[stylist] writing about blindness

Sat Mar 22 13:34:30 UTC 2014

Yes, in Atty's case of dating I would put it out front, too, because that is 
taking things to a personal level and it is a  good way of sifting through 
the stupids, to get to the ones that would be desirable as possible dating 
partners. It's interesting how others know just what we should be writing 
about, too, isn't it!  We should be writing about whatever has captured our 
imagination and our passion at the time.

When it comes to our families, we probably all have situations that are 
difficult no matter how long we have had loss of sight.
I now say, I have sight loss, but not loss of vision - because my vision is 
strong as ever.
We all have to deal with dense people don't we!  My oldest daughter still 
tells me I do not need to use my mobility cane because I "can see things." 
My vision is "off the chart" and at my eye appointment yesterday, my range 
of very cloudy vision is 2 feet in one eye, 3 feet in the other, with no 
detail and no colors, and standing in a fog that never lifts. Yes, no one 
who looks at me would have any indication I have eye problems, because it is 
not my eyes at all that are affected, it is my optic never which is not my 
eyes. I have a nearly photographic memory for space so once I have walked 
through any space, I have it memorized, so it appears that I see everything 
around me - but I do not at all.

My daughter will take every opportunity to tell me I do not need to be using 
my cane - after almost 7 years now.
After a recently art opening where she helped as part of my sales/reception 
team, she later made a lot of nasty comments about another blind woman who 
came to
"See" my show.  My daughter ranted about how that woman could see perfectly 
and how stupid it is that she was using a cane, after all, "she came right 
up to look at the art."
In my daughters opinion, people who use a white cane are just pretending to 
be blind. I know, it is utterly stupid. There really is no response that can 
be offered to such insulting and ignorant comments - even when it is one's 
own child who does it - she is 51 years old, btw.  And, the other woman she 
was talking about is a mobility instructor, who is blind. Go figure!!!!
Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Atty Rose" <attyrose at cox.net>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 10:40 AM
Subject: [stylist] writing about blindness

> One afternoon my sister and I are having lunch. I told her I was working 
> on a story, the one that I sold to Breath and Shadow, as it were, and she 
> says, "You should write about being blind and blindness."
>
> I bristled at this. I said "Why is that?"
>
> She said, "Cause it is interesting and you know all about it."
>
> I said, "I didn't think it was all that interesting and I didn't know all 
> about it at all."
>
> She said, "You should do it.'
>
> I said, "that is like me saying you should write about blonds and being 
> blond, cause you have been that way a lot longer than I've been blind."
>
> She didn't see what I meant but she dropped it. LOL
>
> Sheesh...
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bridgit Pollpeter" <bpollpeter at hotmail.com>
> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 10:57 PM
> Subject: Re: [stylist] bios and cover letters
>
>
>> Yes, and sometimes, the focus becomes about blindness. If all you write
>> about is blindness, than maybe, but most of us write about a lot of
>> things.
>>
>> Once people learn I'm blind, they tend to want me to write only about
>> it. I don't mind this, but I have a lot of other things to say, to write
>> about, and I don't want to be pigeon-holed.
>>
>> And when you think about it, need we state other things about us? My
>> name may be a clue, but do I need to say I'm a female writer? Do I need
>> to say I'm a mother or wife who writes? Unless it pertains to a
>> guideline or subject, I say less is more.
>>
>> Bridgit
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> Applebutter Hill
>> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 10:07 PM
>> To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] bios and cover letters
>>
>>
>> Atty,
>> Some of the blindness and disability publications want you to include
>> something about it, but other than that, I am trying to say as little as
>> possible about it. I decided to leave something in on my LinkedIn
>> profile, because I am trying to connect with people in the blindness
>> professions and activists. But, that said, I still push it down into the
>> text as far as possible. Blindness is part of who I am, but I want
>> people to know about some of the other parts of me before they find out.
>>
>> I wouldn't personally say that I am a blind writer. I'm a writer and
>> write about this that and the other thing. I was the first legally blind
>> kid mainstreamed in my school district. That way they don't pigeonhole
>> your writing yet they find out you're blind in a way that keeps it in
>> perspective. Just my two cents. Donna
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Atty Rose
>> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 5:28 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: [stylist] bios and cover letters
>>
>> Hi gang,
>>
>> When you send a bio to a magazine, they want cover letter, brief bio,
>> that sort of thing, do you write that you are a blind writer working
>> blah blah, living blah blah....
>>
>> In other words, do you mention your blindness? I did for Breath and
>> Shadow but none of the other ones.
>>
>> What are your thoughts on the matter?
>>
>> Atty
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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>
>
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