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Eileen Garvin

About

Eileen Garvin is the author of national best-seller, The Music of Bees, as well as How to be a Sister: A Love Story with a Twist of Autism.The youngest of five children, she has always been close with her sister, Margaret, who is three years her senior and was diagnosed with autism the month Eileen was born. Eileen has written forThe Oregonian, Creative Nonfiction Magazine and IntrovertDear.com. She contributed to the anthology Easy to Love but Hard to Live With: Real People, Invisible Disabilities, True Stories. Her novel, The Music of Bees, is forthcoming from Penguin Randomhouse/Dutton

Books by Eileen Garvin
Recent Posts
Holding the Line
Margaret’s behavior once drove us apart. Meltdowns disrupted every holiday and celebration, and her compulsions upended daily life. But now she was the one pulling us together.
Is Autism Genetic?
An interview with autism researcher, and my brother, Michael Garvin on his new findings.
The Isolation Project

As the season of isolation stretched into summer, I wanted to reassure my neighbors that isolation wasn’t the worst thing. After all, we introverts do this by choice all the time.

As the season of isolation stretched into summer, I wanted to reassure my neighbors that isolation wasn’t the worst thing. After all, we introverts do this by choice all the time.

The Short List

I’m confronted daily with how things have changed and the many activities I once took for granted that seem impossible right now, like seeing my family.

I’m confronted daily with how things have changed and the many activities I once took for granted that seem impossible right now, like seeing my family.

Siblings in the Time of the Coronavirus

Siblings are always concerned about their brothers and sisters with disabilities, and the pandemic has raised the stakes in many ways.

Siblings are always concerned about their brothers and sisters with disabilities, and the pandemic has raised the stakes in many ways.

In Praise of Leashes

My sister has taught me loads about the power of non-verbal communication and what we can learn if we pay close attention to the people and creatures we love.

My sister has taught me loads about the power of non-verbal communication and what we can learn if we pay close attention to the people and creatures we love.

Win-Win-Win

Special Olympics, Uber, and the kindness of strangers.

Special Olympics, Uber, and the kindness of strangers.

Confessions of an Accidental Extrovert

It seemed possible that the fun, loud version of me was simply an attention-starved young girl. I wasn’t really game to say anything, try everything, go everywhere.

It seemed possible that the fun, loud version of me was simply an attention-starved young girl. I wasn’t really game to say anything, try everything, go everywhere.