I know we are far past 2023, but I wanted to compile everything into one highlight post for the whole year, including Buzz/press, AD highlights, and writing/publishing highlights and more!
So enjoy this giant list of highlights!
Audio description highlights.
Audio Description podcast interview
This episode talks about my Netflix advocacy.
ACVREP Open Forum
On October 24, 2022, the Audio Description Subject Matter Expert (SME) Committee of the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) held an online Open Forum discussion where Audio Description writers, especially those who are blind or have low vision, were asked to share their process in crafting description.
I shared my processes and thoughts as a Blind audio description writer. Links are below.
After Fan Pressure, Netflix Makes ‘Daredevil’ Accessible To The Blind
This is an older interview where NPR featured me about our Netflix advocacy.
Flipping the Script on Audio Description, going social
Long ago, I was interviewed for this podcast episode about Social Audio Description. The podcast has transcripts!
Publishing highlights
Some previous highlights.
I’ve included some highlights that did not make it into the monthly roundups.
An emergency grant.
In 2022, I won this very unexpected grant. It arrived at the worst time in my writing career, as well. I was unable to write due to a lot of factors. I even completely forgot I applied to the PEN America Writers Emergency Fund.
The grant acceptance was the very unexpected push I needed to get myself back on my feet. I still couldn’t write as much, but still, the grant helped deal with an emergency.
In addition to the funds awarded, I was granted complimentary year-long membership to PEN America.
Blurb for Nothing Without Us Too
I provided one of the blurbs for this epic anthology featuring Disabled writers! I also can’t recommend this anthology enough. If you want to read the anthology, see below links.
Read story samples and buy on anthology website
Buy eBook from any digital store
Buzz highlights.
The Balut Kiki Project
This podcast was just super fun! In it, we talk about dating and sex as a blind gay man.
This episode has a transcript provided by the podcast.
Read and listen to the episode here.
Study on journalists that stutter.
I was interviewed for this paper on journalist who stutter working in the newsroom and in the field.
In the ’Cosm Podcast Artificial Divide interview.
In this interview, my co editor and I talk about the anthology and the editing process.
Episode webpage containing Transcript
TV is failing visually impaired people.
In this article by the Guardian, I was heavily quoted about the use of audio description. I also talk about my other accessibility expertise.
The Verge highlighted me about Comradery.
In this Verge report, I talk about some accessibility efforts in this more democratic take on the Patreon model.
Disabled people in publishing interview.
In this interview, I talk about the writing, editing, and consulting services I offer to authors and publishers.
Libro FM with Jonathan Mosen.
I had an interview with Jonathan Mosen about Libro.FM accessibility, which is an alternative to Audible. It will allow you to download DRM free audiobooks and support local indie bookstores. Links are below.
Listen and download the podcast episode here.
HuffPost interviewed me about Disability dating.
This article features me and other blind and VI people, bloggers, YouTubers, and the like. It’s not a long article at all so have fun reading!
Consulting highlights
Earth Eclipsed podcast.
Earth Eclipsed is a science fiction podcast featuring a Blind character. I consulted on some episodes of the podcast to ensure the blindness was accurate in terms of technology. Listen below!
Structured Negotiation 2nd edition.
I provided a testimony for the second edition of this book.
Dryads Wake
This is a fun, open source, game I provided accessibility testing for. The below game can be played on any modern web browser.
Patreon
In 2020 I settled a structured negotiation with Patreon. Below, you will find links and resources.
Netflix
Since 2011 I launched a campaign to get Netflix to include audio description for existing titles. At the time they were not making original content. The campaign was a success. Netflix now obtains third party audio description tracks wherever commercially possible and they describe all originals. Below are some key links detailing this campaign.
- Guardian story about AD on TV
- archive of our efforts.
- NPR story after the campaign
- Washington Post article about the advocacy efforts.
Writing highlights
Off the Grid found a new home!
I’m very pleased to say that Off the Grid found a new home, and will be getting an expanded and edited version for 2024! YAY! Stay tuned for more.
Pass the Salt has been sold!
Pass the Salt, a memoir novella chronicling my dating adventures as a Blind man has been sold to Compassivist Publishing! YAY! Stay tuned for more!
Money updates.
I started publishing every indie thing I’ve ever made, so I’m here to share some of the earnings with you because I need you to see why I keep begging you to buy my stuff.
Here is my earnings spreadsheet, broken down by tabs.
Considering I just started doing this this year, well, this is why the numbers are so low!
