Category: Literature
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Can You be Safe Without Sight? Yes, and Here’s How I Protect Myself
Do you know One of the most common misperceptions about blind people? It is we are more vulnerable to attack than sighted people. This is a dangerous myth. First it implies we are an easy target. Second, it creates a false notion that if we were attacked we couldn’t protect ourselves Class and Audiobook on…
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The Benefits of a Library Card: It’s Not Just for Checking Out Books
When I was a little kid my dad took me to the library. It was part of our Saturday routine. We would pile in the car and drive to the local branch in our community. On the way he would share his childhood story about his inability to enter the main public library in his…
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Confused About Disability? Read This Demystifying Guide and Become a True Ally
Reading with My Ears Book Review I have read a lot of books about disability. Some were fiction while others nonfiction. Some were biographical, technical, historical or medical in their approach. Others more laid back and conversational in tone. But the book, “Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an…
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Deaf Culture Facts I Learned from Reading True Biz
Reading with My Ears Book Review I recently joined Book Nation for another virtual discussion about the book True Biz by Sara Novic. The conversation with the author, who is deaf, was noteworthy because she shared about her life and the writing process for the book. But reading The audiobook was such an educational and…
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New York Times Columnist Shares Insights on Vision Loss and Found
Reading with My Ears Book Review I came across another excellent audiobook read from the library by New York Times columnist and bestselling author, Frank Bruni. “The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found” is a wise and moving memoir about aging, affliction, and optimism after partially losing eyesight. The first time I heard…
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Growing a Writing Green Thumb: 6 Ways Spring Can Nurture Your Craft
Writing About Spring I’ve never been great at growing vegetation. Plants and flowers don’t seem to flourish around me. The idea of getting outside in the heat. Dealing with bugs of all kinds. Tilling soil and getting dirty. None of these are my thoughts of a fun and enjoyable activity. Then add my visual disability…
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Max Cleland Has the Heart of a Patriot While Surviving His War Wounds
Day Remembering Vietnam War Veterans When I think of veterans November comes immediately to mind because of Veteran’s Day. Or Memorial Day coming up soon in May. But I was surprised to see a national observation for veterans on my calendar. March 29 was National Vietnam War Veterans Day. After I saw this commemoration pop…
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Do Words Matter? Here’s 15 Quotes on the Power of Words
The Power of Words Yes, words Matter. They are what we use to communicate. Whether it is verbally or in written form words are the tools for language. From the time a small child learns to talk, the significance of words becomes clear. With that being said words have power. They can inspire, motivate or…
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The Personal Librarian: A Story of Power, Passing and Progression
Book Summary The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is an excellent read in honor of Black History Month. I read it a couple of weeks ago and then attended a virtual discussion with one of the authors that was literally amazing. According to Benedict’s website this historical fiction book is a…
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Hoopla: My Favorite App for Reading Commercial Audiobooks
Discovered Hoopla App I have shared off and on about an audiobook reader app I discovered this year called Hoopla. Well, to be perfectly honest a librarian told me about it. We were preparing for our virtual book club and I couldn’t find the selection in audio format. So, she suggested using Hoopla. And why…
Empish J. Thomas 