tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89592862012-02-16T05:08:44.060-05:00JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.comBlogger711100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-54779106443225282912008-04-30T13:46:00.005-04:002008-05-02T11:23:25.962-04:00

At the Chicago premier of the 2006 documentary film Blindsight I was reminded of Werner Herzog's The Land of Silence and Darknes (1971), on the work of German deaf- blind activist Fini Straubinger. It's disheartening to note the lack of substantive documentaries on blindness to follow Herzog's first feature length production. And Herzog can still be recognized as one of the first directors

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-70573199578644119972008-04-09T10:38:00.007-04:002008-04-19T20:03:00.857-04:00

Starts April 11 at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago! Meet the Producer on Opening Night!Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayas, Blindsight follows the gripping adventure of six Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. The dangerous journey soon becomes a seemingly impossible challenge -- made all the more remarkable by

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-79983158288176177522008-04-04T14:01:00.005-04:002008-04-04T15:52:35.724-04:00

In February I had the pleasure of giving a talk on contemporary dis/ abled artists who explore the sense of touch in their work. I now have a copy of the panel discussion on cd for anyone interested in the topic. Maybe if I'm feeling ambitious I can figure out how to put it up on the blog. You'll get to hear me stammering away about the minor offenses of Derrida, the intrigues of Judith Butler

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-53562156557832854192008-03-11T20:09:00.017-04:002008-04-01T15:22:38.480-04:00

I'm rereading a passage from James Elkins's chapter on blindness in The Object Stares Back. This piece was really important to me as an undergrad painter. It opens with this surprising observation.Because we cannot see what we do not understand or use or identify with we see very little of the world- only the small pieces that are useful and harmless. This statement had an odd impact on me at the

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-74103126769953926042008-01-31T12:46:00.000-05:002008-02-11T13:08:29.108-05:00

I can't think of it as the suburbs- my apartment's only a couple of blocks from the El after all, but after ten blissful years in the city my street address no longer contains a Chicago zipcode. I'm still just 30 min from the Loop, and to my knowledge there are no kids picking banjos on their front porches. The public library, a 40's style diner and parks are all within a three block radius of my

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-38640954681366719352008-01-14T10:08:00.000-05:002008-01-16T12:00:15.583-05:00

When I began this blog, I never imagined Id be reporting on hate crimes, but here we are. There are infinite ways for the heart to break over this stuff, a kaleidoscope of faces and stories that flicker across the Internet and are never heard from again. Documenting hate crimes against people with disabilities should be handled with the same swiftness and professionalism as crimes committed on

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-62618055022050185342008-01-10T12:57:00.000-05:002008-01-10T17:58:50.297-05:00

Every blog carnival that I've had the pleasure to click through leads me to the same conclusion. I am thrilled at the range and depth of talent of the writers in our blog community- and stunned at how many of us type away each day delivering consistantly fabulous, illuminating contnet- for free and easyInternet consumption. I do believe that writers should get paid for their craft, but we all

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-43092456729526936242007-12-23T23:01:00.001-05:002007-12-23T23:10:59.560-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Polar bear sculpture using "found" mosaic pieces- I love the teapot nipple on her belly! This expat Berliner Bear stands outside a popular Canadian restaurant where we retreated for a hearty breakfast during our stay in Berlin (

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-55496684850057129952007-12-11T17:38:00.001-05:002007-12-14T10:30:18.308-05:00

I don't know why I even bother turning on the television anymore, seeing as how the morning news has a tendency to pulverize an otherwise affable mood. I probably should have flipped the switch on Tuesday's interview with Jeanne Assam, the born again security guard who shot Colorado's megachurch gunman on Sunday. According to Assam it was God who guided her hand in the fatal shooting of 24 year

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-32629261874048382007-10-19T15:02:00.000-04:002007-10-21T15:13:56.995-04:00

My work is on view at VSAC in Denver. Hope some of you will head on over to this unique exhibit.It's All About Touch A juried show of tactile artwork from across the country. This show is all about artwork that is accessible through the sense of touch. National and local artists have contributed pieces to make this a memorable show including Ann Cunningham, Paul Bouchard, Jennifer Justice, Tina

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-45014894395327919092007-10-14T17:55:00.000-04:002007-10-27T15:08:08.884-04:00

