[stylist] History, Heroes, and Authors

Wed Apr 1 06:16:16 UTC 2009

Judith:

It does matter.  What I am trying to get a feel for here is the people who
are IN the blind community, active in it and involved in it.  

In the Deaf community, there are some famous and successful ones who are
aloof and not at all involved in the community and there are others who are.
Take poets: Ilya Kaminsky is not a member of the community, though he is
deaf.  Raymond Luczak is and served a term as president of a chapter in
Minnesota for a national organization.  Or take two female celebrities:
Heather Weatherstone is out, but Marlee Matlin is in.  We have a whole
truckload of actors who have been in movies, though not always with leading
roles, but they're mostly members in the community and in between their
Hollywood gigs or TV sitcoms they are engaged in Deaf theater in the
community and make ASL-only films.  Or take millionaires: Those who are out
obviously don't donate much to our organizations, but those who are in not
only donate tons but serve on boards--one such multimaillionaire is
currently the chairman of the board of trustees of Gallaudet University and
served two terms as president of the National Association of the Deaf.  

You understand, those who are in, you can approach and you can even get to
know them well because they're involved and around.  Those who are out are
just out and won't be interested in talking with you or mentoring you.

One of my best mentors in writing was Douglass Bullard, who wrote Islay,
which is considered the great Deaf American novel.  It will be reissued soon
in a restored text edition with an introduction by Cynthia L. Peters, a
leading scholar.  Douglass, or Glass as we liked to call him, was deeply
involved in the Deaf community and was a leader of his state organization
and led a protest to save the school for the deaf and the blind from being
closed.  The protest was so successful that it actually increased funding
higher than before and increased enrollment big time, and the school remains
one of the nation's largest schools for the Deaf.  We met at the Deaf Way
international cultural arts festival where we both were featured writers and
we became fast friends and had a daily correspondence until the day he died.
He was a great encouragement to me.

So, yes, it does matter.  One reason I asked about who are some of the most
successful blind writers who are also IN is so that we can ask them to join
our list or we can least be aware of them and their work and perhaps have
the opportunity to network with them.

That Ved Mahta character from the Braille Monitor interview, he's an
accomplished writer, the author of many books and an editor at The New
Yorker, but he doesn't want any blind friends or have anything to do with
you.  So he's a poor resource to the blind community--he's not a member,
he's not a friend, he doesn't give back, he won't mentor, he won't
contribute.  

John 

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Judith Bron
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 8:17 PM
To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] History, Heroes, and Authors

I don't know if Ray Charles was or if Stevy Wonder is a member of NFB.  Does

that matter?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Lee Clark" <johnlee at clarktouch.com>
To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 9:11 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] History, Heroes, and Authors

> Were Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles members of NFB and involved?
>
> Yes, John Milton was blind.  But that's not what I meant.  I meant more 
> like
> books on blind history and novels with blind characters that are beloved 
> by
> blind people--if there are any?
>
> John
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Judith Bron
> Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 4:54 PM
> To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] History, Heroes, and Authors
>
> John, The two well known blind personalities that come to mind are Stevy
> Wonder and Ray Charles.  I also think the classical author Milton was 
> blind.
>
> I don't know of any other specific author, but I know they exist.  Judith
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "John Lee Clark" <johnlee at clarktouch.com>
> To: "'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 6:21 PM
> Subject: [stylist] History, Heroes, and Authors
>
>
>> Hey, all:
>>
>> I have some questions for you to have the pleasure of answering.
>>
>> I've been trying to find books on the history of the blind community, but
>> without much luck.  Can you recommend some titles?
>>
>> Who are the biggest legendary figures or heroes of the blind community?
>>
>> Who are some of the blind authors that are celebrated and highly esteemed
>> in
>> the blind community?  Has anyone written the Great Blind American Novel?
>> What are some of the classics in the blind literary canon that are found
>> on
>> the shelves of almost every blind person's home?
>>
>> Your answers will be most helpful!
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
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