Uncancelled at last

Uncancelled at Last

I think this is the last stage of cancellation.

Cancellation feels like a descent into despair. Over the four years since I was cancelled for being racist, classist, and ableist — at least according to the sensitivity readers of my memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me — I believe I’ve experienced every stage of it.

At first, the shame was so heavy I could barely go outside, pressing myself against walls as I moved through the streets. Later, I began acting more normally but developed what I call Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED). It followed me constantly, whining like a frightened dog. It misbehaved everywhere, demanded attention, and reacted badly even to kindness. I knew I shouldn’t feed it, but somehow I always did.

When fate offered it a bone — like when two friends erased my name from the acknowledgements pages of their award-winning books — my PTED howled so loudly it woke the neighbors. Still, this year I toughened up. I stood up from the chair I had hidden in all this time and painted my study yellow.

Then came a turning point: the BBC invited me to join a podcast interview. I didn’t flinch. Perhaps I’ve become a fitting case study for the culture wars. Soon after, I was invited to join a panel and lead school workshops. For the first time in years, I began to feel like myself again.

Author’s Summary

A personal story of redemption after cancel culture — a journey from shame and bitterness to renewal and self-acceptance.

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UnHerd UnHerd — 2025-11-09

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