I've been pulled away from blogging due to a couple of self- imposed deadlines concerning vague academic ambitions that I'd rather not get into in detail just yet. Let the record show that personal statements are loathesome exercises in self- doubt. It's not that I have a problem with self- promotion, but I hate having to represent myself to an audience I know nothing about- save the fact that

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-39096529594258047492007-10-14T17:49:00.000-04:002007-10-14T18:43:25.093-04:00

Words spoken by one young Tammy on the train from Naperville.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-39225527186928169102007-10-09T21:04:00.000-04:002007-10-13T15:09:02.281-04:00

When drawing a pile of rocks it is wise to startat bottom, sisyphean this three flat walk up once day dreaming of all God's houses-to believe would have been so much easier,coughed up at Normandy, spitting ember sand pelthairline fissures issue soothsayer.Visions would be embracing wavesand this would not be happening. For it is necessary to build one's house on the rockor so it was written

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-28225064999820606322007-09-27T10:27:00.000-04:002007-09-29T09:48:27.458-04:00

"Ernesto" runs the cafe at the agency where I work. I noticed that my colleagues weren't encouraging E to do his job independently. I'd had some prior experience teaching cooking classes to blind teens, so I began working with him on grinding and brewing the coffee using nonvisual techniques. It's been a couple of months and he's completed training. He no longer needs our assistance to do his job

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-56954366333083384762007-09-22T21:30:00.000-04:002007-09-27T00:59:38.127-04:00

Simply the Best My friends are forever promising (or is it threatening?) to write a comic based on the antics of Jennifer Justice. I can live with it- kids need as many positive role models as they can get. But some of us are way too modest! I thought I would encounter more grandstanding, more swagger from our ranks. Not so!True, we have good reason to recoil at terms like inspiring, amazing and

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-54725425072179725542007-09-16T08:40:00.000-04:002007-09-16T13:36:29.633-04:00

Last week as America railed against national tragedy (no, not that icky war stuff! I'm talking about our fallen mouseketeer- where are you priotities people?!), Tyra Banks was back in the talkshow studio tending to the thankless job of saving America's youth from themselves. Here's a brief recap of Wednesday's Teenville episode:Brave kids from various races and backgrounds spend time in a

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-16478303171290343232007-09-13T10:14:00.000-04:002007-09-13T19:50:59.355-04:00

The Resilience edition of the Disability Blog Carnival is up today at Reimer Reason. Next issue's theme is "Simply the Best," and girl, we are bringing it! And right on our home turf. That's right, I'll be throwing down and talking trash with the best of 'em right here at PH headquarters.Simply the Best Your responses to this phrase may range anywhere from "whatever the hell that means!" to

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-58978399359045527172007-09-01T11:11:00.000-04:002007-09-02T15:12:28.404-04:00

I'm taking part in Blogging Against Charity Day, hosted by Kara and Miss Crip Chick. Enjoy!I remember watching the AMD telethon as a kid. I thought it was cool that kids with disabilities (who I totally identified with) got to hang out with celebrities for hours on end all in the name of a "good cause." The telethon looked like one big party- spoiled only by the pious whining of the host, who

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-40298957619322349102007-08-31T14:39:00.000-04:002007-08-31T15:17:17.007-04:00

Don't ask what forces led me to the pages of nursinghomeapparel.com (occasionally I run aground in my search for sculpture materials). But, I do have a thing for hospital swag. Hell, considering the price of in- patient care, an ambulance should come to your house and heap first aid supplies at your door all tied up with a pretty red bow! Fleetingly obsessed with the absurd possibilities posed

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-78782744669679980332007-08-19T19:06:00.000-04:002007-08-19T10:02:07.892-04:00

1. Sulah by Toni MorrisonThough not the title character, the one- legged matriarch of this novel reveals the enigma behind motherly love.2. Cuckoo by Madison ClellA powerful graphic novel exploring one woman's experience of dissociative personality disorder3. Lessons in Taxidermy, a surgical memoir by Bee Lavendar4. Lilly Daw and the Ladies by Eudora WeltyI love this story for its black humor and

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-72976055770849453082007-08-17T14:08:00.001-04:002007-08-19T09:49:43.502-04:00

