[stylist] New Book, blindness on TV

Sat Feb 15 02:50:51 UTC 2014

Lynda,
I think there is a subtle but profound difference in the realities of
writing versus art. As a writer, I could have written a book that was
fundamentally the same as the one I did write, in which there were no blind
or disabled characters. In fact, my whole premace was to write an exciting
story that could have happened to anyone, in which blindness was one aspect
of a fully-fleshed character. Abigail didn't have to be blind for the
plot-line or even the major subplot to play out just as they did.

The Heart of Applebutter Hill is not a coming-to-terms with blindness story.
If anything, the blindness angle is more of a view into the varied examples
of what blind people have to contend with in terms of public reactions every
day, whether they've come to terms with blindness or not. So, it's not like
I couldn't have rewritten it and preserved most of it.

In one way, the result of that would have been like your art-work which
stands on its own without anyone knowing how you made it or that you are
blind. But, if I had done that, I would have been kowtowing to the
publishing industry which is not neutral on the matter of blind characters,
especially blind women. I would have been allowing small-minded prejudiced
norms to edit my work by my own hand and denying who I am. Some agents
thought that they could sell my book if I removed the blindness thing. I
couldn't do that; I would rather have never published it than to tear the
guts -- my guts -- out of it.

I think with your art, you are judged differently than the written word is.
I don't quite know how to express it as an analogy. My first thought was
that it might be like if the art world got together and agreed that anything
with the color blue in it was substandard and wouldn't sell.

In the publishing field, they are making a determination based upon what
they understand the market to be, and to that extent, as we have been
discussing,  it is a sensable decision. In terms of the value of writing and
the role that fiction has played in history, however, they are prostituting
and castrating the art form.
Donna
-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lynda Lambert
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 6:17 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] New Book, blindness on TV

Donna, yes, this is really a difficult decision and it has to be a personal
one.  I know for sure that by putting into my bio that I am blind, etc., I
will be closing many doors to exhibitions of my work - and for me, it is all
about my work and not me personally. It is my work that I want to have out
there and standing on it's own.  When a juror is looking at the art when
putting together an exhibition, that juror knows nothing at all about the
artist. The work has to grab her attention and be solid - and no work would
never be chosen because the artist has sight loss - not ever!!!!  An artist
has to learn early on that it is the work itself that has to speak to the
audience, and not the artist who made the work.  I think writing is very
similar.  The written text has to be so powerful that there is seldom a
thought of the author when reading it.

After I am juried into an exhibition, then I will let them know I have sight
loss eventually.  Being blind has nothing at all to do with my art work, it
has only to do with how I create it - but the work is about universal themes
far beyond my own personal challenge in creating it.

Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Applebutter Hill" <applebutterhill at gmail.com>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 3:48 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] New Book, blindness on TV

> Jim,
> I keep pushing it further into the bio. It's surprising how little people
> actually read. For instance, in my Linked In and university campaigns, I'm
> forever getting e-mails asking if the book is available in print. Near the
> end of my letters, I mention that information about availability is below,
> and I even use a heading to make it stand out, but so many people don't
> seem
> to look or comprehend, not sure which.
>
> If I removed all references to blindness from my bio, well I just don't
> think I can do that. I suppose I could still mention being published in
> Behind Our Eyes: a second look or the Braille Monitor, and let them
> wonder,
> but I just  can't bring myself to do it. Being the first legally blind
> child
> mainstreamed in our local public school is such a part of who I am and who

> I
> am not that it just doesn't feel right. I have made an effort to reduce
> the
> word count about it though.
>
> I think my hubby would like me to drop it all. If they don't know I'm a
> blind writer, then they have to assume a sighted writer wrote this stuff,
> which might make it more palletable.
> Donna
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Homme,
> James
> Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 11:57 AM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] New Book, blindness on TV
>
> Hi,
> I'm going to play devil's advocate. What if you took references to
> blindness
> out of your bio, then hit them with that aspect of you at some later
> point?
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Applebutter
> Hill
> Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 6:40 PM
> To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [stylist] New Book, blindness on TV
>
> Chris,
> I hope so too, and the fact that the writer had a blind father is
> encouraging. He also said he didn't want it to be a portrayal of blind
> people in general, which I don't really know how to interpret - since when
> are any TV characters that generalized?
>
> I also hear you about the mainstream publishing industry. Blind is a dirty
> word. I have spoken with other blind women who say they were actually told
> that their blind female characters were "unrealistic." We're supposed to
> be
> helpless and carry our burden of sightlessness with a quiet dignity.
>
> I actually removed any mention of it from my book descriptions online.
> I'll
> probably get some flack for that, but the truth is that "blind" doesn't
> sell
> books, and if you are a blind writer, one of the biggest hurdles is
> getting
> someone to review the book like they'd review any other. It takes a lot
> for
> people to get past how amazing you are for being a blind writer.
>
> My hubby has really been trying to get me to think about the reality that
> the book isn't all about blindness. I do, of course, talk about it when
> I'm
> targeting niche markets like education professors, blindness rehab
> counsellors, schools for the blind, etc. But for the general public, I
> don't
> think it works at this time.
>
> Maybe someday soon, people will see blind as the new black and want to
> hear
> our stories, but my experience is that you really have to back-door the
> issue, and that's not an easy thing to do. I just hope people will find
> the
> description interesting and not read too far down into my bio.
> Donna
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris Kuell
> Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 8:47 AM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] New Book, blindness on TV
>
> Donna,
>
> I'm generally skeptical by nature, but I really hope they do a good job
> with
> this show. It's exactly what we've been talking about here--an opportunity
> to crush the stupid stereotypes and let the public see a guy who is
> interesting, and just happens to be blind. If it does a good job, and if
> the
> public enjoys it, it could open the door to more blind characters in the
> arts. Personally, I feel certain that the reason books like yours and mine
> aren't getting read by agents and traditional publishers is because we
> have
> blind protagonists. An agent, or more likely, an agent's assistant reads
> my
> query and thinks--a blind protagonist? Nobody is going to buy that. It's
> too
> outside mainstream experience.
>
> Hopefully, the times, they are a changing.
>
> chris
>
>
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