Blog Carnival #23- Consider It Brought

Simply the Best My friends are forever promising (or is it threatening?) to write a comic based on the antics of Jennifer Justice. I can live with it- kids need as many positive role models as they can get. But some of us are way too modest! I thought I would encounter more grandstanding, more swagger from our ranks. Not so!

True, we have good reason to recoil at terms like inspiring, amazing and heroic. But it is ironic that while so many of us work to reverse harmful Super Crip stereotypes, Able- Bodied America clamors at the high alter of shameless self promotion. For better or worse, our culture has decided that success should bare an uncanny resemblance to fame- mongering egotism.

We are an aggressive people inhabiting impossibly fragile bodies,

I don't believe in excessive modesty. But then again, I'm not sure I want to take on our megalomaniac culture, not all by myself. From what I've been reading, that culture ain't pretty. Maybe I'll just stick to being a snob who practices passive resistance in her spare time. And I'll rely on your words when I need to be inspired or need to be reminded of the dangers of thinking in superlatives.

Anti- heroes- the New Black I can certainly relate to this Top Ten List from The Blind Bookworm's poison pen, er, keyboard? Apparently, not all blind people are gifted musicians! Some of us even require an intervention. Thanks to Evil Kestrell for saying what I so often think! I too am bored by the whole "bad blind person" debate!

Critical Bogle explains why it's not easy being green when you have a disability and the "dolphin killing" big box stores are the only ones with accessible aisles and parking. And if you're in the mood for a more scholarly read, you can head on over to peer review Super Crips, Disabled Anti- heroes and the Women Who Care for Them, wherein Bogle examines gendered relationships in films like My Left Foot.

I love the premise of Thailand Gal's blog, on planning a move to a new country. Submitted for our reading pleasure a Theravada oasis of a sparsely populated forest far from ego. She encourages us to "tell someone else in your life what he or she does that matters to you."

Forget about inspiring others. We have better things to do. To quote Goldfish, "Impairment is something that happens to you or the way you happen to be, not something you take on." We look to our own friends and allies for affirming words. I know that when I feel like shit, the last thing I want to hear is how strong everybody else thinks I am. I'd much rather get someone else's take on a difficult experience, someone who shares a bit of my own philosophy (I'd be a fairly lousy existentialist).

What happens when an autistic kid saves a life? Is he twice as heroic as NTs who have found themselves in similar situations? Or is this an example of one cliche amplifying another?

Hidden Talents? "Stay tuned for the launch of my next website: The 19th Floor After Dark. it's sure to be your one-stop location for all things naked and disabled and lawyerly." Why does lawyerly sound so dirty? Better ask Mark.

Consumer Reports For a Wheelie Catholic, Ruth has some choice words for Medicare, sung to the tune of If I Had a Hammer.

On a happier note, Zuska and Mom offer their rave review of the funkadelic beach wheelchair.

Unsolicited Advice from "the Experts" Wow, we should consider ourselves lucky to have so many experts on our side. So many noble souls consulting on on our behalf. They claim to know what is best for us. Many of them work pro bono and they are remarkably persistent. Miraculously, they seem to know everything about us regardless of prior acquaintance, from what clothes we should wear to the type of medicines we should be taking. Ruth explains.

Thailand Gal discovered this week that the pharmacists at Target are more than eager to dispense life coaching in addition to scripts.

Snake Oil Celeb Now I have one more reason to despise Jenny McCarthy- just what I need. It took a D List Celebrity to find a cure for autism!

Best Explored Shilo examines the sensitive topic of guardianship for the Council on Developmental Disabilities- an engrossing topic and one that doesn't get anywhere near the amount of attention it deserves.

I received several reports on the disturbing child services case involving Fran Lyon in England.

Shaheen Lakhan at Brainblogger celebrated ADD Awareness Day by losing her car keys.

Stephen at Planet of the Blind offers scathing satirical commentary on the Defective People Industry. I can't believe I'd never heard that term before.

Finally, Emma reflects on the people who have come into her life as a direct result of having CP.

Eat Your Vegetables Robert embarks on one of the sacred rites of parenting. Check out that adorable Baby Afro!

Best of Show I was originally introduced to Creativity Explored by way of Michael Bernard Loggins, whose poem Fears of Our Lives was featured on This American Life a few years ago. Well known for their ambitious exhibitions and roster of talent, the folks at CE recently launched a new website where you can buy/ license original artwork, browse the events blog and get to know studio artists. Penny notified me of their upcoming show Super Heroes Super Villains.

Jodi at Reimer Reason just held a contest to come up with a "cool" alternative title for her son's new respite worker. Looks like they have a winner.

