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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Writing About Health

Today I have for you something serious and something silly.

First, from editor (and poet) Amy King's mention on Facebook, The Barefoot Review is a new journal that publishes original work by writers who have had physical difficulties in their lives and also work by their family, friends, and/or caregivers. The editors are especially interested in aspects of surviving. The new journal will be coming out twice a year, on the solstices, a schedule which I love. The Barefoot Review also lists other places you can read creative works about health on their website.

One place not listed on their website is a journal in which I have published work about our family's struggles with health, called KaleidoscopeExploring the Experience of Disability through Literature and the Fine Arts, out of the United Disabilty Services of Akron. So that's another good placet to submit, or to find creative writing on the subject.

Now, for the silly thing. Some "Broetry" from Brian McGackin at Failblog.org.

2 comments:

Jeannine said...

Hi Jessica! How fascinating! I just finished reading Sarah Manguso's memoir, Two Kinds of Decay, about her struggle with an autoimmune disorder, and I highly recommend it! I'd like to write more non-fic about health issues, but find it difficult to address the topic without the comforting oblique nature of poetry...

Jessica Goodfellow said...

Hi Jeannine, It's nice to hear from you. Yes, writing about health can be like walking through brambles. I'm not the one in our family who has the health problems, so I always have to be sensitive to my family member's feelings about my writing about the issues (why am I avoiding pronouns? all the other members in my family are male, so I won't be giving anything away by saying he/him/him!) Because he wants other people with his condition to share our story but not the people we know personally (he's a bit in denial about this), so far I've published about it writing poetry or fiction, which has angered some editors who wanted me to claim it as nonfiction. But that's just not possible for now.
I've been looking forward to Sarah Manguso's memoir--love her poetry, am sure her memoir will be equally well-written. Well, I've read excerpts, so I am quite sure, plus your recommendation... Thanks.