#The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

[mypustakbookstore]

Discussing How Used Books Enhance the Experience of Reading Classic Literature

Classic literature is called classic for a reason; they do not age or lose relevance over time. Therefore, it does not matter if someone is reading the same from a used book or a brand new one. The stories and books this article will be discussing offer the same charm and glamour regardless of source. The pages can be torn and old, but the content in them can never go wrong for a classic. This elaborate piece will also discuss the top 5 advantages that can be enjoyed by reading the classics from old pages or a used book.

1. Historical Insights and Continuity

Reading a used copy of Paradise Lost, you are not merely absorbing Milton's epic poetry; you are also connecting with prior readers who have left their thoughts and interpretations in the margins. These annotations act as a dialogue across time, offering a layered reading experience where past perspectives shed light on universal themes. Each handwritten note or mark enriches your understanding, linking you to a continuum of readers who have pondered similar existential or theological questions.

2. Economic and Practical Benefits

Acquiring classics like Oliver Twist and Animal Farm in used condition can be significantly more cost-effective. For students and avid readers on a budget, used books provide an affordable way to access a broader range of literature. This accessibility not only democratizes knowledge but also stretches your literary budget, allowing for greater exploration within the same financial means.

3. Personal Discoveries

First-hand notes or dedication in books make them more interesting to read since it’s like the author is speaking to the reader directly. Thus, someone’s notes in a used copy of The Story of My Life, such as their thoughts about Keller’s accomplishments, may foster a more intimate connection with the book. Such personal feelings make the reading more touchy and personal.

4. Aesthetic and Sensory Experience

Used books have worn-out covers and soft pages, and the smell of old paper makes the reader perceive the book as a friend. Tending a book such as Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, now dog-eared and smudged with ages of fingerprints, can bring you nearer to the author’s epoch and make you feel more physically linked to the text.

5. Environmental Impact

Buying used books is environmentally friendly as well. It contributes to reducing the demand for new papers, saving energy, and reducing the quantity of books that are discarded. Thus, picking up a used copy of Animal Farm means that you support these sustainability initiatives, which is a solid foundation for your literary journey.

Conclusion

The act of reading literature through second-hand books is not simply a financial or environmental decision. It is a more profound approach to literature that allows for a more profound understanding of the work, a personal association, and a direct connection to the cultural memory. Every page of a used book has more than the written words on it, it has the history of its previous owners, their ideas and their era. For this reason, the factors mentioned above make used books to be an attractive option to the reader who wants to get a deeper understanding of the original work.

[veronicaleighauthor]

Can't get over this description about writing. It's from "The Story of My Life," by Helen Keller. Excellent book, by the way.

[the-joy-of-knowledge]

Becoming an Intelligent Woman

My Dears,

There is no greater goal than being a fine woman who is intelligent, kind, and elegant. As much as we all want to be described with these adjectives, it takes a great amount of discipline to get there. It is very doable only if you are ready to put in the work.

Here are steps you can add to your routine in the next 4 weeks that will make you 1% more intelligent than you were before. This is a process that should become a habit not a goal. It is long term, however, I want you to devote just 4 weeks into doing these steps first and recognize the changes that follow.

Watch documentaries: This is the easiest step, we all have access to Youtube. Youtube has a great number of content on art, history, technology, food, science etc that will increase your knowledge and pique your curiosity. I really did not know much about world history especially from the perspective of World war 1 & 2, the roaring 20s, Age of Enlightenment, Jazz era, monarchies etc but with several channels dedicated to breaking down history into easily digestible forms. I have in the last 4 weeks immersed myself into these documentaries. Here are a few I watched:

The fall of monarchies

The Entire History of United Kingdom

The Eight Ages of Greece

World War 1

World War 2

The Roaring '20s

The Cuisine of the Enlightenment

2. Read Classics: I recommend starting with short classics so that you do not get easily discouraged. Try to make reading easy and interesting especially if you struggle with finishing a book. Why classics? You see, if you never went to an exclusive private school in Europe or America with well crafted syllabus that emphasized philosophy, history, art, and literary classics, you might want to know what is felt like and for me this was a strong reason. Asides that, there is so much wisdom and knowledge available in these books. In these books, you gain insights to the authors mind, the historical context of the era, the ingenuity of the author, the hidden messages, and the cultural impact of these books. Most importantly, you develop your personal philosophy from the stories and lessons you have accumulated from the lives of the characters in the books you read. Here are classics to get you started:

