I haven't been able to stick to my intention of getting around a lot of Blogging Against Disablism posts in a very little time, but I'm glad that Lady Bracknell and others have done so.
It's great to be able to share the little I have read, but to be honest a huge relief and pleasure to follow my own suggestion and make discoveries via other people's recommendations. This is particularly useful if you don't have the stamina for long internet sessions. I just didn't envisage needing to take up the suggestion myself. Quite why, I don't know given my condition. I was thinking more of Goldfish having to steer everyone around what has become her truly huge baby. See? I'm clearly not with it, suggesting a Goldfish steers people around a huge baby. If someone had told me I'd be typing that, ooh, threeish years ago, I'd have said: "Are you in here too, or just visiting?"
Um. Well, thanks to Her Ladyship who has been whizzing around like a very whizzy thing indeed! These posts jumped out at me today, then I just completely ran out of steam. It's been a no spoons sort of week. At my pace, it'll be a long time before I've read everything but I will keep reading, because it's so heartening and enriching (to pluck just two words out of many I could use to attempt to capture BADD 2008). Here's what I read today:
Chanelle and Tristan on the fight for inclusion
Rudy on dealing with staring
Rachelcreative on invisible disability
A powerful and astute observation about when virtual worlds don't collide, from Veralidaine
Yanub saying "It's everyone else who is weird".
Jemma writing about rejection from employers, and how disability studies should be on the curriculum. Yes, totally!
And Elizabeth, who just blew me away with this
I want a book printed containing every single post. There are two reasons for this. One is that Goldfish's efforts to unite should, I feel, be united in print.
But doesn't that defeat the object of blogging, I hear people cry? No. We've blogged. Now why not take it further? There are some really powerful pieces this year. I'm not saying that blogging isn't enough. But I am saying that there are other platforms for these words. And a book would be just wonderful, in my book anyway. Certainly better than newspapers or magazines.
And if I had such a book, I could read it in bed. This is my reason number two. Oh get a laptop!
I can't. But I want to come back to this day again and again. The very success of this hugely successful event warrants a book, for reference, for everyone. I'm sure many will disagree. But I'd still like a book. Anyone else?
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Quite seriously, if there were support for this it could be done relatively cheaply and simply. There's a self-publishing website called Lulu.com, and you can buy your own books at the cost of production (about six or seven quid plus postage). I've used it to produce gifts before, it could be done.
However
There would be a few issues. The first would be to get permission from every single person so not to breach copyright. The second would be the size of it and whether everyone could be included (I'd hate to exclude anyone, but it would be huge). And there might be a few other legally problems I can't think of right now.
It could be done. And it could be done fairly easily. If anyone were interested in such a tome.
In theory at least, I second the proposal and I'd volunteer to help do it... if anyone else supports the idea?
Goldfish I would dedicate hours to the task quite happily. It would take a long time, but I do possess the editing skills, just a bit slower at the moment. As for legal problems, they can generally be sorted either by seeking advice or using the 'if in doubt leave it out' motto. Legal training helps too ;-)
I will post afresh after some thought, but for starters a few points:
Editing does not mean changing things. It may mean cutting articles to allow enough space for all who want to be involved. Everything would be done with copy approval from the author of the post. Every entry would contain a weblink and name (or blogger id) in print if wished. If not, that would be respected.
No photos, owing to production costs and layout, and I suggest using the categories outlined in this and previous BADDs.
I've also wondered about other ideas and am sure at this stage the more ideas put forward the better! There is no pressure of time with this one. It can be done purely with the goal in mind of producing a book for BADD. Featuring everyone that wants to be in it.
Now for some serious thinking...will post again soon
It just so happened that I was on a couple of days' leave from work AND was sleeping very badly.
And I was well aware that the Goldfish hasn't been well, and that BADD has become too enormous for one person to manage alone.
But a lot of hard work went into putting those posts together, as anyone who has read even half the entries this year will appreciate.
A book is an excellent idea: count me in in whatever way my time and talents can be utilised :-)
LB: I'm very pleased and excited that both you and Goldfish seem keen on the idea. The notion of a book is still going round in my head, but nothing of much clarity is emerging so far, other than "We need a book, a book, a book". Once the mists clear I will attempt to approach the concept with more coherence. Right now, I have a stairlift to catch and it leaves in two minutes for the land of nod.
A book of BADD posts is a great idea! Thanks for the continuing round-ups - it's great to have recommendations, as I read so slowly and need to take them a few at a time. :)
lwg: Very glad to be doing round-ups when I can. It's certainly something I will continue to do as BADD was really so very excellent this year. I think it's almost a plus that my energy levels don't permit me to do a huge round-up all at once. And I think anyone can post with some links to put out there, whenever they feel like it. Especially if something has proved a particularly powerful read. It's only right that these fantastic pieces of writing continue to circulate.
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