Vague Mentions of an Author's Disability

No one should be forced to discuss their disability or divergence. If that's all we're asked about, it strips us of our individuality. We become caricatures. There more important things to talk about, like our work.

But...
if an author is already "down from the attic", but it's rarely acknowledged, does it matter? A brief mention fans have to luck upon won't help them much. People in the publishing industry are unlikely to see a vague reference (and visibility is important to challenge assumptions).

Do authors owe readers the knowledge of their disability or neurodivergence? No.

If authors are already open, should they be moreso? It depends. Would it impact sales? Would it mean less invitations to events? Fewer interviews? Is the author afraid of becoming "just another crip writer"?

I like knowing other writers are part of my disabled/neurodivergent squad. It makes me feel like I can succeed in what I do. It makes me feel less alone. But, no one owes it to me. It is, however, an incredible gift. I'm not the only one who feels that way.

I still get a frustrated stirring when I read an interview with a writer who I know is disabled and neither the interview or the biography acknowledge it. Even though I realize it's not my business. Even though I understand not wanting to talk about mobility aids and how disability is a metaphor for everything. I still desire to see it, the hint that a rockin' author is "different" and is fine with it. That the interviewer and editor are fine with it. That, for one damn minute, ableism isn't a thing... and one of us is gaining traction with nothing to hide.

Mentors May Choose Two Applicants

This is part of an email I wrote. It should clarify the position of a writer mentoring more than one person. Note: Mentors don't have to take on more than one mentee.
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I always thought all of my mentors would just pick one mentee. But, if some of you truly want a second mentee, you should be able to.

A few points if you'd like more than one mentee:

1.  Only pick two people at most. One will be your "definite" and one will be your "maybe".

2.  If, after all mentors select their "definite" applicants your "maybe" is without a mentor, you can approach your "maybe" and offer to mentor them.

3.  Make sure you have the stamina to take on two people for the duration! I want everyone comfortable and working at their best.

4.  Please let your "definite" applicant know you want to take on a second applicant before you do so. Your "definite" can't tell you what to do. It's a courtesy.

If you happen to be excited about a potential mentee's application and are certain you want them as your "definite", you don't have to wait until the end of the submission window. I'll just let the other mentor know the applicant has found a partner.

Potential Submitter (a "Hypothetical" Conversation)

Chris:  Hi, I'd like to submit a blog post! I have diabetes and ADHD.

Me:  Okay!

Chris:  I don't consider myself disabled or neurodivergent.

Me:  Then, what do you refer to yourself as?

Chris:  Normal! Able-bodied and neurotypical.

Me:  Okay... then, why submit to a blog for disabled/neurodivergent writers?

Chris:  Because I have ADHD and am diabetic.

Me:  But, you don't identify with the audience of the blog.

Chris:  I qualify, though!

Me:  Technically... you've been diagnosed. (Not knocking self-diagnosis.)

Chris:  So? How about it?

Me:  I'm sorry. I can't give you a label you don't want. Publication on the blog means you're either disabled or neurodivergent. I'd be forcing you into something.

Chris:  But, you see me as disabled and neurodivergent!

Me:  It's not up to me. If you feel like you aren't disabled or neurodivergent, this probably isn't the place for you.

Chris:  You're policing my identity! You're forcing me to say I'm something I'm not in order to get published. You're bigoted and exclusionist!

Me:  There are plenty of other places to publish your work, though. You don't need this place. Would you submit to a space for asexuals and demand entrance if you weren't ace?

Chris:  That's different. I'm not asexual. I have conditions that allow me to submit here!

Me:  ...

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If you don't consider yourself disabled or neurodivergent, if you see yourself as "normal", please don't submit here. This is a space for writers who legitimately consider themselves disabled and/or neurodivergent (or some variant words I wouldn't use for myself but boil down to the same thing).

This is our space... our place to be. We hope our allies will read and support us within it. And that our contributors are always proud to call this home.

Application Window for Mentees Opens, Articles, etc.

Mentee applications are accepted from today (May 11th) until 11:59 CST on June 11th. If you need the application in a different format, please let us know. We have six talented mentors spanning a variety of genres waiting for your submissions!

