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Zachary Welsh’s Thoughts on Beauty and Variations by Kenny Fries

Usually when it comes to our biweekly discussions, I tend to try to talk about at least two of the assigned readings for whatever day it is. However, this week for Tuesday, one of the readings we were asked to check out was Beauty and Variations by Kenny Fries, and quite frankly, it stood out to me so much that I actually just wanted to share my thoughts on this reading alone today.

With the poem Beauty and Variations, author Kenny Fries portrays to readers how the societal standards for beauty can affect someone with a disability. Specifically, we as readers are introduced to a speaker that has an unspecified physical disability that is struggling with recognizing their own self beauty. This is realized in the very first line of the poem, when the speaker asks “what is it like to be so beautiful?” The speaker is admiring their lover and recognizing their physical beauty but through this, failing to see how their own body can match that of their significant others and be considered beautiful. This is echoed by the way the speaker describes their lover’s body as having “sculpted thighs” and “smooth skin” but then aggressively contrasts this to his or her own body by describing it as “twisted,” “deformed,” and filled with “wounds” and “scars.” This ferocious comparison highlights how disabled individuals, while being beautiful people, oftentimes fail to see that due to the negative connotations that society associates with disabled individuals.

What perhaps pushes the poem to an even more emotional level, is the fact that in an attempt to simply get someone to understand how they are feeling in the present moment, the speaker actually wishes harm against their significant other. While it is not out of ill intent, the speaker tells their lover that they want to “break your bones.” However, the speaker immediately follows this up by saying that they wish to do this so that their legs “look like mine.” The choice to follow up an aggressive thought with one of innocence not only parallels the message of the poem, but also shows, on a deeper, more intimate level, how an individual with a disability might be feeling in these situations. We as readers must assume that societal beauty expectations are made to feel so important in our lives that the speaker wants to do harm on their lover only to make them understand how they feel.

While this is barely scratching the surface of the poem by Fries, it is also a glimpse at the depth and layers that included within it and i would love to hear what other readers thought of the reading and how they perceived the poem and what they got form it.

Zachary Welsh’s Thoughts on some of the readings for 3/25/2021

Some readings that really stuck out to me for today were Douglas C. Baynton’s “Introduction” from Defectives In The Land and Jillian Weise’s “The Old Questions.”

With his introduction, Baynton touches on and introduces evidence of the negative connotations and stigmatizations associated with society and its views on individuals with disabilities and how they are present in the medical field during the early nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One piece of this evidence provided to readers is a medical certificate issued to one Delphi, that states “I hereby certify at Delphi, age 23 years, native of India, who arrived this day per S.S. Pennland is a mute and freak and unable to take care of himself.” Following immediately behind this, a second medical certificate is shown to readers. This one being issued to someone by the name of Jugernaut, states that “I hereby certify that Jugernaut, age 16 years, who arrived this day per S.S. Pennland, has loss of arms and legs. He is unable to care for himself.” These word choices and claims that are used by the medical professionals are not only shocking, but they show that the discrimination and negative views of disabled individuals reached all corners at the time. While of course or society has grown past using such words to describe an individual with a disability, Baynton’s piece paints an interesting picture that we can use as a mirror to hold up to our own modern society and see where we not only have improved but where we also have fallen short.

With her poem “The Old Questions”, author Jillian Weise sheds light on how people’s questions can come off as insensitive and be a lot emotionally for her. One such example that Weise provides is when she states “do you sleep with it on? I forgot / there would be this conversation.” Here, Weise not only gives an example of the types of questions she is often times asked, but also provides her response, showing how not only caught off guard she was, but also how she herself doesn’t see her disability as making her different than anyone else, its only the people asking the questions that see her as different. Weise follows this up with “do you bathe with it on? / I need to rehearse answers to these questions.” With this example, Weise is echoing just how often she is asked these invasive questions. In fact, she states that it happens so many times that she should just start to rehearse responses to them. These examples by Weise provide commentary on how we as a society oftentimes ask disabled individuals insensitive questions without even considering how they make the individuals feel. Begging us not only to ask ourselves if we have ever done this, but to also encourage ourselves to not do so anymore if we have.

If anyone has any thoughts on the readings I mentioned above, or even if they want to discuss some of the other readings that we had assigned for today, I would love to hear other people’s thoughts.

