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This is fresh air. I'm Terry Gross. Concussion is often much more serious than we used to think and that's led to changes in places

ranging from the football field to the battlefield.

My guest Annie Leontas can attest to how life-changing concussions can be, her new memoir is called Sex with a

brain injury on concussion and recovery. Her sex life is just one of the many

aspects of life that were adversely affected. During sex, which had been very

pleasurable for her and her wife, she felt like a tree stump. The concussion

left her with horrible migraines, serious memory problems, foods that suddenly repulsed

her, anger issues, and it nearly led to divorce.

Leontas also writes about concussion research and the correlation between

concussion and crime, prison, and homelessness.

She had a first concussion when she was 35 after a bicycle accident when she wasn't wearing a helmet.

She had two more head injuries. That may sound improbable, but Leontas

says it's actually not uncommon once you've had one concussion to have another.

Leontas is also the author of the novel, let me explain you, a professor of writing at George

Washington University, and identifies as gender queer.

Lianthus uses the pronouns they and she and at this point I'll switch to

they. Welcome to Fresh Air. It is a pleasure to have you on the show.

Thank you Terry.

And also thank you for doing this while you have COVID. You're speaking to us from your home and I appreciate you doing it.

It sounds like you're in decent shape now.

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