[stylist] writing about blindness

Tue Nov 11 21:34:23 UTC 2008

Jim,
You make a couple of good points here.  I am very conscious that, if I 
intend to market a short story, having it be about blindness may turn 
off a publication.  I do have several ideas that I've been sitting on 
which are about the ironies of how blind people are viewed and treated, 
but, as I say, I'm sitting on them.
Donna

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James Canaday M.A. N6YR wrote:
> Aziza,
> that's one problem we're up against as blind people in this society: 
> very very few examples or role models in the media, the books, etc.
> whether to write a character as blind or not is honestly not the first 
> thing on my mind because I'm more interested when I have an idea, I 
> want to write a story about some particular struggle, some puzzle to 
> be unravveled.
> it is also important to remember that sometimes having a major 
> character who is blind makes your story harder for some readers to get 
> into, have the verisimilitude, because they don't experience blindness 
> and don't know a blind person.
> so there is also a catch-22 about it.
>
> ***
> personal update:
> by the way I seem to be getting sicker with more of the flu-like 
> symptoms getting very bad: headache; other aches; stiffness; etc.  
> apparently I will get worse before I get better.  last thursday I 
> started the once-a-week shot to treat my autoimmune disorder.  thank 
> you for praying if you do.
> jim
>
> Jim Canaday M.A.
> Lawrence, KS
>
>
> At 01:14 PM 11/11/2008, you wrote:
>> I suppose I could write about blind people better, but I read a lot 
>> of fiction books, and most of them have sighted characters. I draw 
>> from those descriptions, also in class, you don't see the teacher 
>> teaching many texts with blind people in them. I think I can write 
>> about fiction sighted characters as well as I can blind fiction 
>> characters. I may of course be wrong.
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Angela fowler" <fowlers at syix.com>
>> To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 12:07 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>
>>
>>> I guess it depends on your frame of mind at the time of writing. 
>>> While blind
>>> fiction writers can depict blind characters obviously far more 
>>> accurately
>>> than sighted fiction writers, we limit ourselves if we stick 
>>> exclusively to
>>> blind characters or blindness issues.
>>> As for articles, I've been writing about a lot of blindness related 
>>> stuff
>>> lately. Its funny, I went into my historical research and writing class
>>> vowing I was going to write about anything but a blindness issue, 
>>> and ended
>>> up writing about the way the ADA effects blind people. Go figure.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf Of Aziza
>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 10:00 AM
>>> To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>>
>>> I don't write about being blind either. I mean unless it's my 
>>> articles. But
>>> when I write storries, all my characters can see, and have other 
>>> problems
>>> they must overcome in their lives.
>>> I don't think it's denial at all.
>>> Aziza
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>>> To: "Stylist" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:51 AM
>>> Subject: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>>
>>>
>>>> I'm not in denial nor do I ignore the fact that I do have a handicap
>>>> that I have to overcome on a daily basis.  However, when I am writing
>>>> I seem to go into a different world.  I write about people who are
>>>> ill, some of my characters die and others fall into the clutches of
>>>> bad people.  If I say that blindness bores me, you might come out with
>>>> an arms length of causes for my symptoms.  However, a person does not
>>>> necessarily want to write about those things they live with and rise
>>>> above on a daily basis.  I am fat.  Writing about being fat falls 
>>>> under
>>> the same category as blind.
>>>> Live with it.  Fight against it as much as possible, but it shouldn't
>>>> dominate every facet of your life.  Again, you may think I'm in some
>>>> kind of denial, but I'm not.  I won't drive a car into a crowd, try
>>>> sewing a garment while it is on the back of my would be victim and I
>>>> won't pretend to read the paper when I can't even make out one picture
>>>> in the blasted thing.  Judith
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>>>
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>>
>>
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