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Candide by Voltaire

Paradise lost by John Milton

3. Study the lives of people who inspire you: I dedicate one month to each person that fascinates me. I read their biography (date of birth, background, death, influences, work, style, education, personal life) For this month, I decided to study Frank Lloyd Wright because I was fascinated by the Guggenheim Museum in New York. I began to read about his influence in American Architecture (Organic architecture, Prairie School, Usonian style), his tumultuous personal life, his difficult relationship with his mentor (Louis Sullivan), his most iconic works etc. By the end of the year I would have learned the ins and outs of people I am inspired by through books and documentaries. Here are other people I plan to learn more about:

Winston Churchill

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Ada Lovelace

Benjamin Franklin

Helen Keller

John Nash

Isabella Stewart Gardner

Caroline Herrera

Ernest Hemingway

Catherine the Great

Ann Lowe

My dears, I hope you enjoyed this read. I cannot wait to write more on my journey to becoming a fine woman. I urge you to do this for four weeks and see what changes you notice. Make sure to write as well, it is important to document your progress.

Cheers to a very prosperous 2024!

[proceduralbob]

I also enjoy canoeing, and I suppose you will smile when I say that I especially like it on moonlight nights. I cannot, it is true, see the moon climb up the sky behind the pines and steal softly across the heavens, making a shining path for us to follow; but I know she is there, and as I lie back among the pillows and put my hand in the water, I fancy that I feel the shimmer of her garments as she passes.

The Story of My Life, Helen Keller

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🖤 Black History Month ❤️

💛 Queer Books by Black Authors 💚

[ List Under the Cut ]

🖤 Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ❤️ Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta 💛 Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 💚 I'm a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz 🖤 Real Life by Brandon Taylor ❤️ Ruthless Pamela Jean by Carol Denise Mitchell 💛 The Unbroken by C.L. Clark 💚 Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova 🖤 Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 💛 That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole 💚Work for It by Talia Hibbert

🖤 All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ❤️ The Deep by Rivers Solomon 💛 How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters 💚 Running With Lions by Julian Winters 🖤 Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters ❤️ This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender 💛 The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum 💚 This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow 🖤 Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia 💛 Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 💚 The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

🖤 Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 💛 Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole 💚 Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron 🖤 Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann ❤️ A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney 💛 Power & Magic by Joamette Gil 💚 The Black Veins by Ashia Monet 🖤 Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow 💛 Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James 💚 Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

🖤 The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta ❤️ Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee 💛 A Phoenix First Must Burn (edited) by Patrice Caldwell 💚 Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson 🖤 Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles ❤️ Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad 💛 Darling by K. Ancrum 💚 The Secrets of Eden by Brandon Goode 🖤 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Off the Record by Camryn Garrett 💛 Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers 💚 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

🖤 How to Dispatch a Human by Stephanie Andrea Allen ❤️ Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans 💛 The Essential June Jordan (edited) by Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller 💚 A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark 🖤 A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney ❤️ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo 💛 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 💚 Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome 🖤 Masquerade by Anne Shade ❤️ One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite 💛 Soulstar by C.L. Polk 💚 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell

🖤 Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender ❤️ Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby 💛 Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair 💚 The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 🖤 If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann ❤️ Sweethand by N.G. Peltier 💛 This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron 💚 Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon 🖤 Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez 💛 Memorial by Bryan Washington 💚 Patsy by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn

🖤 Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole 💛 Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackosn 💚 Mouths of Rain (edited) by Briona Simone Jones 🖤 Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia ❤️ Love's Divine by Ava Freeman 💛 The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr 💚 Odd One Out by Nic Stone 🖤 Symbiosis by Nicky Drayden ❤️ Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas 💛 The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons 💚 Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

