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Amy Wilensky

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Born1969 (age 55–56)[1]
Occupationwriter

Amy Wilensky (born 1969) is an American writer who has published two memoirs. Passing for Normal: A Memoir of Compulsion (2000) is about her experience of Tourette syndrome and obsessive–compulsive disorder. The Weight of It: A Story of Two Sisters (2004) is about her sister's obesity.

Early life and education

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Wilensky grew up in the Boston suburb of Sudbury, Massachusetts.[2][3] She was bullied as a child because of her Tourette syndrome.[2] She attended Vassar College, and studied writing at Columbia University School of the Arts.[2][3]

Writing

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Wilensky's Passing for Normal: A Memoir of Compulsion (Broadway Books, 2000) describes feeling shame and sadness as a child with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's Syndrome.[4] She had uncontrollable tics.[5] The book has been described as demonstrating "the extreme lengths to which individuals with Tourette's may go to manage their symptoms in social settings".[6] The journal Metapsychology said that the book was "frank and competently written" and would provide hope for "people who are odd in some way".[1]

Her second book, The Weight of It: A Story of Two Sisters, was published in 2004 by Henry Holt and Company, and is about her sister's obesity.[7] Publishers Weekly said that "Wilensky masterfully tells a story that she recognizes is not truly hers to tell".[7] Kirkus Reviews said "Funny and affecting in parts, but on the whole disappointing".[8]

Personal life

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Wilensky received cognitive behavioral therapy, anti-depressants and haloperidol to treat her conditions.[9] She wrote in 2000 that "although some of the more deeply-ingrained tics and rituals do creep back in times of stress, I am largely free from the burdens they imposed for so long on my body and mind".[10] She said that "Although I never set out to become a spokesperson for TS and OCD, my memoir has made me one".[10]

Wilensky lives in New York City, and is married with two children.[11][12]

References

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  1. ^ a b Perring, Christian (14 March 2001). "Passing for Normal". Metapsychology. 5 (11). Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Levine, Hallie (17 August 1999). "Living with Tourette's: author Amy Wilensky tells what it's like trying to pass for normal". New York Post. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b Geller, Jeffrey L. (2000). "Twitch and Shout; Passing for Normal: A Memoir of Compulsion; Motherless Brooklyn". Psychiatric Services. 51 (11): 1455–a–1457. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.51.11.1455-a. ISSN 1075-2730. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  4. ^ Komor, Christian R. (2000). OCD and Other Gods. Wellness Institute, Inc. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-58741-037-6. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  5. ^ Curtis-Wendlandt, Lisa (2023). Chasing Tourette’s: Time, Freedom, and the Missing Self. Springer Nature. p. 127. ISBN 978-3-031-19104-6. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  6. ^ Malli, Melina Aikaterini; Forrester-Jones, Rachel (12 April 2025). Tourette's Syndrome, Stigma, and Society's Jests. Springer Nature. p. 378. ISBN 978-3-031-83368-7. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  7. ^ a b "THE WEIGHT OF IT: A Story of Two Sisters by Amy Wilensky". Publishers Weekly. 17 November 2003. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  8. ^ "The Weight of It". Kirkus Reviews. 15 November 2003. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Passing for Normal". Kirkus Reviews. 1 July 1999. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  10. ^ a b Wilensky, Amy (8 August 2000). "A girl less ordinary". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  11. ^ Egger, Rebecca (Spring 2000). "About Books". Vassar, the Alumnae/i Quarterly. Vol. 96, no. 2. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  12. ^ Wilensky, Amy (29 June 2021). "The Importance of Earning Interest". Vassar, the Alumnae/i Quarterly. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
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