Excellence in Disability Literature
Ever wonder where your mind goes during a three-hour surgery sedation? I’m here to tell you I have an exquisite recall of the event. My surgeon begs to differ, but I briefed myself before the propofol ran wild, causing my left arm to freeze before blowing apart. Continue reading “Mer-folk Passage by Suzanne Nielsen”
By David-Elijah Nahmod
“Fox Foxerson” is the brainchild of queer cartoonist, illustrator, oil painter and mental health advocate Christi Furnas. In many ways, Fox is a reflection of Furnas’ own life. Like Furnas, Fox is queer and lives with mental illness. Continue reading “Fox Foxerson: Cartoon Advice Column a Reflection of Its Author”
By John Whittier Treat
In my home growing up, Thanksgiving was little different for me than any other dinner — the bounty of food and rarely seen relatives notwithstanding. I was as silent as always. I did not speak unless spoken to, and my family had long ago learned not to put this stammering child on the spot by asking him any but the most necessary questions — those answerable by a positive nod or negative shake of the head. More turkey, John? A nod yes. But the follow-up question that everyone else at the table got — White or dark? — was omitted. I got either, or both, whatever my wishes might have been. Continue reading “A Stutterer at the Table: What I Am Grateful for at Thanksgiving”
By David-Elijah Nahmod
Oleb Books is pleased to be publishing Face Up: A Collection of Outlaw Poems, a new collection of poems by Suzanne Nielsen, who is also a writing professor at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She’s right at home at Metro State, and no wonder: St. Paul is her hometown and she’s a former Metro State student. Continue reading “Author Suzanne Nielsen: Saved by Writing”
By David-Elijah Nahmod
The children’s book Reese Has a Halloween Secret, written by Jo Meserve Mach and Vera Lynne Stroup-Rentier, with photographs by Mary Birdsell, is short and sweet — clocking in at just forty pages. The book tells the true story of Reese, a young boy with a disability who, with the help of his loving dad, creates a Halloween costume that includes his wheelchair. Continue reading “Children With Disabilities Can Celebrate Halloween Too”
By David-Elijah Nahmod
In the winter of 2018, Belo Miguel Cipriani, publisher of Oleb Books, was looking for a partner organization to co-produce a writing contest for writers with disabilities. To his surprise, many small and large writing competitions were not interested in adding a contest just for writers with disabilities. They also felt that Oleb Books hadn’t reached the maturity they were seeking in a partner. Continue reading “Oleb Books Mourns the Passing of Susie Angel: Author, Editor, and Disability Advocate”
By Belo Miguel Cipriani
Six years ago, celebrated historical fiction writer Nomi Eve was hired by Drexel University to develop a master of fine arts (MFA) program for the institution. “I decided on a low-residency format because of the flexibility it offers,” said Eve. “Most of the instruction is delivered remotely, but students and instructor still meet in person three times during the program.” Continue reading “New Graduate Scholarship Opportunity for Writers with Disability”
By David-Elijah Nahmod
Poet Flower Conroy has been creative since her childhood. While growing up in New Jersey, she was always making arts and crafts, such as Christmas ornaments and jewelry. She would also draw, making up stories to go along with her pictures, which she stapled into little books. Eventually, she realized that her stories were more like poems, and so she began writing poetry. Continue reading “Poet Flower Conroy on the Poetry of Caregiving”
By David-Elijah Nahmod
Eight books have been chosen to be honored in the 2022 Schneider Family Book Awards — a prize that acknowledges the artistic expression of disability by authors or illustrators who created their work for child or adolescent readers. The awards are administered by the American Librarian Association, and were announced on January 24, 2022, during the association’s LibLearnX, which was held virtually from January 21-24. Continue reading “8 Award-winning Disability Children’s and YA Books to Read in 2022”
By Christi Furnas
I’m an artist living with schizophrenia. I’ve been open about my illness since it began. I’ve painted my hallucinations, spoken on panels and with the press. Since I gravitate to drawing my experiences, the progression to creating a graphic novel felt natural to me. Still, for many writers with disabilities, the process of adding illustrations to prose could feel like a daunting task. While putting a graphic novel together takes time and dedication, with a little planning, it can be done. Here are a few tips to consider if you are contemplating this form of storytelling. Continue reading “8 Tips to Writing a Disability Graphic Novel”