Brian Trapp is the author of Range of Motion (2025). He is the director of disability studies at the University of Oregon, where he also teaches creative writing and serves as editor of the Northwest Review. His work has been published in the Kenyon Review, Southern Review, Longreads, Brevity, and elsewhere. He grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, with his twin brother, Danny.
At Electric Lit Trapp tagged nine novels by authors who have "lived experience as either a disabled person or a caregiver—and each chose the novel and the comic mode to tell their tales." One title on the list:
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan EvisonRead about another novel on the list.
You don’t find much fiction narrated by Direct Support Professionals, a job Jonathan Evison did while launching his writing career. In this 2012 buddy comedy, former stay-at-home-dad Ben Benjamin is reeling from his impending divorce after atragic accident kills his two children. He begins caring for Trev, a foul-mouthed, sex-obsessed 19-year-old with muscular dystrophy who has been coddled by his overprotective mother. Ben pushes Trev out of his comfort zone and encourages him to explore the world. They embark on a cross-country road trip to visit Trev’s hapless and estranged father. Hijinks ensue. A cast of misfit hitchhikers come along for the ride, including a sarcastic and spunky runaway who falls for Trev. There’s rich caregiving details ripe for awkward comedy: lifting, showering, and assisting with bathroom functions. But what I love most about this sardonic and big-hearted novel is the laugh-out-loud banter between Trev and Ben.
--Marshal Zeringue
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