Best All Around I'm fast becoming addicted to Dave Hingsburger's blog Chewing the Fat, but it's hard not to when one encounters passages like this:

It came clear to me that 'choice' could only be made where there was both self-esteem and assertiveness. I saw a definition of choice for people with disabilities that helped me think this through. Choice is uncoerced selection.

Most agencies are concerned about the opportunity for an increased number of 'selections' but have not put much emphasis on the 'uncoerced' part. There is only choice where there is no fear of punishment. Where there is safety to select. Where the word 'REALLY' as in, "Do you REALLY want dessert?" "Do you REALLY want to buy that blouse?" does not exist.

Also, Dave wants you to label him- that's right. Hang a handicapped parking sign around his neck, folks, he's done. Here's your reward. Sorry we can't offer you a virtual beer buzz what with the limitations of current technology. A picture will have to do for now.


Thanks to Penny for calling my attention to some fab posts for this topic. The next disability blog carnival will be held at Disability Studies.

Visual Description: At top, a blue ribbon in closeup lying on its side. At bottom, Dave's "virtual beer" is a six pack of Pabst of course!

Tyra Banks, America's Moral Compass

Last week as America railed against national tragedy (no, not that icky war stuff! I'm talking about our fallen mouseketeer- where are you priotities people?!), Tyra Banks was back in the talkshow studio tending to the thankless job of saving America's youth from themselves. Here's a brief recap of Wednesday's Teenville episode:

Brave kids from various races and backgrounds spend time in a fabricated community, where they are faced with making quick decisions based on their first impressions of each other. From assigning occupations such as garbage man, mayor and prostitute to deciding who to marry and even who should be exiled, the outcomes reflect stereotypes that still exist in society today.

Wow, I feel safer knowing that Tyra is tackling this insidious social problem. I mean who knew that teenagers were succeptable to shallow, stereotypical behavior? What a scoop!

Tyra's mystified and outraged at some of the teens' mean choices, though a glimpse at the reasoning fueling her indignation is what's most appalling. In an interview with GMA, she talked about the groups' appointment of an overweight teen as the "Homeless Person." Tyra's noted that she herself had interviewed homeless people for a previous show and had observed that the homeless tended to be thin as they were in fact hungry. Deconstruct these words for yourselves, folks. I'm too tired.

Tyra's troubled not by the groups' cruel stereotyping so much as by what she views as its inaccuracy. Perhaps if her casting crew had pulled in a couple of disabled teens one of them could have lent the role more authenticity?

In reality, casting crews won't touch disabled people with a ten- foot pole. I throw up a little imagining the conversations that went on during production meetings for Teenville.

"Hmmm, let's see- garbage man? homeless person? Ooh, we'll need to pull in some uggos for those jobs."

"Are we looking for tv ugly or really ugly?"

"TV ugly, of course! This isn't Maury! Now, be a dear and get me headshots of some fat chicks..."

Am I too cynical? No, no I'm not.

For in the bizarro language of television, the fat girl is trotted out as a stand- in for ALL undesirable body types.

As for the girl the teens' decided was wearing too much eyeliner, she is SO NOT a prostitute! She looks beautiful, so don't even go there! Except that they did go there, coming down as hard on excessive makeup as they did on weight.

The thing I find most sad about the experiment is that none of the teens elected to reject or modify the occupations they were given, printed on dopey board signs. They followed the rules of the exercise, letting the group determine who they would be based on first impresions.

Tyra's clearly addicted to her own self righteousness, as evidenced by her two shows' preoccoupation with chiding perfectionism. The psychological landscape of Tyra's entertainment enterrprise should be studied. And I love the Dungeon of Self Absorption that is the Tyra Banks Show's website with links like Tyra's World.

Visual description: Five sad teens onstage at the Tyra Banks Show each with a white plaquard sign hanging around their necks. The two male Caucasian kids signs read Religious Leader and Mayor. The two African American girls' signs read Secretary and Garbage Man. The slightly heavier teens' sign reads Homeless Person.

Disability Blog Carnival #23 Is Simply the Best

The Resilience edition of the Disability Blog Carnival is up today at Reimer Reason. Next issue's theme is "Simply the Best," and girl, we are bringing it! And right on our home turf. That's right, I'll be throwing down and talking trash with the best of 'em right here at PH headquarters.

Simply the Best Your responses to this phrase may range anywhere from "whatever the hell that means!" to exploring the highs and lows of the SuperCrip phenomenon. You may have thoughts about those institutions that seek to decide what is "best" for others. I'm interested in everything from public swagger to revelations on personal folly. Of course, if you're really all that, or think you are, then be my guest honeyand bring it on!!! Send entries to thisislivingzine@gmail.com.

P.S. you don't have to be a saucy- mouthed teenager to participate, but it certainly can't hurt!

