Special Collections
Blindness and Visual Impairment Special Collection
Description: A collection featuring biographies, memoirs, fiction and non-fiction by and about members of the blind community. #disability
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Out of Darkness
by Cindy WatsonShort-listed for the 2011 Golden Oak Award
From the moment three-year-old Jeff Healey first laid a guitar across his lap in what was to become his signature style, it was clear he was no ordinary kid.
Losing both eyes to retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer, opened a door to another world for Jeff, a newly adopted infant.
Out of darkness he created music, becoming one of the most influential blues-rock and jazz performers of our time, beginning with his first hit album, See the Light.
In this up-close and personal account, loaded with never-before-seen photographs, memorabilia, and intimate recollections of family, friends, and fellow musicians, we discover this unique music icon’s dynamic career, which saw him collaborate with everyone from George Harrison and Eric Clapton to B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
From Jeff’s lonely start one snowy night at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto to his untimely end in the same building, we come away with a potent message of empowerment and a renewed sense of hope.
Lights Out
by Travis FreemanWhen the lights go out - play harder. Travis Freeman plunged into a world of darkness at 12 years old. A rare occurrence of a routine illness stole his sight, leaving the small-town Kentucky boy's dreams of football and fun languishing on the sidelines. Having given his heart to Jesus merely a year before the illness, Travis knew one thing: God was still the light for his life. That life story is now the inspiration for a major motion picture, ""23 BLAST"" that hits theatres in October 2014.
Andrea Bocelli
by Antonia FelixThe author presents text and pictures from Andrea Bocelli's life. Information concerning how different conductors worked with Andrea as he made his entrance in the opera are included.
Some Kind of Genius
by Janice Deblois and Antonia FelixFor everyone whose heart was touched by the movie Rain Man, here is the inspiring true story of an exceptional autistic savant whose musical gifts thrill audiences the world over. Ever since he was born--blind and weighing less than two pounds--Tony DeBlois has been defying the odds and wildly surpassing others' expectations. Tony's story will hold special appeal for all who have seen him on the Today s how and Entertainment Tonight, etc.
By Faith, Not By Sight
by Scott Macintyre and Jennifer SchuchmannA moving story of hope, faith, persistence and the power of dreams. In By Faith, Not by Sight, American Idol's first ever disabled finalist Scott MacIntyre shares his inspiring story of being a musical and academic prodigy who prevails over life-threatening obstacles to become a pop sensation. When stage four renal failure tries to stop his dream of studying classical piano in London, Scott bravely moves forward and finds new friendships and freedom despite his blindness. Then when his kidney transplant, a painful recovery, and his sister's kidney transplant all attempt to sideline him once more, he perseveres and makes it to the top ten finale of American Idol. Scott defies all odds: having to dance on stage, always having a sighted guide with him, and still singing with sound monitors that quit working. Despite so many obstacles, he goes on tour with the Idol cast, records an album (Heartstrings), and finds love for the first time. Through an unwavering faith in God and himself, Scott teaches all of us that our dreams are possible regardless of our circumstances. Though he can't see the world around him, he has always been able to see his dreams and pursues them fearlessly.
Lullaby of Birdland
by George Shearing and Alyn ShiptonBritish pianist George Shearing emigrated to the United States in 1947, going on to achieve success in an American jazz world impressed with the accomplishments of the blind musician. In his autobiography he narrates his childhood, his beginnings in music, and his activities and encounters in the world of jazz. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Ray Charles
by Michael LydonAn extremely detailed account of Ray Charles' personal life, from his childhood to his death and funeral, and of his musical life, including every concert, gig, recording etc.
Emma and I
by Sheila HockenA touching and unique story of love and courage. This is Sheila Hocken's own story. A story of a young blind girl who sets out to fight for the right to live fully and to see again. Sheila's account of the events and people that transformed her life is moving and inspiring. Sheila introduces Emma, her beautiful chocolate-brown labrador, whose devotion and intelligence as a guide dog are inspiring. We also meet Don, who brings romance into Sheila's life - through a radio program! And we meet Mr Shearing, the skilled surgeon who performs the miracle which gives Sheila a whole new world.
Rex
by Cathleen LewisThe inspiring story of Rex, a boy who is not only blind and autistic, but who also happens to be a musical savant.
How can an 11-year old boy hear a Mozart fantasy for the first time and play it back note-for-note perfectly-but struggle to navigate the familiar surroundings of his own home?
Cathleen Lewis says her son Rex's laugh of total abandon is the single most joyous sound anyone could hear, but his tortured aversion to touch and sound breaks her heart and makes her wonder what God could have had in mind.
In this book she shares the mystery of Rex and the highs, lows, hopes, dreams, joy, sorrows, and faith she has journeyed through with him.
