[stylist] writing about blindness

Sun Mar 23 20:58:52 UTC 2014

And, that's so common. I remember my counsellor in junior high saying that I
should go into helping the blind. I was appalled for two reasons. First, I
saw it as pigeonholing me, push her over in that corner; she's not fit for
anything else. Second, how could I help anyone when I was having a hard time
just trying to fake it enough to get by?
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
goldbeckjm at comcast.net
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2014 4:10 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness

This reminds me when I got a degree in teaching someone thought I should go
work at the state school for the blind because I have a vision problem. 
Never mind I don't have a certificate to teach the visually impaired, don't
know Braille, and had no interest in working there.  Yes, people try to put
us where they think we belong.

----- Original Message -----

From: "Applebutter Hill" <applebutterhill at gmail.com>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 7:57:35 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] writing about blindness

Everybody just can't wait to find a bin to stick us in so they don't have to
think about anything.
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Atty Rose
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 10:40 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
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
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site
> http://writers.nfb.org/
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/applebutterhill%4
> 0g
> mail
> .com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site
> http://writers.nfb.org/
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/bpollpeter%40hotm
> ai
> l.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site
> http://writers.nfb.org/
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> stylist:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/attyrose%40cox.ne
> t

_______________________________________________
Writers Division web site
http://writers.nfb.org/
stylist mailing list
stylist at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
stylist:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/applebutterhill%40gmail
.com

_______________________________________________
Writers Division web site
http://writers.nfb.org/
stylist mailing list
stylist at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
stylist:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/goldbeckjm%40comcast.ne
t

_______________________________________________
Writers Division web site
http://writers.nfb.org/
stylist mailing list
stylist at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
stylist:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/applebutterhill%40gmail
.com