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An Organization of Writers with Disabilities

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Special Announcement

Behind Our Eyes announces our third anthology

Text of cover image courtesy of Be My AI: The image is the cover of a book titled "Behind Our Eyes 3: A Literary Sunburst." The subtitle reads, "The Third Literary Anthology of Stories, Poems and Essays by Writers with Disabilities." The book is edited by Mary-Jo Lord. The background of the cover is gray, and the text is in yellow. Below the text, there is an image of a bright, fiery sunburst, showing intense solar activity with vivid orange and yellow colors.

Behind Our Eyes III: A Literary Sunburst is available from Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and soon coming to Amazon.

From the back cover:

In Behind Our Eyes 3: A Literary Sunburst, the third anthology of its kind, six sections comprised of memoirs, fiction, and poetry share slices of life from the perspectives of those living with disabilities. Most works first appeared in Magnets and Ladders, an online literary journal in which novice and experienced writers with disabilities showcase their work. While unique challenges are incorporated into some of the works, this compilation speaks to universal themes and common experiences, involving loss and grief, adversity and fear, love and passion.

Subjects such as life-changing illness and the death of a pet are shared with sensitivity and compassion; some works reminding us that a rainbow is possible only in the aftermath of a storm. Heartbreaking, as well as heartwarming, memoirs recount experiences belonging to military veterans, children of immigrants, and parents in the trenches of child rearing. Witty fiction introduces us to cosmic bowling with aliens, and asks us to envision a sky with two moons. Reflective poems describe braille as “ticklish filigree lace on cardboard paper” and fingerspelling that “performs magic in a cacophony of the palms.” In other verse, lyrical imagery paints enchanting portraits of the natural world. To unexpected delight, tantalizing recipes accompany several works; such as those for edible salad bowls, lemon herb bread, cinnamon rolls, and even frozen yogurt pops for golden retrievers named Sammy who “sing the blues.”

As a part of the community myself, I am reminded that the only thing a deaf woman cannot do is hear, and the only thing a blind man cannot do is see. This engaging collection promises three enriching opportunities: readers are challenged to question outdated notions of disability; invited to appreciate perspectives that differentiate us from one another; and encouraged to embrace the threads that make up the fabric of our collective human experience. Readers, disabled and not, will be inspired to hold up a mirror to their own experiences, and recognize that, reassuringly, we are all in this together.

Kelly Sargent, Creative Nonfiction Editor, The Bookends Review and author of Seeing Voices: Poetry in Motion

About Behind Our Eyes

Behind Our Eyes, Inc. is a 501(c3 nonprofit organization enhancing the opportunities for writers with disabilities. Our first anthology, published in 2007,

Behind Our Eyes Cover Thumbnail“Behind Our Eyes: Stories, Poems, and Essays by Writers with Disabilities,” is available at Amazon.com and from other booksellers. It is available in recorded and Braille format from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Several members of our group meet by moderated teleconference twice monthly to hear speakers; share work for critique; or receive tips on accessibility, publication, and suggested areas of interest. Our mailing list is a low-traffic congenial place to share work in progress; learn about submission requests; and to ask and answer writing questions.

If you would like to join our group and receive access to our phone conferences and mailing list, please complete our quick and easy membership form.

Our Second Anthology

Behind Our Eyes Second Anthology Cover Photo “Behind Our Eyes, A Second Look” is available in soft cover print and on Kindle at Amazon, and on Barnes and Noble. It is also available in recorded format from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Stories, poems, and personal recollections reflect human emotion, startling fiction, and the rhythms of real life. Share our pride; read six years of our best work since the first anthology in 2007.

Contact Us

If you have any comments or questions, please use our contact form. If you have any problems with the form, please go to the Magnets and Ladders site and use the submission address there. Thanks.