Zachary Welsh’s Response to Laura Hershey’s Working Together

The poem Working Together by Laura Hershey not only fully embraces her disability and the lifestyle that is associated with it, but she also places it fully in the light for readers, demanding that this part of her life be known and recognized by society. What is perhaps very striking about this choice of direction by Hershey, is that it goes against the norm in the fact that a majority of authors and poets that do in fact have a disability tend to hide their disability from the reader or even leave it out of the text completely. However, Hershey argues this by not only reinforcing the belief that the ordinary, every day parts of her daily life should be recognized and discussed, but also that these every day activities are in fact the exact opposite of ordinary. Hershey provides specific examples from the very get go, as in the opening lines of her poem, she describes the regular activity of brushing one’s teeth. However, Hershey expands upon how her disability affects the way she does this by breaking down the simple task into two jobs, one for her to do, and one for her caretaker to do. This is evident in the way that she states “her job: brisk bristle circle on teeth / my job: sneer / open wide.” Hershey immediately follows this up with another example of how her disability plays into how she gets ready in the morning. This time, introducing the idea of how her and her caretaker work together with her disability to get a bath, stating “her job: apply soap / loofa / hot spray / my job: how hot / say stop.” The third example that Hershey uses in her poem, is one of how she moves from one point to another when not in her wheelchair. Yet again, Hershey is discussing a simple task but she is placing on full display for her readers, how her disability plays into such a task. In this portion of her poem, Hershey states ” her job: heft my flesh / point a to point b / my job: remind her of our / respective spines and limbs.” Yet again, with this example Hershey also takes the idea of her dependent relationship as her caretaker, and displays it as a relationship of two coworkers working together to get something done. With these examples of her everyday routine of getting ready in the morning, Hershey, rather than attempting to hide her disability from her readers, is constantly reminding them and reinforcing within them, the knowledge that she does in fact have a disability. In the final portion of the poem, Hershey states “her job: what no one thinks of doing / except for self or child.” With this portion of the final stanza, Hershey portrays to readers that her disability actually does something one might not expect, it builds a relationship between two individuals, Hershey and her caretaker, and it allows them to bond. Hershey argues that through her disability, her caretaker has become closer to her in that she does these things for Hershey that one would typically only do for themselves or for their child. On top of this, Hershey argues that rather than hiding one’s disabilities or feeling negatively towards them, ones should embrace what makes them different and that by doing so they not only accept who they are, but it can also lead to them building good relationships with others.

Word count: 568

Zachary Welsh’s Thoughts on Readings For 03/23/2021

A couple of the readings that really stood out to me for this Tuesday were Michael Davidson’s Universal Design: The Work of Disability in an Age of Globalization, and Laura Hershey’s Working Together. However, where I found myself wanting to share my thoughts on Hershey’s poem, I found that Davidson’s piece actually got me thinking about something that isn’t necessarily in the. text, but still relates to it. That being said, I would still like to share my thoughts that relate to Davidson’s piece, as they relate to our course as well.

In her poem Working Together, one thing I found myself not expecting was just how open and embracing author Laura Hershey was of her disability. I say this not because I think one’s disability is something to hide, but because many of the poems written by individuals that society would label as disabled tend to hide the disability of the author, presenting it in a negative light, or even leaving the disability out of the piece entirely. However, I feel that with this poem, Hershey is not only reinforcing. the idea that the ordinary parts of her life should be read about, but they are in fact the complete opposite of ordinary. In this poem specifically, Hershey tells readers what it is like for her to get ready in the morning. However, as opposed to the “ordinary” individual, Hershey presents readers with the understanding that she must have a caretaker help her with all of the things that abled individuals most likely take for granted. For example, Hershey mentions brushing her teeth, but then explains that her caretaker is the one who must “brisk bristle circle on teeth” while her job is to “sneer” and “open wide.” We see this idea of a dependent relationship between Hershey and her caretaker explored even more when Hershey talks about getting a bath in the mornings, as she states that her caretaker’s responsibility is to “apply soap,” “loofa,” and “hot spray,” while her job is to say “how hot” and when to “stop.” By presenting this relationship as one in which two people are working together, Hershey places emphasis on her disability and completely brings it to life without necessarily viewing it in a completely negative light. A fresh and brighter perspective for sure.

The next reading that really stuck out to me was Michael Davidson’s Universal Design: The Work of Disability in an Age of Globalization. The pice discusses films that include characters that are considered disabled such as La Petite Vendeuse De Soilel, and Dirty Pretty Things. However, reading these portions of the text got me thinking about other ways in which disabilities are represented in film. Specifically, it got me thinking about the the false messages associated with disabilities and how that correlates to film. One specific example that I could think of was the 2017 American film Wonder. The film focuses on the 10 year old boy August “Auggie” Pullman, who is born with mandibulofacial dysostkosis as he not only journeys through his first years in school, but also comes to terms with who he is. *Spoiler warning* As the film goes on, Auggie eventually comes to accept and embrace who he is, which of course is a huge step for him and a very important thing, but, at the end, he is awarded for this with the Henry Ward Beecher medal. While being an emotional and inspirational film for sure, Wonder arguably makes a mistake in its final act by having Auggie win the award, as it almost paints the picture that disabled individual who comes to accept themselves (if they are having trouble doing so) is to be celebrated and awarded for such an act. I would argue that it would have been better for Auggie to have lost the award to someone else, as it would have portrayed an even stronger message that it’s not the prize that makes him great, he was great from the very beginning.

