[stylist] A New Member

Tue Dec 30 00:08:22 UTC 2008

Hi John,
It's two books now. "Demon decendants" and "A deafblind girl". I split
the two books up because I felt the plot for demon decendant was
getting a little too complex.  Which is why they are now two seperate
books. Both of which have disabled characters in them.

They've been read and revised rather a few times so when you want to
read it again just let me know and I'll send you a copy.

Helene

On 29/12/2008, John Lee Clark <johnlee at clarktouch.com> wrote:
> Helene!
>
> Good to find you here.
>
> Yes, I remember reading an except from your novel.  I liked it and would
> love to publish an excerpt, but so far the new CFS thing for video relay
> service is eating up all of my working time.  So I am not sure when I'll be
> launching the e-zine I want to publish an excerpt from your book in.
>
> But how is the writing going, anyway?
>
> John
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of helene ryles
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 1:09 PM
> To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] A New Member
>
> Hello John,
> You already know me from other lists. I've mentioned my book before. I
> find your words very incouraging. Many of my characters are blind and
> deafblind.
>
> I'm interested in your comments on Helen Keller. I wouldn't say she
> was a 'bad woman'. Just so much of her story is left out. For example
> before Ann Solivan came along Helen Keller already knew several home
> made signs which she used with a servants daughter. This fact doesn't
> get mentioned much. It seems Ann Solaven gets credit for everything.
>
> The problem with a lot of these other deafblind people who were around
> is that it is hard to get to know about them. I'd be interested to
> hear more about other deafblind people. Particularly those who were
> deafblind at an early age such as Helen Keller and how they managed.
>
> Helene
>
> On 29/12/2008, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:
>> John:
>>
>> First, I need to say that how blind persons feel is not just one
>> way.  Our feelings, desires, reactions etc. range across the full
>> spectrum, so there isn't just one point of view.
>>
>> I must also say that many of us here, on this list, but not all, are
>> going to reflect versions of what NFB philosophy states -- as this
>> list, and its Mother division are a part of the NFB.
>>
>> In the NFB we believe that it is "respectable" to be blind.  we say
>> that given proper training, and opportunity, blindness can be reduced
>> to a nuisance.  Our goal is to have blind people fully included into
>> society.
>>
>> Not all blind people feel as we do, but we are the largest organized
>> group within the blind community, and have the most articulated
>> positions on a variety of subjects.
>>
>> So, to your question, do we want to be sighted.  Possibly, but I am
>> not sure that is the proper question.  Most of us believe that you
>> need to accept your blindness and get on with your life.  While in
>> your heart of hearts, you may want to be sighted you know it isn't
>> going to happen, and you must do the best you can as a blind person.
>>
>> I suspect that the deaf say that they want to remain deaf and defend
>> everything about it as a way to establish pride and personal
>> identity.  Being an oppressed minority this is a valid way of moving
>> forward.  I further suspect that if  you could get past all of these
>> trappings and you asked most deaf people if they wanted to hear, they
>> would say yes.  All things being equal, I would love to see again,
>> but know it isn't going to happen, so I get on with my life.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> At 06:50 PM 12/28/2008, you wrote:
>>>Dave:
>>>
>>>You're right.  Braille is merely a code for English, whereas ASL is a
>>>language unto itself, with its own grammar and structure.
>>>
>>>As for numbers in populations: There are twenty eight million people with
>>>hearing loss.  However, the deaf community is much smaller than that, with
>>>perhaps two to three million.
>>>
>>>I imagine that blind people who are "involved" in the blind community is a
>>>smaller number than the total of people with vision loss.
>>>
>>>Anyway, the deaf identify themselves with other cultural and linguistic
>>>minorities.  They don't identify with the disabled communities.  While
>>>disability studies occasionally discuss the deaf community, there's a
> whole
>>>academic category called Deaf Studies and its findings and narratives
>>>resemble African American Studies, Women's Studies, Hispanic Studies, etc.
>>>much more than Disability Studies.
>>>
>>>When I first started to meet hearing blind people, I was shocked to learn
>>>that many of them thought there were something "wrong" and "not normal"
>>>about being blind.  Some would even try for a cure if there was one.  This
>>>was totally different from deaf cultural beliefs which hold that there's
>>>nothing wrong about being deaf.
>>>
>>>So I am wondering, if full inclusion in the mainstream is indeed the goal,
>>>what it would mean for how you perceieve your own blindness.  The deaf's
>>>goals are similar to other ethnic minorities--sure, they want to get in
>>>movies, they want to get all the equal rights, they want respect and
>>>recognition, but NO WAY do they want to be white!  They want to remain
>>>black, Latino, etc.  The Deaf is the same.
>>>
>>>So my question is: Are you saying that blind people want the respect,
>>>rights, etc. but they also want to be sighted?
>>>
>>>John
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/dreamavdb%40googlem
> ail.com
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/johnlee%40clarktouc
> h.com
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.1/1868 - Release Date: 12/29/2008
> 10:48 AM
>
>
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.1/1868 - Release Date: 12/29/2008
> 10:48 AM
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site:
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/dreamavdb%40googlemail.com
>