Beautiful people : my thirteen truths about disability
by Blake, Melissa (Blogger) (Author)
Summary
In the summer of 2019, journalist Melissa Blake penned an op-ed for CNN Opinion. A conservative pundit caught wind of it, mentioning Blake's work in a YouTube video. What happened next is equal parts a searing view into society, how we collectively view and treat disabled people, and the making of a... Full description
Summary: |
In the summer of 2019, journalist Melissa Blake penned an op-ed for CNN Opinion. A conservative pundit caught wind of it, mentioning Blake's work in a YouTube video. What happened next is equal parts a searing view into society, how we collectively view and treat disabled people, and the making of an advocate. After a troll said that Blake should be banned from posting pictures of herself, she took to Twitter and defiantly posted three smiling selfies, all taken during a lovely vacation in the Big Apple. |
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Physical Description: |
xiv, 256 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references. |
ISBN: |
9780306830426 0306830426 |
Author Notes: |
She was born in 1981 with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, a genetic bone and muscular disorder, and has had more than 26 surgeries, including surgeries on her knees, hands, hips and spine. She credits much of her independence to her parents, who taught her to use her voice and to advocate for herself. Growing up, writing was a way for Blake to express herself and explore the world beyond her disability. After graduating from Northern Illinois University with a journalism degree in 2005, she began a career as a freelance writer. She wrote a weekly newspaper column for nearly five years, covering everything from family and musings on life to pop culture. Her writing on disabilities, relationships and pop culture has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN Opinion, Health, Good Housekeeping, Glamour and Cosmopolitan, among others. Blake lives in DeKalb, Illinois. |