Life Unseen

Zusatztext This is a deeply personal and remarkably courageous book, exploring historical and literary constructions of blindness as manifestations of heroism or tragedy which set blind people apart from society as distinctly 'others'. It argues convincingly that such stereotypes should be aside so that blind people can voice their own diverse experiences as ordinary human beings. Informationen zum Autor Selina Mills is an award-winning writer and broadcaster who is legally blind. Educated in the USA and the UK, Selina has worked as a senior reporter and broadcaster for Reuters, The Daily Telegraph, and the BBC. Klappentext Imagine a world without sight. Is it dark and gloomy? Is it terrifying and isolating? Or is it simply a state of not seeing, which we have demonised and sentimentalized over the centuries? And why is blindness so frightening? In this fascinating historical adventure, Broadcaster and author Selina Mills takes us on a journey through the history of blindness in Western Culture to discover that blindness is not so dark after all. Inspired by her own experience of losing her sight as she forged a successful journalistic career, Life Unsee n takes us through a personal and unsentimental historical quest through the lives, stories and achievements of blind people - as well as those sighted people who sought to patronize, demonize and fix them. From the blind poet Homer, through the myths and moralising of early medieval culture to the scientific and medical discoveries of the Enlightenment and modern times, the story of blindness turns out to be a story of our whole culture. Vorwort A vividly personal journey through the history and experience of blindness from ancient times to contemporary day-to-day experience. Zusammenfassung Combining her own experience with an examination of the history of blindness in the Western world, author shows that sightlessness has been an 'active' force in history, rather than the passive condition which is too readily assumed. Inhaltsverzeichnis Prologue: Close Your Eyes Chapter 1: Imagining It - Nandy and Mythic Heroes Chapter 2: Living With It - Dark Versus Light Chapter 3: Faking It - False Eyes, False Devils Chapter 4: Fixing It - The Lure of the Cure Chapter 5: Learning It - Educating "The Blind" Chapter 6: Reading It - Pure Fiction Chapter Seven: Inventing it - Who Decides What You See? Conclusion: What is Blindness Anyway? Index ...

Vorwort
A vividly personal journey through the history and experience of blindness from ancient times to contemporary day-to-day experience.

Autorentext

Selina Mills is an award-winning writer and broadcaster who is legally blind. Educated in the USA and the UK, Selina has worked as a senior reporter and broadcaster for Reuters, The Daily Telegraph, and the BBC.

Klappentext

Imagine a world without sight. Is it dark and gloomy? Is it terrifying and isolating? Or is it simply a state of not seeing, which we have demonised and sentimentalized over the centuries? And why is blindness so frightening? In this fascinating historical adventure, Broadcaster and author Selina Mills takes us on a journey through the history of blindness in Western Culture to discover that blindness is not so dark after all. Inspired by her own experience of losing her sight as she forged a successful journalistic career, Life Unseen takes us through a personal and unsentimental historical quest through the lives, stories and achievements of blind people - as well as those sighted people who sought to patronize, demonize and fix them. From the blind poet Homer, through the myths and moralising of early medieval culture to the scientific and medical discoveries of the Enlightenment and modern times, the story of blindness turns out to be a story of our whole culture.

Zusammenfassung
Combining her own experience with an examination of the history of blindness in the Western world, author shows that sightlessness has been an 'active' force in history, rather than the passive condition which is too readily assumed.

Inhalt

Prologue: Close Your Eyes
Chapter 1: Imagining It - Nandy and Mythic Heroes
Chapter 2: Living With It - Dark Versus Light
Chapter 3: Faking It - False Eyes, False Devils
Chapter 4: Fixing It - The Lure of the Cure
Chapter 5: Learning It - Educating "The Blind"
Chapter 6: Reading It - Pure Fiction
Chapter Seven: Inventing it - Who Decides What You See?
Conclusion: What is Blindness Anyway?

Index