[stylist] writing about blindness

Thu Nov 13 01:10:23 UTC 2008

I don't know, but I've heard that people do it quite frequently.
Ah!  Come to think of it, I think I've done a bit when I wanted to write an 
alphabet poem of world cities.  Guess I know what it is after all.  I hate 
it!
Barbara

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Angela fowler" <fowlers at syix.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 6:41 PM
To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness

> Research? What's that? (smile)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Donna Hill
> Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 8:32 AM
> To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>
> Makes sense to me.  After all, there's a little thing called research 
> which
> is a valuable tool when writing about anything.
> 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=259244374
>
> Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind
> www.padnfb.org
>
>
>
>
>
> Aziza wrote:
>> It is also up to the author's level of education and understanding
>> about the disability he or she is choosing to write about. I do not
>> hold a lack of knowledge against an author, I hold the fact that they
>> chose to write about something they knew little about in a way that
>> suggests they know more then they do against them.
>> If someone does not know about blindness it is not necessarily their
>> fault, but when they choose to write and make up facts in there mind
>> and try to persuade people that their "facts" are true, then it is
>> their fault.
>> I'm not sure if that made any sense, it did to me. Lol. (That doesn't
>> always mean much.)
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
>> To: "NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:03 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
>>
>>
>>> It is up to the author to paint their character as normal.  There are
>>> many books that focus on issues surrounding the mentally handicapped.
>>> Is that because mental illness is more obvious, that some mentally
>>> ill people are more violent or because society has reached a level of
>>> acceptance of the mentally ill?  I think it is up to the author to
>>> create his characters in such a way that society sees them as equals
>>> rather than different.
>>> ----- 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 6:11 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=25
>>>>>> 9244
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 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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>>>>>>>>>> erreader
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> 09%40gmail.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
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