The program also has its own hashtag:  #HUPmentorProgram
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Electric Lit asks What Does It Mean to Be a Disabled Writer?

Finding Communion in Disability Poetics (an essay) is up at Ploughshares.

From @DisVisibility AKA the amazing Alice Wong:  Call for entries! 2018 application period now open for disability reporting contest.  
Also, the next #CripLit Twitter chat is on the 19th!

Leigh Bardugo was interviewed by Writer's Digest in February.

And, from @ArtfulSpoons:  "There is a new hashtag out there for disabled artists to share their work! #ArtistsOnDISplay by @hijade2madre. Check it out and use it the next time you post your work to twitter!"

Mentee Application (2021 Edition)

Notes and Eligibility (application questions begin after this section):

All mentees must be neurodivergent or disabled.

Only people 18 and over can pitch general mentors, but there might be a teen mentor for poetry and speculative flash fiction... depending on the term.

Mentees may not have an agent of any kind, published full-length books in their applied-for genre, or a current mentor. *Self-published books might be a different story.*

If a mentee has traditionally-published books in a genre, they can't apply to a mentor of that genre.  Mentees can have up to two books published in an unrelated genre... no more.  Mentees must disclose published books on their applications.

Mentees may hold advanced degrees.  If your major (or minor) was in creative writing, literature, or other related fields, you must have obtained your degree at least twelve years prior your application to the program.  Unrelated degrees have no time restrictions.

A writing sample (of the project or genre you want mentoring in) must be included with the application. *Up to ten pages of double-spaced prose or five poems.*

If able, please attach documents as PDF to:  handyuncappedpen@gmail.com
Questions should be sent to us via email, in blog comments, or on Twitter @HandUnPen
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Mentee Application

Name:

Pronouns:

Email:

Website/Social media:

Age (for those under 18):  

Any degrees or publication credits?

What is your disability/neurodivergence?  Can our mentors know?

Describe what you want mentoring in (submitting poems, fantasy novel editing, etc.)

What are you most hoping for in a mentor besides competence and help?  Do you want a cheerleader, someone who imposes strict deadlines, something else?

Which mentor(s) would you like to pitch?

Why choose this program over a different method of help, mentorship, research, etc.?

What are your preferred methods of correspondence?  Email? Skype? Facebook? Phone calls?  Something else?

Is there anything else you'd like your potential mentor to know?

A Question of Intelligence (Random Thoughts)

Back when I used to frequent disabled chatrooms, there was a deaf man I'll call John. John came into chat multiple times a week to "flaunt" his intellect. He'd call people "stupid", make obscure references and imply no one would "get them", muse about the rest of us "wasting ourselves on base pursuits", etc. In hindsight, I think John needed a place where he felt superior. Or he was just an ass.

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When I have an appointment or meeting with a new doctor or caseworker, I tell them my IQ number. It becomes my sword. People who look to my husband for answers coming from my mouth snap alert, pay attention. My words become relevant. Their opinions change and I am worthy.

And I, inadvertently, reinforce their notion that my IQ makes me a human to respect despite being a wheelchair-user. It tells them it's okay to overlook other disabled people if said disabled people don't prove themselves worthy. It isn't my intention. But it is the result.

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In a fair amount of novels with disabled protagonists, there is a scene where our hero says something like "I may be disabled, but I ain't dumb". It's a moment that's supposed to be powerful, affirming... a resounding cheer in text form.

But our hero's message is essentially:  I'm a different kind of disabled than the other cripples. It shits on our siblings with intellectual disabilities or processing disorders and says it's just fine to treat them in a negative way because they (it implies) aren't smart.  The message is never, "I'm amazing no matter what".

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Writing for publication is considered an intellectual endeavor. Disabled and/or neurodivergent people aren't always taken seriously as writers because some able-bodied/neurotypical people equate disability (and, at times, neurodivergence) with a lack of intelligence and creativity. 

Assumptions can sink our careers before they even get off the ground.

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Disabled and/or neurodivergent people don't need to be proven geniuses to be treated as human. We need to be more mindful about what we say about ourselves and each other. And we all need to remember what makes a person truly valuable.

Meet the Mentors for 2018!

