Film & Poetry Event: “Deej”

 

Mia, the Autism Society of Minnesota, and Rain Taxi invite you to this special film screening and poetry event as a precursor to National Poetry Month and Autism Awareness Month, which both take place each year in April. The program will introduce the audience to a remarkable young poet named DJ Savarase through the film Deej, which chronicles his life in high school, his art, and his advocacy work. Shot over a six-year period, Deej reveals not only what the ideal of full inclusion requires, but also what it can accomplish. 

After the screening, there will be a Q&A session with DJ. His recently published chapbook A Doorknob for an Eye and DVDs of the film will be available for purchase.

This event is free and open to the public, but advance reservations are recommended.

About the Author, the Film, and the Chapbook

Abandoned by his birth parents and presumed incompetent, DJ (“Deej”) found not only a loving family but also a life in words, which he types on a text-to-voice synthesizer. The film Deej shows how he deals with high school and dreams of college, confronting society’s obstacles to inclusion and the sometimes paralyzing beauty of his own senses along the way. As part of his advocacy on behalf of other nonspeaking autistics he embraces filmmaking and poetry, and discovers what having a voice can truly mean. A Doorknob for an Eye is published by Unrestricted Interest, a small press dedicated to transforming poetry through the voices of those with autism.