A few years ago, someone asked me if I would ever write a novel with a character who had MS. I told him no. My reasons for this at the time seemed simple. I already wrote a blog about living with multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. That seemed like enough for me. My thought at … Continue reading
Tag Archives: own voices
“Are you the Gatekeeper?”
Rick Moranis’s character in the 1984 Ghostbusters movie asks everyone, “Are you the Gatekeeper?” When I first watched it in the theatre, for a measly $2.50 (and even that was free because my friend and I found a $5 bill outside the Sheraton Centre theatre), it was a fun plot piece. Now, 35 years later, … Continue reading
The First Thing is the Why
Before I begin, I’d like to state upfront that I’m not saying that only X can write X, for any iteration of X—at all. (Please refer to this heads-up as many times as necessary while you read this article.) At Can-Con last year, I was lucky enough to take part in a panel on the … Continue reading
Mine for Keeps
I remember very distinctly the first time I read about “someone like me” in a book. I couldn’t have been more than ten or twelve at the most, and the book was Mine for Keeps by Jean Little. The main character, Sally, had cerebral palsy—just like me. She wasn’t the sad, crippled friend that you … Continue reading
Tale from a Token Crip
I’m really tired of being disabled and I don’t wanna do it no more, mkay? Oh yeah, that’s not a thing. I guess I’ll just take a deep breath, use my words, and say, “WTF is the matter with you people without disabilities?” No, seriously, are you all right? Is there anyone I can call? … Continue reading