''Parallel Play'' is a

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobio ...

by Tim Page, originally issued, over the author's objections, as ''Parallel Play: Growing Up With Undiagnosed Asperger's''. (The subtitle was dropped after the first edition.) Published in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

by Doubleday, ''Parallel Play'' describes Page's early life, growing up in

Storrs, Connecticut Storrs is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Mansfield in eastern Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 15,344 at the 2010 census. It is dominated economically and demographically by the main campu ...

, where he was regularly described as a

genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabilit ...

and became known as a precocious filmmaker through the documentary ''A Day With Timmy Page''. Yet he was personally remote, an underachiever in school and subject to depression and

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil Turmoil may refer to: * ''Turmoil'' (1984 video game), a 1984 video game released by Bug-Byte * ''Turmoil'' (2016 video game), a 2016 indie oil tycoon video ...

throughout his life. Eventually, he became a writer and critic and won the

Pulitzer Prize for Criticism The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has been presented since 1970 to a newspaper writer in the United States who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism'. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board and officially administered by ...

in 1997. Three years later, he was diagnosed with

Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behav ...

, which Page describes as "one of those rare clinical confirmations met mostly with relief" as it explained many of the difficulties he had experienced growing up. In August 2007, a 5000-word article entitled ''Parallel Play'' was published in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...

''. The article was specifically about Page's Asperger syndrome. The book is more general, covering Page's personal quirks, his drug-taking in youth, and a fatal accident in which he was a passenger. In his preface to the Anchor Books edition, Page disavowed the "Undiagnosed Asperger's" subtitle and described ''Parallel Play'' as a "quirky memoir that could have been subtitled 'Old Records and Silent Movies', 'Eastern Connecticut in the 1960s', or, to borrow a line from the

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appear ...

, 'Loco Boy Makes Good'."

References

* Page, Tim. ''Parallel Play'' (revised edition)

External links

Article by Tim Page
(2007-09-20) from

Double Day Publishing Review

An Interview with Pulitzer-Winner Tim Page on Living with Asperger's
(2007)
Hour long radio interview
with

Doug Fabrizio Doug Fabrizio (born July 18, 1964) is an American radio host and commentator. He is host of RadioWest, a popular talk show heard on KUER; RadioWest is syndicated by PRI with a focus on the western United States and especially Utah. Fabrizio beg ...

KUER-FM KUER-FM (90.1 Hertz, MHz) is a public broadcasting, public radio station in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City, Utah. Owned by the University of Utah, its studios are located in the Eccles Broadcast Center on the University of Utah campus, while its ...

, on

Asperger's Syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavi ...

Tim Page as a 12-year-old filmmaker in "A Day With Timmy Page"

The New York Times, September 2, 2009 American memoirs 2009 non-fiction books Works originally published in The New Yorker Doubleday (publisher) books {{US-bio-book-stub