🖤 Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert ❤️ My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson 💛 Pleasure and Spice by Fiona Zedde 💚 No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull 🖤 The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus ❤️ Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor 💛 The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 💚 Peaces by Helen Oyeyem 🖤 The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk ❤️ Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh 💛 Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, Joy San 💚 The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera

🖤 King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender ❤️ By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery 💛 Busy Ain't the Half of It by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar Cruz 💚 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 🖤 Sin Against the Race by Gar McVey-Russell ❤️ Trumpet by Jackie Kay 💛 Remembrance by Rita Woods 💚 Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo 🖤 You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour ❤️ The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters 💛 Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi 💚 Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyem

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

“Satan Overlooking Paradise” (1870) by Gustave Doré :: [Guillaume Gris]

* * * *

“Satan, on the contrary, is thin, ascetic and a fanatical devotee of logic. He reads Machiavelli, Ignatius of Loyola, Marx and Hegel; he is cold and unmerciful to mankind, out of a kind of mathematical mercifulness. He is damned always to do that which is most repugnant to him: to become a slaughterer, in order to abolish slaughtering, to sacrifice lambs so that no more lambs may be slaughtered, to whip people with knouts so that they may learn not to let themselves be whipped, to strip himself of every scruple in the name of a higher scrupulousness, and to challenge the hatred of mankind because of his love for it--an abstract and geometric love.” ― Arthur Koestler, Darkness at Noon

+

“It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow men, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui.” ― Helen Keller, The Story of My Life

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Andrew Doyle

Published: Mar 8, 2024

Today is the fifth anniversary of the publication of Titania McGrath’s acclaimed book Woke: A Guide to Social Justice. I created this intersectional activist and slam poet in order to satirise this new intolerant and authoritarian identity-obsessed religion and its stranglehold on society. Having seen so many posh and entitled activists berating working-class straight white people for their privilege, I could think of no more appropriate reaction than mockery. Even Harry Windsor was at it. And he’s an actual prince. 

Five years on, and I cannot decide whether I find it funny or depressing that so many of Titania’s ideas in that book ended up becoming reality. Nothing that Titania was ever able to suggest has not eventually been outdone by real-life activists. It is as though they were reading her book for inspiration. 

For instance, in a chapter from Woke entitled “Towards an Intersectional Socialist Utopia”, Titania makes the following observation:

“Capitalism, after all, is a singularly male phenomenon. The ultimate symbol of capitalism, the skyscraper, is nothing more than a giant cock on the horizon, fucking the heavens.”

Sixteen months after the book was published, this article appeared in the Guardian:

Or what about this passage from a chapter in Woke called “White Death”? Here, Titania calls out Hellen Keller for her white privilege:

“Consider, if you will, the example of white American author Helen Keller (1880–1968). Even though she was left deaf and blind following an illness as a baby, she still managed to study for a degree, write twelve books and travel the world to give lectures. This kind of privilege is staggering.”

Compare this with an article that appeared in Time magazine over a year later, in which the author writes:

“However, to some Black disability rights activists, like Anita Cameron, Helen Keller is not radical at all, ‘just another, despite disabilities, privileged white person,’ and yet another example of history telling the story of privileged white Americans.”

And how about this tweet from October 2019, in which Titania had some advice for dog owners:

The subsequent outrage ensured that the tweet went viral. And just a couple of months ago, a leading pet talent agency in the UK called Urban Paws was asking owners whether their cats or dogs identified as “gender neutral” or “non-binary”. 

After the backlash, the company claimed that it was a mistake. But the specific addition of a “gender identity” category on an application is hardly the equivalent of a typo. 

And what about this article on the website of Vet Help Direct?

And then of course we have PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the world’s leading animal rights organisation, which posted the following call to arms on Twitter to “end speciesism”:

“Evolve your language. Unlearn how we’ve been taught to think of other animals. They’re NOT an ‘it’ and should never be talked about like objects.”

It’s about time that somebody took a stand for non-binary pigeons.

This is by no means the only example of Titania’s ideas being enacted by woke activists. Here are my top ten examples of when her absurd demands became reality…

On 22 December 2018, Titania called for biological sex to be removed from birth certificates.  