There's one thing I have on all y'all and that's my name which one could argue is both a blessing and a curse- but perfect for a disability rights activist/ SuperCrip heroine. I'm in talks with Marvel Comics as we speak! What makes you so special? Oh, right...

Visual description: This is a photo from an ABC news item about Jessica Parks, a high school cheerleader born without arms. Here Jessica practices a routine on an athletic field. She is held aloft by her squad mates who appear at the bottom of the frame with arms outstretched to catch her.

Whine and Cheese- I can't believe this thing is still around...

I'm taking part in Blogging Against Charity Day, hosted by Kara and Miss Crip Chick. Enjoy!

I remember watching the AMD telethon as a kid. I thought it was cool that kids with disabilities (who I totally identified with) got to hang out with celebrities for hours on end all in the name of a "good cause." The telethon looked like one big party- spoiled only by the pious whining of the host, who posed for pledge spots with children positioned like fashion accessories at his side.

The unease I felt towards Jerry Lewis was similar to the heeby-jeebies I experienced at Christmas in the presence of Mall Santa.

Mall Santa was inauthentic, tatty, an impostor whose job it was to affect paternalistic concern, the careless voyeur to my fledgling consumerism. Mall Santa had freakishly youthful skin and eyes. he said "like" and "cool" a lot. He could have been my older brother pulling a prank.

"So you want a Snacktime Kid? Dude, I heard those things bite kids' fingers off! Better not let it near your hamster, if you know what I mean!"

Mall Santa had surprisingly muscular legs, a high school jock in a fat suit and beard. I was mortified knowing that if I could feel leg muscles through the cheap velour suit, then surely he could feel my bony little butt. I felt dirty, like I'd signed up to make kiddie porn without knowing it.

When I was three, my mom was interviewed for a local fundraiser for the March of Dimes. I watched the show from home with my grandmother, talking to my mom through the television's speaker. For years I thought laugh tracks were the guffaws of people watching the same shows I was in their own homes. I'd laugh extra loud trying to hear my own voice in the chorus of chuckles.

My mom sat on a carpeted stage next to a large mounted television monitor. On the screen was a picture of a young mother pushing a child on a swing in a wooded playground. I don't remember what was said about me during the interview as a second generation disabled person. My mom was wearing a wool plaid skirt, the kind that always makes me think of librarians, and I remember the host asking her about the crutch that lay at her feet, about having polio as a kid and the effects it had on having kids.

My disabilities were too rare and too numerous to warrant a telethon. Nor did my disabilities elicit the classic "aww" factor favored by TV execs. Too many extraneous troubling things going on with my body at any given time to be easily "read" by viewers. Looking back I have to face the fact that I was a punk right out of the gate: too brassy, too bold, too weird to be typecast.

Righty Tighty

Don't ask what forces led me to the pages of nursinghomeapparel.com (occasionally I run aground in my search for sculpture materials). But, I do have a thing for hospital swag. Hell, considering the price of in- patient care, an ambulance should come to your house and heap first aid supplies at your door all tied up with a pretty red bow!
Fleetingly obsessed with the absurd possibilities posed by buying 100 sets of disposable slippers, I noticed this photo of a pair of paper slippers reminiscent of pointed toed wooden clogs. But, do you have to have two right feet to be able to wear them?

Visual description: Two brown paper slippers against a white backdrop, both made to be worn on the right foot.

Summer Reading- Top Ten Disability Lit Titles

1. Sulah by Toni Morrison
Though not the title character, the one- legged matriarch of this novel reveals the enigma behind motherly love.

2. Cuckoo by Madison Clell
A powerful graphic novel exploring one woman's experience of dissociative personality disorder

3. Lessons in Taxidermy, a surgical memoir by Bee Lavendar

4. Lilly Daw and the Ladies by Eudora Welty
I love this story for its black humor and impeccable character studies of pathologically righteous church ladies, hell- bent on preserving the "innocence" of a developmentally disabled woman. Fortunately, Lilly has made her own plans, and the ladies are the ones who are forced to adapt.

5. A Worn Path by Eudora Welty
I read this one in high school- it's been a while so I can't really say much about it except that the grandma in the story is a blind African American woman.

6. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Griley
My favorite chapter from this memoir of childhood cancer unfolds in the under- staffed wing of a children's ward and ends in an animal testing lab.

7. A Christmas Memory Truman Capote was famous for publicly undermining colleagues on the New York literati circuit, deftly eviscerating his foes with an acerbic wit. It's hard to believe that the same mind produced this astonishingly sweet memoir, the unlikely love story of a lonely boy and his favorite aunt.

8. Good Country People by Flannery O'Connor

Note to Ph.D's- avoid hay lofts, door to door Bible salesmen. Why is it that southern writers have such an uncanny knack for disability lit?

