often unseen, illnesses. The reader will journey deep into the lives of the contributors, intimately sharing moments of pain, heartbreak, loneliness, strength, courage, humor, and survival. These voices are both revelation and revolution, an unstoppable force pieced together by writers and artists worldwide, demonstrating what happens when warriors come together to educate and fight for their truths to be heard.

“[But You Don’t Look Sick] exposes the gendered, racialized and class-based inequalities that persist within the realms of diagnosis and healthcare provision, while underscoring the urgency of activism, education and the ongoing fight for justice for individuals with invisible illnesses.”

– Dr. Tanfer Emin Tunc, Professor of American Studies at Hacettepe University

“Above all, however, But You Don’t Look Sick is a powerful human showing of how opening to one’s pain generates courage and helps spread awareness. By opening the heart and manifesting compassion, this book helps drive change.”

– Jaya Avendel, Author & the poetic voice behind Nin Chronicles

“‘But You Don’t Look Sick’ explores the forgotten, unspoken and ugly-beautiful nooks of chronic illness. Because there are profound moments of horror and beauty when you’re hovering between worlds, on days when you feel you can’t do it anymore, in the silent hours when you really question if you’re actually there, physically existing. . . Educate me. Educate all of us. We need it.”

–Beverley Butcher, Author of ‘Sisterhood of Broken Dolls’ included in the anthology ‘Disturbing the Body’, @boudiccapress, March 2021

“This book is not only valuable for people living with invisible illness but should be required reading for those living and working alongside them. Which is to say, all of us…

The wellness industry has convinced the majority that with money, intention and the perfect execution of diet, exercise and hygiene one’s health is simply an issue of personal choice. For people with untreatable conditions, the judgement from society is unrelenting. If their health isn’t a perverse lifestyle decision, it must be a ploy to shirk the moral imperative to sacrifice themselves either to a career or to the physical and emotional care of others. But You Don’t Look Sick is both beautifully crafted and a damning examination of the complex harm caused by these social biases.”

–Melissa Hill, Political Artist and Board Member of the disability arts charity DAO in the UK

“As a woman who has lived her life battling an invisible illness and chronic pain, I found myself swept up in the compelling collection, But You Don’t Look Sick: The Real Life Adventures of Fibro Bitches, Lupus Warriors, and other Superheroes Battling Invisible Illness. The raw truth in each person’s journey was heart wrenching, eye opening, and emotionally captivating. I found myself devouring this book piece after piece until I’d read the book all the way through.”

–Ravven White, Author of ‘I am Ravven'”

But You Don’t Look Sick: The Real Life Adventures of Fibro Bitches, Lupus Warriors, and Other Superheroes Battling Invisible Illness is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, IndieBound, Waterstones, Book Depository, and from other major online retailers.

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1951724139