THE COPPER QUILL

From the Desk of TCQ Faculty Advisor Julie Castner Shepard:

From my childhood, I have always found the interconnected areas of reading, writing, and art to form a sort of safe space for me, a haven I can escape to when I’m in need of a little magic or when the real world becomes a bit too much to bear. As a person with a physical disability, I have also discovered that this literary and artistic refuge provides me with a place where my mobility-related struggles no longer limit me—where I am free just to be and to exist as my truest self. In looking at the names, the life stories, and the works of the many authors and artists who, like me, have physical disabilities, I know that I am not alone in this sentiment.

Please join the staff of The Copper Quill and me in celebrating July as Disability Pride Month. We invite you to learn more about the many talented authors and artists with disabilities; please feel free to use the list below to start on your journey:

Selection of Authors with Disabilities and Related Links:

• Flannery O'Conner:

  • www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/how-did-flannery-oconnors-writing-reflect-her-disability/17614/ 

• Alice Wong:

  • disabilityvisibilityproject.com/about/

Selection of Artists with Disabilities and Related Links:

• Frida Kahlo:

  • https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/Frida_Khalos_6_Disability_Themed_Paintings 

• Claude Monet:

  • https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/how-monets-artistic-vision-shone-through-blurry-eyes 

Additional Resources and Related Links:

• Web Article: “10 Disabled Writers to Expand Your Perspective” by a Staff Guide for The Good Trade website:

  • https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/disabled-writers-authors/ 

• Web Article: “Disabled Writers: Nothing about Us without Us” from the Disabled Writers website:

  • https://www.disabledwriters.com/ 

• Web Article: “Empowering Creativity: 10 Artists with Disabilities” written by Casandra Visser, researched by Ritvik Shrivastava, and reviewed by Ajay Sohal:

  • https://www.accessibilitychecker.org/blog/artists-with-disabilities/ 

• Website: Disability in Kid Lit:

  • https://disabilityinkidlit.com/ 

    • Note: Check out Sara Polsky’s review of the book Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, who, according to her biography on the Cliffs Notes website, has a daughter with a disability. (And thanks to TCQ staff member Chloé Lanteigne-Marrow for recommending this book!): https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2013/07/21/sara-polsky-reviews-gathering-blue/ 

We are very interested in creative non-fiction pieces, especially those that deal with the realities facing HACC students; those realities include dealing with financial aid, working, emotional and psychological challenges, and social justice issues such as racism or climate change. Pieces should be 2,500 words or less.