[stylist] writing about blindness

Wed Nov 12 03:52:49 UTC 2008

Helene,
I like your frame of mind, if not now, then definetly later!
Aziza
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "helene ryles" <dreamavdb at googlemail.com>
To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 5:11 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness


> My book has blind characters in it. I think that there are so many
> negative examples of blind and disabled characters in fiction that it
> would be a good thing if blind authors with possitive views on their
> blindness would educate people by including a character or two in
> their novels.
> As for me. I write to make sense of my world. If I was told the
> publishers wouldn't accept disabled characters I would still include
> them and hope that one day that would change. After all Van Goth
> didn't have any of his paintings sold in his life time. But they are
> famous now. Maybe people will be more open minded about the disabled
> in the future?
>
> Helene.
>
> On 11/11/2008, Angela fowler <fowlers at syix.com> 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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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
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>
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