The Myth of Normalcy: Empowering Students with Learning Differences by Jonathan Mooney Tuesday, Sept. 10
7:15 PM, Darien Library Community Room
Please RSVP to dariensepac@gmail.com

As a child, Jonathan Mooney was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD, and did not learn to read until age 12. He faced a number of low expectations growing up and was told he would flip burgers, drop out of school and end up in jail.

These prophecies didn’t come to pass.

Instead, Mooney beat the odds, graduated from Brown University with an honors degree in English Literature, is a Harry S. Truman Scholar for Public Service, and was a finalist for a Rhodes scholarship.

He is a widely sought-after writer and speaker whose work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, HBO, NPR, ABC News, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe.

Mooney is the author of three books, the most recent, Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn, and Thrive Outside the Lines was just released in August 2019.

The award-winning writer, entrepreneur and activist offers the message that we should “stop trying to fix people and start empowering them to succeed.” When Mooney realized he wasn’t the problem — but the system and the concept of normal were — it changed his life and outlook.

He argues that we can change the ways we think about diversity, abilities and disabilities — and “we can start a revolution.”