Manly While Stimming

Unmasking Autism meets Notes on Being a Man in this one-of-a-kind reimagining of contemporary masculinity in the autism community.

Society’s definition of masculinity—celebrating aggression, sexual conquest, and athleticism—is limiting and outdated for any contemporary man. But it’s even worse for autistic men and boys, who are either criticized for not being “man enough” or wrongly linked to political extremism and masculinity’s most toxic aspects. There is a better, more authentic way to be a man, one not currently modeled for the autism community. Journalist Eric Garcia is determined to change that. 

In Manly While Stimming, Garcia offers a new, healthy vision of 21st century manhood, expansive enough for all neurotypes. Sharing his own story alongside those from other autistic sons, brothers, fathers, and experts in the field, he argues that feeling intensely and expressing emotion through stimming does not devalue an autistic person’s manhood or existence—especially if our standards for being a good man become more inclusive. Speaking directly to autistic men and those that love them, this hopeful book imagines a world where men of all neurotypes have positive role models, and shows us how we can make that dream a reality.

• "Eric Garcia's Manly While Stimming elegantly navigates some of the biggest culture wars of our age: the rise of neurodiversity, the backlash against greater inclusion, and the rise of the isolated, reactionary young man, with as much deftness and compassion as any writer could. I can't think of an author better equipped to discuss the struggles of disaffected Autistic men in America. Garcia frankly discusses the current crisis of masculinity without downplaying men's struggles or undermining the vulnerable people they sometimes harm. This is a fabulously nuanced book that truly listens to the needs of today's Autistic man."
  Devon Price, author of Unmasking Autism & Unmasking for Life