Zachary Welsh’s thoughts on some of the readings for 03/18/2021

While I found all of the readings for this week to be engaging, two of them particularly caught my interest. One of which being Clare Baker and Stuart Murray’s Postcolonialism: Global Disability Cultures and Democratic Cultures, and John Lee Clark’s Deaf Blind: Three Squared Cinquain.

What specifically caught my attention in the Baker and Stuart reading, was their. discussion about the negative connotations that come with the term “disabled,” and how they can affect the individuals in which we as a society label with this term. The authors state not only state that the term “disability” is used “problematically, as a metaphor for the ‘damaged’ or abject postcolonial body politic,” but also that labels. such as these act as “oppressive representational practices.” With this, Baker and Stuart bring to light the negative implications associated with the labels our society uses for individuals with a disability. This reading also hearkens back to some discussions earlier in our course about the term and I feel as though this reading reinforces some of those ideas. To reiterate, we discussed how the term “disabled” can place the designated individual in which we are associating the word with in a very negative light and almost paint them as a. helpless, weak victim to. their disability and i feel that ideas such as these were very evident in this portion of the text.

The next reading. that really. stood out to me was John Lee Clark’s Deaf Blind: Three Squared Cinquain. With this poem, Clark is providing commentary on the idea that we as a society view a disabled person being able to do an every day task as a huge accomplishment or miracle. Clark further argues that by doing this, we are creating an even greater divide between abled individuals and people with disabilities, as by not normalizing these people being able to do everyday tasks, we are further giving into the idea that their disabilities limit them. Clark specifically uses an example of “a deaf-blind man / who cooks without burning himself!” Clark also provided the example of a disabled individual being able to pick his nose, to which. he states “can”t I pick my nose / without it being a miracle?” By presenting this idea, Clark is not only critiquing certain aspects of our society, but providing specific examples as to how we are contributing even further to those issues.

I would love to hear some other people’s thoughts on the readings, whether they be the two I mentioned or even the others that I did not discuss 🙂

Zachary Welsh’s Thoughts on the readings for 3/11/2021

Of the four readings that we did for today, the two in particular that really stood out to me was The Treatment of Bibi Haldar by Jhumpa Lahiri, and the assigned chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee ,so I really wanted to talk about those for today’s discussion.

The Treatment of Bibi Haldar really stuck out to me because the title character, from the description given to us in the text, seems to not even have a physical or mental disability in the story. However, despite not having any physical disabilities and not being diagnosed with any mental disabilities, Bibi is treated as an outcast or a monster simply for being seen as different than the others. Throughout the text, Bibi is abused by her family, denied a marriage, forced to stay away from the other people in the house, forced to sleep in the basement, etc., allowing Lahiri to highlight the gross and fallacious ways that some abled people treat those viewed as disabled. However, the most interesting aspect of the story comes at the end when the baby “cures” Bibi, because at the beginning of the story, she is seen as unable to even care for herself, let alone another life. However, after she is left. alone by her family and gives birth to her baby, Bibi is able to take hold of and get her life together, against the popular belief of the community. The story not only gives meta commentary on disability and how disabled individuals are seen and treated in the community, but by giving Bibi that ending, the story also highlights the strengths of people in scenarios such as these.

While I may be incorrect tin the assumption that Bibi does not actually have a disability, I, first of all am not in any position to tell someone whether or not they are disabled, but second of all, I feel that it can also be left to interpretation. However, I feel as though regardless of the answer, Lahiri is able to portray the themes and messages of the the story to readers. That being said though, I would love to hear some other people’s thoughts on the story and what they thought Lahiri was trying to say.

The second reading that really stuck with me for today was the assigned chapters for To Kill A Mockingbird. I feel as though in a way, these chapters of the book were what a lot of readers, myself included, waiting for. We finally get introduced to the mysterious, disabled, hidden-away, Boo Radley, and he’s…

just like any other character in the book. His appearance in these pages is shorter than expected and he isn’t explored as much as I wanted him to be, but I’ve come to realize, that’s the beauty of it all. Boo’s is treated just as another side character in the book, essentially providing Lee’s meta commentary that these individuals who society deems as different or disabled are just like any other people. There’s so much beauty in the simplicity that is Boo Radley and how he is handled in the book and I loved that.