Check it out- a cable channel tuned in to the disabled community! Read their mission statement here and add your support by signing the guestbook. Here's what I wrote:As a person with a disability, I have aways been accutely aware of theexclusion of people with disabilities from mainstream media outlets- theirstories, their images, their say in the production of culture. This opportunityis long

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-69827088787928134432007-08-10T18:38:00.000-04:002007-08-17T15:48:56.187-04:00

Today I received an email from a friend whose working in Germany. He wanted to know if I'd like to dine at Unsicht- Bar in Berlin during my vacation, scheduled for late fall. For some reason, I'd thought this restaurant was located in the UK- perhaps their is one like it there. I believe there's one located on the west coast too- owned and operated by a blind chef if my memory serves.By "like it"

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-35170961601285856332007-08-10T17:41:00.001-04:002007-08-12T15:56:21.515-04:00

Lately, I've been caught up in a flurry of activity hailing from the fabulous ranks of disabled bloggers who are hell- bent on transforming people's attitudes about what it means to be a PWD. These are revolutionary times, but those of us furiously typing away at our computers have surely earned at least a virtual vacation? Perhaps a trip to the Carnival where Andrea Is Buzzing About- what else?

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-60540046331320940352007-08-06T21:06:00.000-04:002007-08-07T10:10:25.523-04:00

The Austin, Texas Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind is partnering with the Umlauf Sculpture Garden to promote blindness awareness in the community. This fall they will be presenting a temporary exhibition of the work of blind sculptors and are currently accepting submissions.The hope is to have pieces to put up by September 23, or at the latest, October 7, 2007. If you would be

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-10696110560328521152007-08-06T13:07:00.000-04:002007-08-06T20:43:15.848-04:00

I attended the BlogHer Conference at Navy Pier last Saturday where I was subjected to unbridled tourism (It's a mall! And an amusement park! On a pier!)I'm tempted to call Navy Pier Chicago's French Quarter, but that would be an insult to the French Quarter. Forgot how long the Pier is, and of course the conference rooms are in the very back, so this blogger was truly living up to her avatar by

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-13170000297127632412007-07-31T18:40:00.000-04:002007-07-31T20:13:30.023-04:00

Okay, so I'm watching the CBS evening news, and I want to make it clear that I'm NOT saying this because I like John Roberts- I'm annoyed by the tone of the news coverage that assumes that if a person becomes ill his/ her ability to work must be thrown into question, analyzed and then ever so graciously (read: with great condescension) approved by- whom? journalists? the public at large? George

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-60891019012359641272007-07-22T11:20:00.000-04:002007-07-28T22:02:28.948-04:00

A truly great side note to promoting my zine was getting an email from body artist and longlost pal Vonetta Berry last week. We met as undergrads at an over- priced art school. We soon discovered that we'd each spent unsettling periods of our adolescence sharing a zip code with a chemical weapons facility run by the U.S. army in northeast Alabama. Now there's a bond that makes me feel positively

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-45513768193854869612007-07-21T16:15:00.000-04:002007-07-21T16:31:38.165-04:00

Things I am passionate about:1. gorgeous disabled bodies, art, culture and minds2. fashion (there I said it- guess the cat's out of the bag! But it really shouldn't be 2. should it? Hmmm, I must be shallow....)3. writing/ self- publishing shit4. making art however and whenever I feel like it sans academe5. film6. books by brilliant and seductive word smiths7. making lists8. Saturday mornings- ah,

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-40895196050287607802007-07-18T21:27:00.001-04:002007-07-22T11:19:34.383-04:00

I stopped by the Thompson Center today to see how my zine give- away was going. I am happy to report that after only two days the table was completely bare! So from this we may conclude that people really! do! love! free! art! That and folks are mesmerized by my lovely drawings, of course.My overall printing quality of life has improved thanks to the discovery of a copier conveniently housed near

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-16120261577300673442007-07-16T22:12:00.000-04:002007-07-17T10:04:50.794-04:00

If you happen to be in the Chicago Loop this week, be sure to stop by the Thompson Center at Clark and Lake for an exhbitit celebrating the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.Take home a complimentary copy of my new zine This Is Living, where I recount the adventures of a disability rights activist embedded deep within the social service ghetto. Also on display- works by