9. The Incomplete Quad by David Sedaris

In this short story, David Sedaris revisits his experiences working as a PA to help pay for college. His employer is a disenchanted quadriplegic coed. The two combat ennui by hitchhiking, shoplifting, getting wasted and unapologetically exploiting ablists at every turn - a wickedly irreverent tale of friendship.

10. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
wife + attic + seductive governess = glorious English melodrama!

I'm Blogging at [With-tv]

Check it out- a cable channel tuned in to the disabled community! Read their mission statement here and add your support by signing the guestbook. Here's what I wrote:

As a person with a disability, I have aways been accutely aware of the
exclusion of people with disabilities from mainstream media outlets- their
stories, their images, their say in the production of culture. This opportunity
is long over due and eagerly anticipated!

Many leaders in the disability rights community have already pledged their support. The project is in its early stages, so audience support, participation and influence is crucial to future successes. Influence the scope and flavor of programming!

Let's add our images, our voices, our politics, our creativity and ideas to the cultural lexicon and amplify our presence! If you care about the arts and wish to shape the course of disability entertainment/ culture do so today by showing your support and spreading the word!

Unsicht Unseen

Today I received an email from a friend whose working in Germany. He wanted to know if I'd like to dine at Unsicht- Bar in Berlin during my vacation, scheduled for late fall. For some reason, I'd thought this restaurant was located in the UK- perhaps their is one like it there. I believe there's one located on the west coast too- owned and operated by a blind chef if my memory serves.

By "like it" I mean a restaurant with a truly unique twist. Patrons dine in total darkness, experiencing elegant three- and- four course meals served by blind/ visually impaired waiters.

Unsicht- Bar (meaning invisible or unseeable) has locations in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne and should not be confused with Blindekuh (the Blind Cow), a restaurant with locations in Zurich and Basel. According to Wikipedia, Blindekuh was established by the Swiss- German Blind- Leicht Foundation to create employment opportunities for blind people in the food service industry. The name comes from the German equivalent of Blind Man's Bluff. I've yet to translate the German language press releases about Unsicht- Bar to determine if it too is a Blind- Leicht project. Obviously this is a story which begs more research and a first- hand account (I love it when research involves food)!

The Unsicht- Bar website explains that table settings are arranged to coordinate to the numbers on a clock face. Fair enough, I can see how this might help the uninitiated sighted person to navigate their first meal in the dark. The site also notes that the food is prepared in bite- sized portions so that visitors don't have to worry about cutting their food!

As someone with a vision impairment, I find this consideration amusing as well as a wee bit troubling. It reminded me of a meal at a friend's house when I was nine. My friend's mom made us lunch. Setting the plate in front of me, she picked a knife and began cutting the food for me! We tried to laugh it off- my friend had certainly eaten with me enough to know I could cut my own food. But her mom made an assumption based on damaging misconceptions of what blind/ visually impaired people are thought to be able to do.

I remember her mom getting really embarrassed and hurriedly saying something like, "Oh I'm so used to cutting other people's food, I don't know when to stop!" My friend offered that she still tried to cut up her food too sometimes, but it was a weak cover up.

I'm quite sure I could cut a steak or debone a fish without looking. But then, I've relied on my sense of touch much longer than Unsicht- Bar's sited patrons. For me, touch has always been an integral component and allie to seeing. For years I thought that everyone linked sight to touch like I did, that if you love art and aesthetics then you're a sensualist to boot. I now know that isn't necessarily the case. Perhaps Unsicht's boneless/ knifeless policy is nothing more than a bit of hand- holding intended for ambivalent guests, the clock face analogy extended to touch- phobic foodies who want to know exactly what they're putting in their mouths.

It just so happens that Eastern Europe is flecked with diamonds- in- the- rough tourist attractions of particular interest to PWDs and "With-" minded folk. Other sites on my Hit List: the Kasper Hauser Museum in Ansbach, Germany for a peak into a decidedly intriguing passage in the history of early specialized education. Too bad I won't be there in time for the festival held in Hauser's honor each September.

I'm beginning to think that Ansbach just may be my spiritual home, as their other major attraction is none other than the extravagant Rococo Festival held in July. I'll take any excuse to dress up in skirts and big hair! I am a southern girl at heart.

[Visual description: A double portrait of Kasper Hauser in bronze or possibly iron, stands in a cobble stone square. The figure in the foreground has a disheveled appearance and stands with head cast downward. He holds a battered satchel in one hand and a letter in the other. The companion figure in the background is poised and finely dressed. His hat lies on the ground at his feet, as if knocked off or lost in some unseen disturbance.]

Cross- posted at [With-tv]