I’d love to hear how other felt and reacted to his character when they read these parts!

Zachary Welsh’s Thoughts on To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 22-27

Once again, it becomes even more apparent just how influential Puar’s The Right To Maim is in terms of the topics that it discusses. Talked about in Puar’s The Right To Main is the racial injustices and the discrimination that minorities (specifically African Americans in this case) must face in society. Examples of these are very evident in Tuesday’s chapters. They are not only seen when Bob Ewell accosted, spat on, and swore revenge on Miss Stephanie’s father, but also when Ewell is overheard saying “one down and about ten more to go” when speaking in reference to Tom’s death. Even more examples begin to show up when Ewell blames Atticus for his firing by telling him he was “getting” his job, and when Ewell follows Helen Robinson whispering obscenities at her as she walks. Finally, there is yet another example when after the trial, Miss Gates says that it’s about time someone taught the blacks a lesson. While these are only a few examples, it’s worth noting that these alone all happened within six chapters in a thirty one chapter book. These examples not only hearken back to Puar’s The Right To Maim, but they also go to put even more emphasis on the obstacles that minorities are faced with in society and even bring to light some of the problems in our current society.

Zachary Welsh’s Thoughts on “Symptoms” by Laurie Clements Lambeth

With her poem “Symptoms,” Lambeth not only discusses the hardships that are associated with ancient women’s clothing, but also connects said hardships to the topic of disability. Lambeth clearly states his distain for ancient women’s fashion when she states that rather than having hooks and laces, it only has “spaces of remission, then relapse,” and when she discusses how the clothing can “rub and pull naked skin, saying, ‘now and then you must try to feel through this, and this‘.” She discusses how all of the fabric that she is forced to wear oftentimes leads to her leaning on a wall for support. Lambeth then connects her poem to the topic of disability when she states that all of the clothes she must wear often leads to her sporting a cane and when she says “Fix my mouth in a loose pout when speech eludes its muscles, tired, stiff as the garments that hold me.” With these quotes, Lambeth is providing her stance on ancient woman’s clothing and how it relates to and can even cause physical disabilities. On top of this, Lambeth also provides commentary on how other people view these disabilities in the fact that’s she says “The cure is rest, they tell me.”

Zachary Welsh’s Thoughts On Chapters 15-24 of To Kill A Mockingbird

Chapters fifteen through twenty four of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird paints for readers, a clear picture of racial injustice and discrimination, while also touching on topics introduced to us in Puar’s The Right To Maim and Boster’s Here Are The Marks Yet. These pages primarily deal with the trial of Tom Robinson but handle it in a way that portrays the some of the racial disabilities that are accosted with the characters of the novel. These are primarily evident in the fact that during the hearing, Tom Robinson is found guilty when their is not only no physical evidence connecting him to the crime, but actually evidence that the crime itself did not even happen. Further racial disability is seen when Atticus is almost attacked by a mob driven by racism while he is doing nothing but sitting outside of the courthouse, simply. because he’s defending an African American man. and when the book remarks on the judge of the court by saying that he is notorious for “running his court in an informal fashion.” By including these in her work, Lee’s provides readers with insights into how race can be looked at as a disability the the discrimination, obstacles, and stigmatization that comes with it.

Zachary Welsh’s Thoughts On The Woman Hanging From The Thirteenth Floor Window

The Woman Hanging From The Thirteenth Floor Window by Joy Harjo deals with a speaker grieving her of sense of belonging and now is experiencing a sense of severe loneliness. As readers venture further into the poem, they quickly realize why the woman is preparing to jump, as Harjo states “she thinks she will be set free.” The poem deals with underlying themes of when individuals are taken out of their homes and what they know and how that can drive them to experience the very negative effects of solidarity. This is even represented in the poem with the way it handles Lake Michigan. In some places on the lake, the woman found a sense of comfort along the shores, but when she sees the lake in the present moment, as she prepares to jump she describes it as “a dizzy hole of water.” This contrast acts as a way for Harjo to show the stark difference between the speaker’s mental state with the calm, past waters representing a sense of knowing, and the vicious, crashing, present waters representing a sense of feeling lost. By having her poem include two endings, the author allows her readers to not only get a happy ending that they are probably hoping for, but she also gets the, to open their eyes to the very real, very grim effects that isolation and loneliness can have on some individuals.