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-70393330714073573432007-06-11T22:02:00.000-04:002007-06-18T20:25:37.068-04:00

I just watched Werner Herzog's 1987 Cobra Verde over a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream - a great combination. I highly recommend it. The film is nowhere near as good as The Enigma of Kasper Hauser or Fitzcarraldo or Aguirre, but there's no shortage of gorgeous scenes. I read that Kinkski got completely fed up with Herzog over his handling of the film extras while on location in Ghana,

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-64832113835640617572007-05-31T17:37:00.000-04:002007-05-31T18:04:33.879-04:00

It's raining. Mumble muble muble.It's a hard rain.I don't like a hard rain. Mumble mumble...This from a conversation overheard on the train. Only a voice steeped in weariness and nicotine could convey the essence of a hard rain- a thing to be endured. Somehow the Bob Dylan song never fully got the point across. It's all in the voice.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-51295989893501826032007-05-19T18:45:00.000-04:002007-05-26T21:56:42.980-04:00

May is the season for slasher flick weather, rainy hot nights that make the hairs on the back of my neck do the electric slide. I rounded the corner by the train station armed with a new umbrella. I held the umbrella in front of me like a lion tamer, sheilding my torso from rain that falls impossibly sideways in this town, in a maneuver known well to Chicago residents. All I could see from this

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-78417973441761024322007-04-17T17:42:00.000-04:002007-04-17T19:34:50.249-04:00

Yes Babies, it's been some time since I've posted. A few major changes to report: I have a new job as an art instructor and advocate working with developmentally disabled adults. With the new job came a new beau. And I successfully completed DSP (Direct Support Professional) training, which means that I am legally certified to push people around in wheelchairs and take a rectal temperature,

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-5832104213060267362006-11-01T12:53:00.000-05:002006-11-01T15:09:24.912-05:00

Last week I entered my first Blog Carnival, wherein one blogger volunteers to curate a selection of links to articles on a certain topic. Bloggers are invited to submit their favorite blog entries to be linked to the Carnival's host site. it's a great way to meet cool writers with similar interests while getting your own stuff out there.Also, I just feel like saying thanks to the Chicago Reader

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-14548864135692240082006-10-31T15:11:00.000-05:002007-07-30T21:03:04.911-04:00

Came across a great collection of thoughts on writing the other day on punkplanet.com and wanted to add to the mix of comments by bashing my own sloth-like writing ways. Emailing a friend I saidThe process of writing is like untangling a string of Christmas tree lights. Thoughts come to me in brightly tangled bunches that must be unraveled and arranged into intelligible sentences. A bad day at

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-11971674173509613362006-10-19T15:50:00.000-04:002006-10-22T23:06:38.175-04:00

A few weeks ago I was riding home on the bus when someone threw a brick through the front windshield. It made a loud popping sound not unlike a bullet- for a moment no one was sure what had happened to send all the night's debris scurrying down the aisle. Luckily, no one was injured, but, sitting by a window, I had the distinct impression that my own skull was made out of glass. Now I know how

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-25883612417200515962006-10-11T13:10:00.000-04:002006-10-11T13:25:48.780-04:00

Traditional storytelling may not lend itself too readily to the Internet. You'll want to take these tales off line to get the full effect. Below are a couple of resources to help you get started. Where I found my snazzy "haunted grits" t shirt: At the Moonlit Road website you can hunt stories by region and teller, listen to free audio downloads or purchase gifts online. Full texts are also

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-59464819750838489012006-10-10T16:26:00.000-04:002006-10-10T17:16:49.686-04:00

Not only does George Sand make the Walker Hall of Fame, she also graces a seat at my Ultimate Hypothetical Dinner Party. Born Amandine- Lucile- Aurore Dupin, she broke many of the customs of her day, dressing in men's clothing in order to walk the Paris streets alone at a time when "noble" women were discouraged from independent travel. She left her husband and noble society to become a writer,

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-45337312390038036582006-10-05T15:09:00.000-04:002007-07-30T21:15:12.688-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I was riding home on the bus when someone threw a brick through the front windshild. It made a loud popping sound not unlike a bullet- for a moment no one was sure what had happened to send all the night's debris scurrying down the aisle. Luckily, no one was injured, but, sitting by a window, I had the distinct impression that my own skull was made out of glass. Now I know

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-86712314374314765172006-10-04T17:33:00.000-04:002007-11-18T13:18:15.595-05:00

The best breakup story EVER Artists Marina Abromavic and Ulay walked the Great Wall of China, each journeying 2000 kilometers just to say goodbye.More Marina!