That’s really all for this year so I’ll end this year by talking about previous accomplishments I am quite proud of in the writing space.
Pre 2023 highlights.
Retreat for survival and healing.
The committee gave me a full scholarship for this weekend writers retreat for sexual assault survivors. This was the first writers retreat I have ever attended on a full scholarship.
Excerpt from the acceptance email.
We were incredibly enthusiastic about your application for this year’s writing retreat celebrating survival and healing on July 6-7. We are pleased to extend a full scholarship to you for this year’s retreat.
About the retreat.
Sundress Academy for the Arts is hosting its third annual generative writing retreat celebrating survival and healing on July 6-7, 2019. This two-day retreat for sexual assault survivors will be held in Oak Ridge, TN and will be a safe space for creativity, generative writing exercises, discussions on ways to write trauma, advice on publishing, and more. Come join us in mutual support for a weekend of writing time for healing, safety, and comfort.
A weekend pass includes one-on-one and group instruction, writing supplies, meals, drinks, and all on-site amenities for $75.
The event will be open to writers of all backgrounds and provide an opportunity to work with many talented, published fiction writers and poets from around the country, including Beth Couture, Rax King, Krista Cox, and Macy French.
Beth Couture is the author of Women Born with Fur (Jaded Ibis Press, 2014) and has published fiction in various journals and anthologies. She holds a PhD from the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi, an MFA from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master’s in Social Service from Bryn Mawr College, and works as a therapist in the Counseling Center at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She is a licensed social worker (LSW) in the state of Pennsylvania and is beginning training as a registered biblio/poetry therapist. Her approach to therapy is person-centered, psychodynamic, and feminist, and she frequently uses expressive writing and journaling with her clients. She has extensive experience working with college-age students, survivors of sexual trauma, and the trans and LGBTQ communities.
Rax King is a dog-loving, hedgehog-mothering, beer-swilling, gay and disabled sumbitch who occasionally writes poetry and works as assistant editor for Sundress Publications. She is the author of the collection The People’s Elbow: Thirty Recitatives on Rape and Wrestling (Ursus Americanus, 2018). Her work can also be found in Barrelhouse, Peach Mag, and Glass Poetry.
For money, Krista Cox is a paralegal. For joy, she’s an associate poetry editor at Stirring: A Literary Collection, a member of the board of the Feminist Humanist Alliance, and Executive Director of Lit Literary Collective, a nonprofit serving her local literary community. Her poetry has appeared in Columbia Journal, Crab Fat Magazine, The Humanist, and elsewhere. There’s more fascinating information about Krista to be found at her website
Macy French is poet from East Tennessee. Her work has appeared in Connotation Press, DASH Literary Journal, Gravel Magazine and others. She is a graduate of Tusculum University with a bachelor’s degree in English and is currently working toward her M.Ed. in Elementary Education.
Reading highlights
I decided to start doing highlights of books that really gripped me every year. Even though it isn’t 2023 anymore, I’d figure, let’s start there!
First, browse all my library loans in 2023 here.
I do have an Audible library but it’s extremely difficult to share your library data with other people, so blame Audible and not me.
Now onto the highlights.
Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space! by Cait Gordon
Okay. Fun, fun, fun! Just, fun! I did blurb this, but still, I read it again and it was just so freaking fun! Get this, now! Accessible space stuff? Check. Accessible space ships? Check. Just go get this now!
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
I’ve written about the hype before but despite the fact everybody hates this book, I picked it up precisely because everybody hated it. I picked up the Graphic Audio version of the audiobook because I didn’t like the audiobook by Recorded books and I was just, well, hooked, and it allowed me to escape and dream about having my own Xaden Riorson, well, let’s not go there! The series is hated by most people. In fact, by everyone I know, in and out of the disability community, but I like how it was an inspirational story. Some readers say it was problematic disability representation, but I actually think we need more disabled authors writing problematic representation anyway because none of us are a perfect representation.
It is romance though, despite what the synopsis will have you believe. It’s not a fantasy book. It’s a romance book.
Craving a King by Louise Lennox
I can’t stop thinking about this book. It was educational, and very nice to get some African history and politics in this. I can’t stress how much I loved the banter between these two as well.
Believe in Me by Alexandria House.
This was a lot more fun than I expected! I had a huge blast with this one and liked it better than the first book in the series, because, well, honestly, I have a soft spot for alpha sweeties with money, let’s be honest.
Trust me, next year there will be a much better roundup. I had to go down to dinner before finishing this post and now I wanna read so, for now, Toodles!