[stylist] writing about blindness
Donna Hill
penatwork at epix.net
Tue Nov 11 23:58:31 UTC 2008
Angela,
Probably would help. Better we should do it than Jose Saramago.
Donna
--
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Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind
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Angela fowler wrote:
> I wonder if writing about blind characters who are just ordinary people,
> maybe even having a minor role in the story and publishing it mainstream
> would help to transcend that divide?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Judith Bron
> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 2:37 PM
> To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>
> If you are going to write about a minority, be that racial, ethnic or
> handicapped, you might want to try publishers or periodicals that are
> dedicated to that particular genre. Yes, there are times that you can
> transcend the divide, but you have to write with the audience you are
> writing for.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
> To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 4:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>
>
>
>> 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
>>
>> --
>> For my bio & to hear clips from The Last Straw:
>> http://cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
>>
>> Apple I-Tunes
>>
>> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=259244
>> 374
>>
>> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind
>> www.padnfb.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 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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