On 17 December 2020, the New England Journal of Medicine concurred.

On 1 October 2019, Titania suggested that young women should be encouraged to travel alone in rural Pakistan.

On 12 October 2019, Forbes Magazine concurred.

On 15 October 2018, Titania argued that Winston Churchill was worse than the Nazis.

On 11 February 2021, Churchill College at Cambridge University concurred.

On 19 September 2018, Titania criticised Julie Andrews (aka Mary Poppins) for chimney soot blackface.

On 28 January 2019, the New York Times concurred.

On 29 April 2019, Titania pointed out that scientists have yet to discover the difference between men and women.

On 24 March 2022, USA Today concurred.

On 22 January 2019, Titania called for the Oscars to prioritise diversity.

On 12 June 2020, the Academy concurred.

On 30 January 2019, Titania accused Laurence Olivier of a hate crime for his performance as Othello.

On 9 October 2021, the University of Michigan concurred.

On 2 May 2020, Titania criticised the NHS for appropriating the LGBTQ rainbow flag.

On 6 May 2020, Forbes Magazine concurred.

On 6 June 2019, Titania demanded an option on social media to mute white males.

On 14 July 2020, Instagram concurred.

On 12 September 2019, Titania argued that scientists cannot possibly know whether ancient skeletons are male or female.

On 18 July 2022, gender activists concurred.

Titania McGrath’s Woke: A Guide to Social Justice is available to buy here. It’s also available on audio book and Kindle.

==

This ideology has become so deranged that it's not possible not parody it anymore. Anything you propose in jest today, they'll take up in sincerity tomorrow. Which shows how performative, directionless and unserious they are.

The Civil Rights and Gay Rights movements had specific aims: eliminate segregation, ensure all laws are race-neutral, that opportunities and resources are available regardless of race, decriminalization of homosexuality, recognition of same-sex partnerships the same as opposite-sex partnerships, including marriage. They were specific, measurable and could be ticked off as they fell.

Woke idiots have no damn clue what they're after. And all they can show us is the stupidest, most petty, most insane non-issues that telegraph to the world they have no real problems to complain about. Elimination of all skyscrapers? A lawsuit over who owns the rainbow? (Fundamentalist Xians would like to get in on that.)

They're just making this crap up as they go along, fighting for who can be the most offended and screaming about their imaginary hurt feelings to garner attention and control.

Why did we ever pay attention to this lunatics?

[lionofchaeronea]

The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett - I quite like it, it kinda goes into the (poor) english aristocracy marrying wealthy american girls and the differences in expectation of treatment and such.

A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori - a manga series, don't know if your into that, but carefully researched, beautiful art (especially the textiles) of the time period and place, in areas around the silk road/russian steppes - Kazakhstan is one place I know the author visited.

The Ghost Bride - Yangsze Choo

Black Water Sister - Cho Zen

The Midwife's Apprentice - Karen Cushman

The House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer

Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George

Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman

Geisha of Gion - Mineko Iwasaki - one of the main people Arthur Golden interviewed for his book. She wrote this to counteract his "white guyification" of what she told him.

Literary Studies for Rhetoric Classes - Bernard L. Jefferson - found this one at a thrift store I just really enjoyed a lot of the pieces in it.

The Story of My Life - Helen Keller

Sirena - Donna Jo Napoli

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

Binti - Nnedi Okorafor

What Happened to Lani Garver - Carol Plum-Ucci

The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett

The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of China's War on Foreigners that Shook the World in the Summer of 1900 - Diana Preston

Trudy's Promise - Marcia Preston - a very close look at one mother separated from her son when the Berlin Wall goes up.

Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice - a very sad novel as it was written in response to when Anne Rice lost her child. A good close look at grief and loss and apathy.

Lovecraft Country - Matt Ruff - the show missed the point... the author wrote this inspired by when he and a black friend had been talking and he realized that because of skin color that while they occupied the same space, they lived in "different countries"

The Marvels - Brian Selznick

Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepeteys

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet - Kashmira Sheth

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky (or anything by him really)

The Ramsay Scallop - Frances Temple

Doomsday Book - Connie Willis - time-traveler finds herself back during the start of one of the sweeps of the black plague - it's pretty sad

Fifth Chinese Daughter - Jade Snow Wong

*some of these are middlegrade but I feel middlegrade is sometimes not appreciated enough as literature. ^_^'

*also sorry for the very long list....