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-4657697338556667672006-10-04T13:05:00.000-04:002006-10-13T15:44:46.848-04:00

You might have wondered why this blog was inactive for a few months. Naturally I thought that underemployment would allow this blog to flourish, but soul-crushing 30 hour work weeks spent slinging coffee served only to hasten creative atrophy.Happily, things picked up in April with the Chicago debut of the first city-wide Disability Arts Festival. I was asked to participate in Humans Being, a

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-52038461037309939402006-10-03T17:54:00.000-04:002006-10-03T18:11:26.255-04:00

Another interesting bit of minutiae from the weekend vaults- watched the documentary Blind Spot about Hitler's secretary during the final phases of WW II. At the end of the war, she was captured and raped as a Russian POW. According to the film's end notes, Traudl Junge had to stop working years after the war due to severe depression. The text goes on to say that she spent most of her subsequent

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-50876358428342264112006-10-02T15:58:00.000-04:002006-10-02T16:32:21.961-04:00

I spent all of Sunday afternoon designing snazzy sqare shotglasses for the semi- inaugural fundraisr of the Illinois Association of Blind Students. As a steadfast poponent of the Bad Jokes as Art movement, I was happy to help out with the look of this little item. Regardless of one's visual accuity, drinking yourself blind- or blinder as the case may be- has never looked/ felt so stylish. IABS

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-28811345867958166222006-09-29T16:58:00.000-04:002006-09-29T18:03:05.484-04:00

It's been some time since I've written about my public transportation woes. Allow me to run through some of the recent hilights. On Thursday of this week all Chicago Loop trains slowed to a crawl. The squawky intercom announcements vaguely attributed the delays to "interlocking problems." My friend Willow called that afternoon to warn me, having just emerged from four-and-a-half hours of captivty

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-86106142592674938312006-09-22T11:57:00.000-04:002007-08-12T16:03:15.895-04:00

I'm guilty of googling my name from time to time, but you would too if your name were Jennifer Justice! And now I have proof that I'm not the only navel-gazer in our ranks. Thanks to Berkeley comedienne Jennifer "L." Justice for compiling this handy list of alliterated Jennifer Js and for providing me with a great photo of myself that I didn't even know existed on the web or anywhere else, for

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1401490829234470062006-09-21T16:54:00.000-04:002006-09-21T17:04:30.366-04:00

Neko Case is in touch with the dangers of taming a wild nation such as our United States. She knows that the West is still Wild and the Dirty South continues to labor to clean up its act. Case belongs to that unique breed of singer/songwriters whose music has the strength and vitality to shore up these difficult truths by building on mythologies of regional American folklore and old time

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1158614299504751012006-09-18T17:14:00.000-04:002006-09-18T17:24:41.926-04:00

Digging in Stonewall

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1158353871564050352006-09-15T16:30:00.000-04:002006-09-15T17:05:33.413-04:00

Ansbach, Germany is home to two unique festivals designed to make you want to struggle into a corset and powder your coiffure. The Rococo Festival takes place each year in July. And be sure to stick around till August for one of Europe's most unusual festivals, honoring the mysterious life of Kasper Hauser.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1115147283960399112005-05-03T14:58:00.000-04:002005-05-03T15:11:47.706-04:00

Describe a situation in which an adaptation of your own making exceded the performance of a standard accomodation or Universal Design element.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1114722444484455152005-04-28T17:04:00.000-04:002005-04-28T17:14:41.296-04:00

CALL FOR ENTRIESDescribe the first time you became aware of a disability? What factors contributed to your interpretation of the experience? Send me your reply by clicking on the Comments link below. Your email address and name will be kept anonymous even from me, unless you choose to share it. If I like what you have to say, I’ll post your reply. Just imagine: screen- reading software

