Our second day of interviews with Cora, this time outside for a small conversation at a local coffee shop where she shares more about her daily life. Given the fact that she can talk about her opinions so articulately, it is hard to imagine that Cora, as an autistic person, has difficulties interacting with others…
6/23 – Larre, Mountains and Market (Jackson, Wyoming) Day 1
Having left Arkansas, Dr. Ikegami and the NHK crew arrived in beautiful Jackson, Wyoming, a mountain town set in between various big US national parks. Here we would visit an autistic avatar Larre who is a devoted musician and trance music DJ in Second Life. Larry (in real life) has worked in a local supermarket…
6/24 Larre, Peace, Trance, Meditation (Jackson, Wyoming) Day 2
Our second day in Jackson, Wyoming was going to be eventful due to the party Larre would host as DJ in Second Life that afternoon, so we got an early start by exploring more of the setting of the area. On this day, we would learn more about his deep sensory-immersive experiences, finding peace in…
6/26 – Malachi, Finding Happiness and Support (El Centro, California) Day 1
Leaving Jackson, Wyoming early in the morning, we arrived in San Diego, California. In the early afternoon, we drove to El Centro, to meet our interviewee “Malachi” (Mathis). Mathis asked to meet at a local LGBT Resource Center, as his identity as both autistic and LGBT would play an important part in everything he told…
6/27 – Malachi, Surrounded by Friends (El Centro, California) Day 2
Our second day interviewing Mathis and Jenny in El Centro, California was brief but significant. We had opportunity to see more of the town, but also to hear poignant stories from Mathis about how he deals with occasionally being overwhelmed. This would be our last day on the road, after a week of traveling around…
6/28, 6/29 – Back in New York City, to Meet in the Virtual World
On June 28 our trip across the United States ended and we came back to New York City. Over the next couple of days the NHK crew would interview Dr. Ikegami and film the weekly autism mutual-support meeting in Second Life with, among others, those autistic people she interviewed in Arkansas, Wyoming, and California. In…