No apologies needed. I really appreciate the recommendations.

[psychologeek]

is your cass 3 years old? genuine question bc she has never sounded like that, she struggles with complex words and long sentences but she doesn't baby talk or get words wrong like that

I assume you mean in this post

First of all - thanks for asking! Feel free to ask any other questions here or a comment on fic.

Second - No, my Cass isn't 3 yo.

I'm talking about Cass from my fanfic (the first chapter has an extended version for clarification, as I understand pre-verbal communication is heard to understand).

Psychology, Language, and development

Cass was raised as a weapon, and wasn't allowed to speak as a child¹ - wich had a massive impact on the way her thinking and communication has developed².

She was also isolated, and only learned the concept of language at the age of ~8/9³ (with Jason). First by using signs⁴ (ASL, spesificly), and later starting speech - though she STILL struggles with pronunciations⁵.

According to canon, when she was about (17? 18?), a fight with a magical/alien made her "understand language".

But I take canon and think about the implications. I especially consider it as Cass is a very visual/kinetic thinker. She think in pictures and movements.

What adding words for this would do? And what "understanding language" even means?

My personal answer to that, was "sort of an auto-reader you can't turn off", and a LOT of overstimulation. Because it's too much.

This doesn't change much. It DOES mean Cass need to take time off, to understand what happened. It's also not a good thing.

(This isn't a magical fix-it, and I made sure to make it very clear it has serious issues, most importantly Cass didn't want/needed a "cure", as they aren't broken. There's nothing to fix.)

Cass still prefer using non-verbal communication, like AAC app, emojis, Jestas, ASL, body language, etc.

And the family is. Mostly okay with it.

Also, Cass is autistic. Like me. And some of this experience is based on my personal experience. For example, sometimes I struggle with speaking. I have sensory issues. My thinking is very visual. When I'm overwhelmed, I need small and simple sentences.

I hope that it helps 🤠

~

1. Can be seen in chapter 1 ("A weapon"). This part was inspired/research by comparing to articles and development of children who grew up in extreme abuse and neglect (for example, "Jenny").

2. For example, self-identifing as a weapon (not a person). Understanding few words (come, stay) but not being able to speak, or understand speech. Think about the way dogs may understand some commands/words, but not a fairytale. Let me be clear - this refers to any kind of organised language, including verbal, signed, other kind of visual, tactile, etc. The issue here isn't the "not learn to speak". Many CoDA grow up perfectly fine and healthy and well. The issue here is the lack of any way to make sense of her caos.

3. Not growing up with language means that her experience and personal narrative are. Not sorted that way. A series of incoherent photos and scents. This was partly inspired by (I study psychology, I focus on trauma, there's. A lot.) and Helen Keller's story. Even before Anne, she had home signs and was able to partly communicate with some people. But she was hearing until 19 months, and therefore had 19 months of language (including several spoken words).

4. This part in the fic was inspired, again, by Helen Keller. Especially her description of what it was like to understand there's such thing as language:

I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten—a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that w-a-t-e-r meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. The living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, set it free!

(from Keller's autobiography "The Story of My Life")

(Also Jason's "food is love language". Something about sharing when you have little. Something about kindness and trust.)

5. Speech is hard. Like, there's a REASON so many ppl need speech therapy. Speech patterns ("native language", grammar) are all getting set by the age of 7. Do you speak another language? How old were you when you learned it? How close it is to your first language? How well do you speak it?

[mediaevalmusereads]

Sitting Pretty: the View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body. By Rebekah Taussig. Harper Collins, 2020.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: memoir

Series: N/A

Summary: A memoir-in-essays from disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty Rebekah Taussig, processing a lifetime of memories to paint a beautiful, nuanced portrait of a body that looks and moves differently than most.