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1114722236610092022005-04-28T15:55:00.000-04:002006-10-29T14:12:36.055-05:00

Haven't been writing much lately as the demands of graduate school temporarily took over my life. Three weeks ago I presented my thesis exhibition. My portion of the show at least was fully accessible, and I received a good deal of positive feedback about the work. I showed a soft foam sculpture of a rolled- up sidewalk, a series of embossed "tactile" drawings on vellum, a pink foam text piece

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1112301357087805482005-03-31T15:30:00.000-05:002005-03-31T15:35:57.096-05:00

by Lennard J. Davisfrom the Chicago Tribune Although Clint Eastwood's film "Million Dollar Baby" continues to garner praise and awards -- a Director's Guild Award for Eastwood, seven Oscar nominations, as well as best actress and director for the Golden Globes -- a mounting furor around the film accompanies these kudos.In Chicago last week, Not Dead Yet, a group of people with disabilities,

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1112220854917629412005-03-05T17:12:00.000-05:002005-03-30T17:22:49.066-05:00

from The Baltimore SunSaturday, March 05, 2005An extra climb in the IditarodBy Candus Thomson As a youngster, Rachael Scdoris turned to her dogs for comfort when cruel classmates taunted her. And it will be her dogs that the 20-year-old musher calls on today as she lines up to compete in her first Iditarod.Each day, before she dips into her snack bag along the 1,150-mile trail, she'll feed her

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109556257864512762005-02-27T20:04:00.000-05:002006-10-29T14:22:10.448-05:00

I've been thinking about the semantics of civil rights movements and how harsh the language is on young ears like mine, and not just for youngish people in the disability rights community but for those feminists, GLTB and people of color who sometimes grow a little weary of the linguistic autopsies going on all around us. Cause of death? Unruly Prefix. Excessive Hyphenation. Misuse of the

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109460798576657172005-02-26T18:07:00.000-05:002005-02-28T21:54:00.630-05:00

This article by Monty Anderson appears in the Fall - Winter 2003 issue of the Student Slate, a newsletter produced and distributed by blind students through the National Association of Blind Students: "How ya doing bud?" he asked as he walked by, patting me on the arm. From the deep resonance of his voice, he appeared to be a big guy."All right," I replied and waited for his instructions.I was

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109478927988173832005-02-23T22:30:00.000-05:002006-10-29T14:45:30.676-05:00

Don't worry- sooner or later I will run out of cutesy double entendres for this blog. How many can there be after all? I wonder if in future our speech will be peppered with car- and- driver allusions, causing the average American to sound like one of the guys on Car Talk. A recurring theme throughout many of my dreams involves an impossible design feature like something taken from a Robert

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109549255576673262005-02-20T18:57:00.000-05:002005-02-28T22:31:26.310-05:00

Another selection from the Ragged Edge Magazine. Here, Candace M. Lee describes her decision to proudly "out" herself as a person with a disability at the time of her first pregnancy. Way to go Candace!!!I confess: I've been passing.I'm a 32-year-old woman, disabled since birth, and until recently I have been firmly in the closet.I have been living in the non-disabled world all my life. I was

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109461995915874222005-02-18T18:49:00.000-05:002005-02-28T22:34:38.966-05:00

Click on the above link for the complete essay. I'm opting for the title "Life without Mozart," on this one. A poetic examination of some of the more humbling aspects of carlessness:NOW AND THEN, WALKING the shoulder of a road, moving slowly with a cane, I feel like Robert Louis Stevenson's "Blind Pew" -- I'm the blind man who talks to himself as he makes his way to the supermarket, a two-mile

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1108415185230508772005-02-14T16:03:00.000-05:002005-02-28T22:37:37.710-05:00

All rights reserved.http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4159677/detail.htmlThere's even an on- line poll that allows you to vote on the debate. Last time I checked, 26% of voters believe that the couple should be allowed to open a day care, 62% feel they should not, and 12% aren't sure. A Grand Junction, Colo. couple is at the center of a developing controversy over disabilities that could

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1108414964749311352005-02-14T15:45:00.000-05:002005-02-28T22:40:09.216-05:00

