Here’s some good news from the UK disability arts newsletter, ETC. (To subscribe, silvie@disabilityarts.info) To my mind Ian Dury’s “Spasticus Autisticus” should be the disability community’s rockin’ anthem. If this movie is successful it should help bring the disabled Dury back into public consciousness. Here’s the news: Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll 104 […]
Crutch user comes through the door of the Registrar of Voters As relieved as I was by last week’s election (except for California’s continued homophobia) I was especially pleased to see recognition of our voting power in our local newspaper. My disability story on election day is when I went down the hill to my […]
From what I can tell from this side of the pond, there was a huge hue and cry when it was announced in 2005 that a sculpture of a naked, pregnant, disabled woman would be on display in Trafalgar Square for 18 months. I can’t imagine a statue like this in a public space in […]
Last saturday, October 18, the People’s Republic of Berkeley, birthplace of the independent living movement, unveiled a massive, social realist statue honoring the town’s political activism. It’s depicts people engaged in some of the town’s different protests. For once a righteous, angry, political, powerful wheelchair user is depicted in public art. As soon as I […]
One of the pleasant surprises using my Tivo is the programs it records on its own using my favorites. Last night I noticed that I could watch Tavis Smiley‘s interview of the governor of New York from Monday, July 21, 2008. The governor, David Paterson, is the first African American governor for that state and […]
The day before the nation’s independence day (not ours on July 26) the US Mint unveiled a new bicentennial silver dollar celebrating the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth. The picture at Language Log shows a rather large, copper colored, coin with a four braille characters spelling Brl, short for Braille, and a relief of […]
It’s been months since I had been in a meeting discussing disability topics. (I’ve been spending most of my time helping get SoCo Depot up and running.) The meeting was at a conference sponsored by the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP). The disabled people in the room were explaining to the ADP […]
Best New Disabled Performer (who declines the disability label)Melody Gardot, www.melodygardot.com Best Newly Discovered Song with Disability Content by Disabled ArtistsRay Charles and Chet Atkins, “We Didn’t See a Thing” Best Rediscovered Disability Autobiography by an Amputee in MusicThe Barbarians, “Moulty” Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 Best Reclaimed Disabled PerformerCarl Perkins […]
Best Soul RediscoveryBetty Davis, www.lightintheattic.net/releases/bettydavis/ Most Surprising Kick-Ass Performance & Roof Raising by an All Acoustic Trio EverDevil Makes 3, Mystic Theater, Petaluma, September 7, 2007 Still Rockin’ After All These Years, Garage Rock DivisionLittle Steven, www.littlestevensundergroundgarage.com/ Kevin Smith’s State Represents (Web Radio)WFMU, www.WFMU.org/ssaudionet.shtml Best Live Show of the Last Five Years1st three songs by […]
Well, I spoke too soon about Music Within, the ADA movie. It was universally panned and when I saw a few more clips I realized it would be as boring as the critics said it would be. I don’t think I’m even going to rent this one. […]