Wordgathering

A Journal of Disability Poetry

Volume 4     Issue 2     July 2010

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Essays in this Issue

The essays in this issue of Wordgathering represent a virtual seminar. They are texts from five paper presentations given at this years Associated Writers Progtrams conference in Denver, Colorado. The panel of five poets Jennifer Bartlett, Sheila Black, Ann Bogle, Barbara crooker and Ellen McGrath Smith gave a presentation entitled "Beauty is a Verb : The New Poetics of Disability." It was the first of a kind for the conference and though most of you reading this issue of Wordgathering were not present at the conference, you can experience some of the excitement of the ideas by reading the essays below. They are listed in the order that they were presented at the conference.

• Jennifer Bartlett, Ethics, Poetry and the Identity of the Disabled Body
• Sheila Black, Eliza Dolitle and Me: Voice, Tone and Power in the Poetics of Disability.
• Ann Bogle, Driving Years
• Barbara Crooker,Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetics of Disability
• Ellen McGrath Smith, "Hearing a Pear": Poetry Reading on a New Frequency

In addition to the conference essays we also have "Disbility, Poetry and Pedagogy" an essay from Jessica Lewis Luck describing her experiences in teaching a course in disabilities literature at California State College in Riverside. Readers, especially teachers and instructors who are interested in Luck's essay may also want to take a look at "Dialogue on Teaching Disability Literature" our Interview in the March 2009, among four poets/writers (Lydia Fecteau, Therese Halscheid, Sheila Black and Cynthia Leweicki-Wilson) who have taught disabilities poetry at the college level, discussing their experiences.

Wordgathering is extremely interested in hearing from others who have taught disability poetry or literature and are interested writing about their experiences. Please contact the editors at comments@wordgathering.com.

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