That's an interesting question! I never asked Dave what he thought - he did frequently get called "the kid in the wheelchair" by other library patrons, but those of us who knew him just called him by name. "Wheelchair-bound" struck me as more courteous than "the kid in the wheelchair" and less offensive than "crippled", certainly, or even "disabled". And I don't know the exact medical term for his condition. Had I known it, that's what I would have used, but it hadn't occurred to me that "wheelchair-bound" might be offensive.
And yes, I can see that "disabled writer" could be as problematic as "Christian writer" - whatever one is, one wants to be a person and a writer first and foremost, and not be shoved into some ghetto where one's work may be minimized. But the interesting thing that Dave is doing, I think, is dealing with his condition head-on in his fiction. In high school, some of his teachers urged him to focus less on fantasy and to write what he knew, but he was writing what he knew the whole time. I think, when he develops as a writer, he could have some very good things to say. I wasn't that far along with writing what I knew when I was his age.
Changing gears, I highly recommend Christpher Nolan's Under the Eye of the Clock It's not an easy read, but it's very striking.
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Re: Oh - just thought of something-
Date: 2010-05-18 03:28 am (UTC)And yes, I can see that "disabled writer" could be as problematic as "Christian writer" - whatever one is, one wants to be a person and a writer first and foremost, and not be shoved into some ghetto where one's work may be minimized. But the interesting thing that Dave is doing, I think, is dealing with his condition head-on in his fiction. In high school, some of his teachers urged him to focus less on fantasy and to write what he knew, but he was writing what he knew the whole time. I think, when he develops as a writer, he could have some very good things to say. I wasn't that far along with writing what I knew when I was his age.
Changing gears, I highly recommend Christpher Nolan's Under the Eye of the Clock It's not an easy read, but it's very striking.