Growing up as a paralyzed girl during the 90s and early 2000s, Rebekah Taussig only saw disability depicted as something monstrous (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), inspirational (Helen Keller), or angelic (Forrest Gump). None of this felt right; and as she got older, she longed for more stories that allowed disability to be complex and ordinary, uncomfortable and fine, painful and fulfilling.

Writing about the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and how the pervasiveness of ableism in our everyday media directly translates to everyday life.

Disability affects all of us, directly or indirectly, at one point or another. By exploring this truth in poignant and lyrical essays, Taussig illustrates the need for more stories and more voices to understand the diversity of humanity. Sitting Pretty challenges us as a society to be patient and vigilant, practical and imaginative, kind and relentless, as we set to work to write an entirely different story.

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: ableism

While I have some grasp on the basics of disability advocacy, I thought it would be beneficial to learn more during disability pride month. This book was available at the library, so I figured it would be a good place to start.

Taussig's memoir is a very good introduction to the basics of understanding broad disability studies concepts while also narrating vulnerable moments of the author's life. I really liked how the focus wasn't so much on Taussig's body (though it was a huge part of the story), but on how society is organized around ableism. We don't so much get scene after scene of Taussig struggling, but we do get very clear and evocative memories of Taussig watching films, dreaming of jobs, and navigating health insurance which are all designed to exclude disabled people. It's also a good critique of a number of related things such as American work culture, beauty and advertising, the concept of womanhood, etc. In that, this book is an excellent example about how to talk about disability and ableism without exclusively focusing on the body.

That's not to say the body is unimportant. Taussig has plenty of stories about managing pain, rolling down stairs or grassy hills, etc. But Taussig is also very careful to demonstrate that it's not the body that needs fixing - it's our imagination about how the world should work. Because after all, most (if not all) of us will become disabled at some point - that's just a consequence of having a body, and society benefits if we can care for everyone.

There are some limitations to this book, however, which Taussig (to her credit) points out. Taussig is disabled, but she is also cis, straight, middle class, and white, which means she has access to certain types of privilege and her stories will likely resonate with a specific audience. But I think I'd rather have an author be honest about their privilege and tell their own story (as opposed to trying to represent all disabled people) than try to have them position themselves on an intersectional identity that isn't theirs.

There's also a lot of humor in here that will read ad Millenial, but fortunately, it's not overwhelming. Toussig is very sincere, and even if the humor isn't to your taste, it doesn't take over the book.

TL;DR: Sitting Pretty is a brilliant memoir and introduction to the concepts behind disabled studies, placing focus on how society is structured around ableism while also advocating for change that will benefit all.

[criticalthinkingsociety]

"I cursed the fact that I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet."

By Saadi

The quote is not a proverb in Persian and in fact is a part of an important book called Golestan written by Saadi Shirazi. He was a poet who lived between 1210-1291in central Iran.Famous for the deep meaning of his writings, both social and moral.

I have come across several websites that cited the quote: “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet” and its variants.

Sadly, the claims of the origin of this quote vary. Some cite it as Chinese, Indian, Jewish, Irish, etc. Usually, it is quoted as anonymous with source unknown.

In Goodreads, we find two instances of the quote. One says Helen Keller said it and another says it was said by Wally Lamb.

In her book “EFFECTIVE LIVING,” Lois Smith Murray says on page 154:

Tolstoy wrote, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met  a man who had no feet.”

In his book “A FOR ARTEMIS,” Sutton Woodfield says on page 44:

Over Goldie’s bed, tacked on the wall, was one of those mottoes you can buy at Woolworths for a bob. This one said, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”

However, the most common claim points to the Persian poet Abū-Muhammad Muslih al-Dīn bin Abdallāh Shīrāzī (Persian: ابومحمد الدین بن عبدالله شیرازی‎), better known by his pen-name Saʿdī (Persian: سعدی‎) or Saadi Shirazi or simply Saadi. Born in Shiraz, Iran, c. 1210, he was one of the major Persian poets and prose writers of the medieval period.

.

His best-known works are Bustan (The Orchard) completed in 1257 and Gulistan (The Rose Garden) in 1258.

.