This was sent to me by way of the National Federation of the Blind's Director of Governmental Affairs Immediate Action Needed To Save VocationalRehabilitation Fellow Federationists,H.R. 27, the bill to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act comes beforethe House Committee on Education and the Workforce on February 16.Indications are that this legislation will include a provision

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109473094983181852005-01-26T21:56:00.000-05:002005-02-26T21:58:14.983-05:00

I know it’s early to be thinking about this, but for Halloween this year I’ve decided to go as the Cowboy Bomber from the State of the Union- er- Dr. Strangelove. Somehow, I seem to get those two confused…

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109473036438626842005-01-25T21:56:00.000-05:002005-02-26T21:57:16.436-05:00

The absence of outrage coming from Americans infuriates ME.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109472979392360492005-01-24T21:52:00.000-05:002005-02-26T21:56:19.393-05:00

It’s amazing the power one voice can wield when soaring from the speakers into a chilly Chicago apartment. I spent the morning reading a magazine and generally feeling guilty about not working until I came across an article on theology- themed blogs. It’s sweet vindication when loafing magically begets RESEARCH. Decided to celebrate by listening to the new (to me) Loretta Lynn cd. Rarely does

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1109472708054016972005-01-12T21:13:00.000-05:002006-10-29T14:31:06.916-05:00

A sopping wet day in Chicago. Winter took the day off, obliterating the grimy piles of snow that lingered for the duration of the first deep freeze. Walking home tonight I didn’t even need my coat. It’s practically sultry. I even got my key to turn in the front gate after two weeks of having to use my building’s back entrance. I love taking walks on days like this when so much moisture

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1106771305690705722005-01-06T13:06:00.000-05:002005-02-27T20:02:31.173-05:00

This morning I was unlucky enough to turn on the TV to find Oprah consoling the mother of Mattie Stepanek, the child poet and Oprah protige (or as the show’s website puts it, “Oprah’s special friend”) who died last year from complications related to a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Nestled between Oprah, John Travolta, and the other stars of Ladder 49, Mattie’s mom recounts the final tortured

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1099289376471652822004-10-31T01:04:00.000-05:002005-03-07T13:05:48.020-05:00

Had a great conversation with Angela today about art, blindness, museum accessibility, and how “community building” might facilitate real solutions. I’ve been thinking a lot about the Dan Peterman show at the MCA, and how strange it was to interact with the work within an institutional setting. The chairs made from grocery carts? “Why, yes you can sit on those!” the museum guard assured me.

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1099289073965862032004-09-13T01:01:00.000-04:002005-02-27T21:22:24.136-05:00

Just finished stocking the fridge with groceries. I bought more food than usual, wanting to try out a couple of new recipes I found on line. I usually take the train from the store, but today I learned that not only can I get groceries delivered to my home, but I can catch a ride in the delivery guy’s van. This seems like a good idea, until the driver comes into view. A heavy- set guy wearing

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1099288967116467532004-08-28T01:01:00.000-04:002004-11-01T01:02:47.116-05:00

I’m on the Blue Line heading to a remote stop just south of the airport; “as far as this train goes.” It’s noon and I’m starving. There’s a sandwich in my bag, but I hate eating on the train for a few reasons, the most important being the noxious smells of the subway cars. I’ve seen people place a Styrofoam container of food on the seat in front of them and procede to dine, hunched over in

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1099288885084954172004-08-02T00:58:00.000-04:002004-11-01T01:01:25.083-05:00

Today I am taking a new bus route to Wicker Park, since I’ve only lived in this neighborhood for three months. The trains don’t run on the weekends in this part of town. It’s critical that I get to the bookstore on time because I’m participating in a reading to promote a friend’s zine, Ladyfriend. This is where my hit- or- miss predictions of the transit system come into play; the bus ride

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959286.post-1099288721423095862004-07-30T22:56:00.000-04:002005-05-02T19:01:21.863-04:00

JOIN ME FOR A RETREAT AT THE PEDESTRIAN HOSTEL — a blog dedicated to one chronic walker's experiences within a major urban setting. Pedestrian Hostel is a meditation on travel and mobility, knocking down barriers to access, and forging paths on Roads Less Traveled- all from the quirky perspective of a disability rights activist. Find a comfy chair, prop up your feet, and learn about current

JMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651933344119828183noreply@blogger.com1