[stylist] writing about blindness
Angela fowler
fowlers at syix.com
Thu Nov 13 16:29:35 UTC 2008
Thank God for the internet. Even when I was a kid we had to depend on
readers to get research done. Now, not so much. For some primary sources, of
course, but not near as much as we used too.
-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Donna Hill
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 7:58 AM
To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness
Barbara,
I remember hating it in college, when people still thought I should be able
to use the card catalog at the library. Now, with Google and all, it's not
nearly as bad.
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
Barbara Hammel wrote:
> 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=25924
>> 4374
>>
>>
>> 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
>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>> stylist mailing list
>>>>>>>>>>> stylist at nfbnet.org
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>>>>>>>>>>> at
>>>>>>>>>>> erreader
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> 09%40gmail.com
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
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