Saʿdī composed his didactic work Gulistan in both prose and verse. It contains many moralizing stories like the fables of the French writer Jean de La Fontaine (1621-95) and personal anecdotes. The text interspersed with a variety of short poems contains aphorisms, advice, and humorous reflections. It demonstrates Saʿdī ‘s profound awareness of the absurdity of human existence.

In Persian lands, his maxims were highly valued and manuscripts of his work were widely copied and illustrated. Saʿdī wrote that he composed Gulistan to teach the rules of conduct in life to both kings and dervishes.

In Chapter III – On the Excellence of Contentment, story 19, Saʿdī  wrote:

I never lamented about the vicissitudes of time or complained of the turns of fortune except on the occasion when I was barefooted and unable to procure slippers. But when I entered the great mosque of Kufah with a sore heart and beheld a man without feet I offered thanks to the bounty of God, consoled myself for my want of shoes and recited:

‘A roast fowl is to the sight of a satiated man Less valuable than a blade of fresh grass on the table And to him who has no means nor power A burnt turnip is a roasted fowl.‘

In the case of Helen Keller the quote “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet” derived from Saʿdī ‘s story had been her credo. It helped her overcome self-pity and to be of service to others.

By T. V. Antony Raj

[unsightlymuse]

“Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness.”

-Helen Keller, The Story of My Life

[yuriko-mukami]

Happy Friendship Anniversary

to my bae @ruki-mukami-dl

"True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart."

— Helen Keller

"Real friends are those who walk in when the rest of the world walks out."

— Walter Winchell

To my bae,

Sunday a year ago changed everything. Yes, I know it sounds dramatic but the whole weekend was like that. I had been somewhere dark and then suddenly you were in my DM, pulling me into a conversation that sparked a new kind of light.

Only a few days later Rukiko's story started. But back then I didn't know where it would lead us. Everything that had happened before and followed was still a mystery to me. Pieces started to fall into places slowly until the bigger picture was finally revealed.

But one thing was sure from the very beginning: I had met someone special. Someone who held my heart gently and still does. Someone who understands my quirks and doesn't judge. Someone who listens to me and helps me get up when I fall. Someone who ended up saving me from the darkness I was sinking into.

So, thank you for walking into my life and holding my hand. Thank you for taking the steps I would have been too afraid to take. You closed the distance between us and showed me that things can be different.

I love you as you are and I wish to keep you in my life, for you are someone I can share my true self with.

With love,

Afi

[whitetrashjj]

What’s Rudy actually done that makes you say he’s immature? There’s a lot of stuff with Madison and Mariah, but nobody’s actually said what Rudy had done that makes him unprofessional? Like I can’t think of what he himself has done that warrants all the shite he gets from fans, but with Madison there’s multiple…

He literally pushed an old lady into the street and y’all just want to ignore it?? 🙄

I swear to god I need to make a post master list on this drama or some shit cause I feel like I’m answering the same question every week.

He’s some thing off the top of my head that are goofy as hell and don’t sit right.

Liked one of Maddie pictures (was a grainy film pic so kinda looked like something Elaine would post) then went back and I liked it within the hour I think. Went back to a post from three years ago and I tagged Maddie as the photo credit on it. Why? What for? Dude that’s fucking odd. (A little while later one of Elaine’s bts pics had a similar vibe but much shorter quality so some people have speculated idk). And when they won best kiss, he couldn’t share the post to his story like everyone else instead took his lil tootsie too google found some tie dye background and put that up with text saying thank you and ‘we won’ and ‘thanks for voting’ but no mention of what he won or who else won or what ever. Then like when Elaine was sharing all her bts pics she would do the same format every time, picture on her story, tag obx and the actors. Looked exactly the same. Then the first jiara bts, shared on her story in text caption saying ‘jj & Kie’. So glaringly different and obvious and just… odd. All very clear conscious choices of things that do not matter unless there is something more going on there.