Ann Stewart McBee - Short fiction (story development, putting a chapbook together, submitting, query letters)

Ann Stewart McBee was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She graduated with a PhD in creative writing at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where she taught undergraduate English and served as an editor for cream city review. She has published fiction and poetry in Ellipsis, Untamed Ink, The Pinch, and Citron Review among others. She now teaches composition, creative writing and literature at Des Moines Area Community College, and lives outside Des Moines, Iowa with her husband and a smelly terrier. The limited use of her hands due to Rheumatoid Arthritis does not prevent her from writing in the same way that living in heavy air pollution does not prevent one from breathing.

Methods of correspondence:  Email
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Carey Link - Poetry (editing, submitting, offering feedback, query letters)

As part of a military family, Carey Link has had the opportunity to grow up in many places across United States and Germany. Carey has resided in Huntsville, Alabama for the past 20 years. In 2008, Carey completed a B. A. in psychology from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. In 2016, Carey retired after 16 years of working in civil service in the Civilian Personnel Advisory Cener (CPAC) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) at Redstone Arsenal.

Carey has been writing poetry since she was a teenager. Carey has published a chapbook What it Means to Climb a Tree (Finishing Line Press) and a poetry collection Awakening to Holes in the Arc of Sun (Mule on a Ferris Wheel).

Methods of correspondence:  Email
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Cinthia Ritchie - Memoirs/Essays/Literary Novels (editing, submitting, chapbook organization, query letters, novel development)

Cinthia Ritchie is an Alaska writer, ultra-runner, huge dog lover and two-time Pushcart Prize nominee. Find her work at New York Times Magazine, Evening Street Review, Sport Literate, Rattle, Best American Sports Writing, Mary, Into the Void, Clementine Unbound, Deaf Poets Society, Forgotten Women anthology and others. She's a 2013 Best American Essay notable mention, and her first novel "Dolls Behaving Badly" was published by Hachette Book Group.

Methods of correspondence:  Email or Facebook
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Drew S. Cook - Poetry (editing, arranging a collection, submitting, fundamentals of poetry reading/performance)

Drew S. Cook is a native of the Ouachita Mountains, and the sights and sounds of that region continue to influence his writing. Over the course of his life, he has been many things, including an expert in obsolete operating systems, a student of literature and writing, and a Bipolar I. Drew's MFA in creative writing from the University of Central Arkansas will be/was conferred in 2018, and he begins/began doctoral studies at the University of Louisiana Lafayette that same year. His poems have appeared in Nimrod, Pleiades, and elsewhere, and he is a co-executive editor at Trio House Press.

Methods of correspondence:  Email, Facebook, or Discord. 
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S. Baer Lederman - Novels/Short fiction/Essays (copy editing, submitting, novel/story development, novel/story editing, essay editing/writing)

S. Baer Lederman hails from Rhode Island, but his years at the University of Michigan taught him that he is a Midwesterner at heart. Since finishing ROTC and his Navy service, Baer has focused on writing. He recently completed his MFA at Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago. Baer’s fiction has appeared in Entropy, Chicago Literati, Dapper Press, and Nebo. He was named a finalist in Slippery Elm’s 2015 Prose Contest, the Scribes Valley 2015 short story contest, and the Providence  Journal’s 2016 H.P. Lovecraft short story contest, as well as the NOLA Literary Festival’s 2018 Tennessee Williams short story contest. Baer has also been awarded artist in residence positions at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming as well as Sundress Academy for the Arts in Tennessee.

Methods of correspondence:  Skype or email
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Sarah Krenicki - Short/Flash fiction *especially speculative* (submitting, writing/editing, identifying places to submit to)

Sarah Krenicki writes poetry and short speculative fiction. Her shortest of these stories can be seen on 50 Word Stories, while her slightly longer work has been published in Syntax and Salt, Gemini Magazine, and Lumina. She studied English and Creative Writing in college and after a brief stint in insurance marketing, found her way to the nonprofit world. She lives in a yellow house with her husband and fluffy black cat, where she overthinks everything, including/especially this bio. Star sign/Hogwarts house/Alignment available upon request, because shouldn't mentees have the right to learn this sort of thing?

Methods of correspondence:  Text, email, Facebook or Google Video chat