Wholesome? Yes, wholesome I was in LA for a disability art show. Fortunately I was able to fit in dinner with a longtime friend who lives down there. We were sharing all our disability news when I was surprised a moment I didn’t expect. My friend brought out a laptop to show me a 30 […]
Category: identity
Criperati? Works for me (in a tongue-in-cheek kinda way)
I thought I coined a phrase–criperati. I may have made it up, but there’s been others that also did. Google coughed up a couple two days after I started looking for antecedents. I see the use of criperti as recognition that the disability community is stratified even though we like to think we’re completely egalitarian. […]
Open Letter to My Disabled Brothers and Sisters: Hawking & “The Theory of Everything”
First off, the new biopic of Stephen Hawking, “The Theory of Everything” is a pretty good movie, but not great. I enjoyed it but I have a pretty high tolerance for disability schmaltz. I dislike overcomer stories but don’t gag when I see them. I won’t go see movies that degrade and us and treat […]
Access Symbol Works
I was hanging out in the bar with a bunch of folks at SDS last June. One of the party innocently asked, “What do you guys think about the new access symbol business?” Even dead sober I couldn’t help but go on a rant. I knew I had been thinking about how I didn’t like […]
Heavy Metal & Wheelchair User
Got an email from Risty Byce, a wheelchair using, rock ‘n’ roll drummer atI didn’t follow popular music, and metal in particular, too closely in the early 90s. This Queensrÿche video was brand new to me when Risty sent me a recommendation. I’m not sure about the overall sentiment, it seems to me to be […]
A New Disability Hero!
We have another hero. Hugh Gallagher gave us FDR. The world knew FDR was disabled, but until Gallagher none of us knew that FDR’s disability experience had a profound effect on his life and world view. After polio, FDR began to root for the poor. I know, hero is so overused when it is applied […]
Disability Art/Art by Disabled People, yet again
It’s happening again! I’m giving an updated, improved, higher quality presentation on disability art and art by disabled people. I’ll be showing examples and discussing the various ways works created by disabled people are created and displayed. And, I’ll guide you through my disability art project with disability art shows. […]
Disability Art or Art Created by Disabled People—What’s the Difference?
Sunday, July 28, 4:00 pm and Wednesday, August 28, 4:00 pmPetaluma Art Center$5.00 donation suggestedA presentation examining the differences between disability art and art that is made by disabled people, and its implications for disabled artists and community based programs. A six year project gauging the level of acceptance of art with disability subject matter […]
LiANA’s Music Found in Human Beings II
Just last May, in Chicago, the Bodies of Work Festival rocked me. I was there for 8 days to swim in disability culture, see my arty-type friends, and, oh yeah, visit my niece who I hadn’t seen in years. The Festival was a marvel. It was engrossing, confounding, fun, exhausting, inspiring, and ultimately so satisfying. […]
No Man Is a (motorized) Island
There’s been a flurry of 1970s and 80s albums from Christian disabled singers. I think it’s part of the weird album cover fad, rather than any particular interest in disability. […]