Out of the Shadows: Join the Conversation
Posted October 24, 2014 at 7:00 pm
By Lizz Schumer, editor of The Sun in Hamburg, NYStephen Hawking once said, "Sometimes I wonder if I'm as famous for my wheelchair and disabilities as I am for my discoveries." And it's true that Hawking's face is as recognizable as his science; as is Einstein's, as is Ben Franklin's. But would anyone know Einstein without his characteristically crazy hair, or Ben without his bald head and pocket watch? We're quick to judge people by their appearances, even if their talents overshadow them. We're quick to dismiss those we think can't hold talent beneath their wheelchairs, behind their speech impediment or within their non-mainstream bodies, because they don't fit our idea of what a scientist, an artist, a dancer looks like. That's the society we live in. That's wrong.
As a writer, a reporter and an editor, I've always wanted to be judged on my work, not my persona. As a woman with an invisible disability, I have had the infinite luxury of making that choice. When I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I crouched behind "normal" like a shield, hiding my disease like a brand under a bandage. But it oozed and prickled, and as time went on, I decided the opportunity for advocacy was greater than the luxury of invisibility; because choosing to remain in the shadows can feel like an arrogant cowardice, when most of us don't have that choice.
I'm not "normal," but neither are you. Neither is anyone I know, and that's what this event is all about. On Friday, March 6th, 2015, the Museum of disABILITY History will host an evening reading and panel of disabled writers or writers who cover disability; to read from their work and discuss the “Crip Lit” culture, what it means to them, and how it empowers writers of difference.
On Saturday, March 7th, 2015, we will open the mic to local and regional disability writers who want to share their own writing, their own stories and their own contribution to “Crip culture.” We're inviting writers, poets, novelists, and academics who are willing to share a little piece of themselves to show that normal is no virtue, because normal doesn't exist. Join me to talk about where we sit, where we stand, where we exist within our own society and the larger context. Let's start a conversation; let's contribute to the movement.
Are you interested in participating? Send an email to schumeea@gmail.com, with "Writing Application [your name]” in the subject line, explaining a bit about yourself, your writing background, and why you'd like to join the conversation. Please include 2-3 writing samples, so we can get an idea of your work.
- Category
- Museum of disABILITY History Blog
- Tags
- Advocacy | Crip Culture | Crip Lit | Media and Disability | Writers with Disabilities
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