As I said I’m not getting it all up again cause I swear I’ve typed it so many times but that’s a few in recent history

And look, is this immature? Idk I call it goofy cause that’s the only word I can come up to describe this shit. It’s just… odd. It’s weird. When you have someone who you have no bad blood with, I’ve sited before indications that when together Maddie and Rudy still get along, why make these conscious and intentional choices to remove yourself from that completely? Do not say ‘the fans take it out of context’ no honey, it’s more than that. And I genuinely need someone who acts like everything is normal to explain what they think is going on with that because it’s always just Helen Keller energy

And as for the Maddie stuff, alll of that is years ago. As I’ve said she was very immature at the start and she has grown so much and she is just living her life as normal. I think she just got sick of the other shit, cause she’s happy and unbothered

[federoman]

Zitate finden vielseitige Verwendung im Bereich des Rollenspiels. Entweder um einen Charakter umfassender zu beschreiben — auf dem Profil oder innerhalb von Edits — oder für die Tags, die unterhalb von Reblogs und eigenen Posts zu finden sind. Mithilfe von Tags wird der eigene Blog tiefgehender personalisiert und organisiert. Nicht nur für einen neugierigen und potentiellen Schreiber hat es Vorteile, auch für einen selbst, wenn man bestimmte Einträge sucht. Mit dieser Liste möchten wir ein paar Zitate zusammenfassen, die euch eventuell gefallen können. Jene, deren Ursprung bekannt ist, sind dementsprechend mit der Quelle versehen, weiter unten findet ihr ein paar eigene Kreationen. Da die meisten Nutzer ihre Tags in englischer Sprache verfassen, sind auch die Zitate englischsprachig.

🕊 ⸻ TAG QUOTES I.

be yourself; everyone else is already taken (oscar wilde)

a friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you (elbert hubbard) 

good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life (mark twain)

if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything (gordon a. eadie)

love all, trust a few, do wrong to none (william shakespeare) 

there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you (maya angelou) 

we don't see things as they are, we see them as we are (anais nin)

we read to know we're not alone (william nicholson) 

life isn't about finding yourself. life is about creating yourself (george bernard shaw) 

do what you can, with what you have, where you are (theodore roosevelt) 

love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it (nicholas sparks)

reality continues to ruin my life (bill watterson) 

the reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept (george carlin) 

go to heaven for the climate and hell for the company (benjaming franklin wade)

a wise girl kisses but doesn't love, listens but doesn't believe, and leaves before she is left (marilyn monroe)

why be frightened of everything that you are not? (rosemarie urquico)

the marks humans leave are too often scars (john green)

it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then (lewis carroll)

those who don't believe in magic will never find it (roald dahl)

i  would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light (helen keller)

we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past (f. scott fitzgerald) 

the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places (roald dahl)

i am not pretty. i am not beautiful. i am as radiant as the sun (suzanne collins)

all that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream (edgar allan poe)

without the dark, we'd never see the stars (stephanie meyer)

you cannot find peace by avoiding life (michael cunningham)

grief does not change you, it reveals you (john green)

two wrongs don't make a right, but they make a good excuse (thomas szazs) 

i only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, i escape, one way or another (anais nin)

this is your tragedy, because you understand them, and they do not understand you (daniel saint)

always be a little unexpected (oscar wilde)

there’s a big difference between deciding to leave and knowing where to go (robyn schneider)

we bleed from all of this wanting (ama asantewa diaka)

if i cannot satisfy the one, i will indulge the other (mary shelley)

loving you harder won’t change who i am (/)

no one else can wear the scars of my battles (/)

my heart is a disaster and so is my mind (/)

this life i’m leading is teaching me ways of survival (/)

i chose myself before losing all that i am (/)

the damage they’ve done will never reach my core (/)

i used to believe my heart is an unfathomable labyrinth (/)

how can you understand when i confuse myself (/)

i’ve sharpen my teeth on the harshness of my tongue (/)

try to collect what’s left of me & put together the pieces to see me shine again (/)

our souls colliding & creating galaxies (/)

give my heart a little rest in the open of your welcoming chest (/)

my sensitivity doesn’t make me weak; it makes me superior (/)

harsh storms are just a preview of my wrath (/)

the path i’m choosing is the one that’ll lead me to peace (/)

a lions teeth will feel like pins next to me (/)

the world taught me how to draw blood without a single touch (/)