First Lady of the Seeing Eye
by Morris Frank and Blake ClarkThis story written by Morris Frank tells of how he trained in Switzerland with Buddy, the first Seeing Eye dog in America. Also tells of the very early history of The Seeing Eye in Morristown N.J. "Here are adventures that encompass thirty years and countless of miles: the fight to have dog guides admitted to restaurants and hotels, trains and planes; lectures and demonstrations all over the country; meetings with millionaires and Presidents--and with mountaineers and truckdrivers; and the humor and pathos of day-to-day events. The story begins on page 11. Un-numbered pages of photos, described and with captions, are between pages 64 and 65.
Blind but Now I See
by Kent GustavsonFrom the day Doc Watson stepped off the bus in New York City, the North Carolina music legend changed the world forever. His influence has been recognised by presidents and by the heroes of modern music. This is the first comprehensive biography of Doc Watson, with never before released details about the American guitar icons life.
This book includes new interviews with popular musicians: Ben Harper, Michelle Shocked, Warren Haynes, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Tom Paxton, Maria Muldaur, John Cohen, Mike Seeger, Peggy Seeger, Abigail Washburn, Ketch Secor, Marty Stuart, Norman Blake, Tony Rice, Pat Donohue, Peter Rowan, Si Kahn, Tommy Emmanuel, Tony Trischka, Greg Brown, Guy Clark, Don Rigsby, David Grisman, Alice Gerrard, Alan O Bryant, Edgar Meyer, Guy Davis, Jack Lawrence, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, Jean Ritchie, Jerry Douglas, Jonathan Byrd, Larry Long, Paddy Moloney, and many more. . .
A Beacon for the Blind
by Winifred HoltA biography of Henry Fawcett. The story of his life as it is to be told in this book will give ample illustrations of his fortitude and his perseverance.
Say No to the Devil
by Ian ZackWho was the greatest of all American guitarists?
You probably didn't name Gary Davis, but many of his musical contemporaries considered him without peer. Bob Dylan called Davis "one of the wizards of modern music. " Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead--who took lessons with Davis--claimed his musical ability "transcended any common notion of a bluesman. " And the folklorist Alan Lomax called him "one of the really great geniuses of American instrumental music. " But you won't find Davis alongside blues legends Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Despite almost universal renown among his contemporaries, Davis lives today not so much in his own work but through covers of his songs by Dylan, Jackson Browne, and many others, as well as in the untold number of students whose lives he influenced.
The first biography of Davis, Say No to the Devil restores "the Rev's" remarkable story. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with many of Davis's former students, Ian Zack takes readers through Davis's difficult beginning as the blind son of sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South to his decision to become an ordained Baptist minister and his move to New York in the early 1940s, where he scraped out a living singing and preaching on street corners and in storefront churches in Harlem.
There, he gained entry into a circle of musicians that included, among many others, Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, and Dave Van Ronk. But in spite of his tremendous musical achievements, Davis never gained broad recognition from an American public that wasn't sure what to make of his trademark blend of gospel, ragtime, street preaching, and the blues. His personal life was also fraught, troubled by struggles with alcohol, women, and deteriorating health.
Zack chronicles this remarkable figure in American music, helping us to understand how he taught and influenced a generation of musicians.
The Blind Doctor
by Rosalind PerlmanJacob Bolotin was born blind to poor Jewish parents in Chicago in 1888. Rejecting the conventional wisdom of his time, he was determined to "be of use" in the world. He learned Braille and developed an uncanny sense of touch and hearing that would later make him one of the top heart and lung specialists in the city. He fought his way into and through the Chicago College of Medicine, graduated with honors at twenty-four, and became the world's first totally blind physician fully licensed to practice medicine.
Dr. Jacob Bolotin was a pioneer in raising the awareness of the world to the plight of the blind and the need for treating people with disabilities as capable and productive citizens. He died in 1924; he was only thirty-six years old. Five thousand people attended his funeral.
Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes
by Michael GrayEvoking the turbulent past of the subject's time and place, this odyssey to rural Georgia peels back the many layers of Blind Willie McTell's compelling, occasionally shocking, but ultimately uplifting story.
Portraying him as one of the most gifted artists of his generation, this account uncovers the secrets of McTell's ancestry, the hardships he suffered--including being blind from birth--and the successes he enjoyed.
Traveling throughout the South and beyond, this personal and moving journey unearths a lost world of black music, exploring why he drifted in and out of the public eye, how he was "rediscovered" time and again through chance meetings, and why, until now, so little has been written about the life of this extraordinary man.
Part biography, part travelogue, part social history, this atmospheric, unforgettable tale connects the subject's life to the tumultuous sweep of history, exploding every stereotype about blues musicians and revealing a vulnerable milieu of poverty and discrimination, demonstrating that little may have changed in the Deep South, even today.
Blind Justice
by Floyd MatsonThis is the long-awaited biography of Dr. Jacobus ten-Broek, legal scholar, UC Berkeley professor, and leader of the blind movement until his death in 1968.
Dr. Floyd Matson was a long-time collaborator with Dr. ten-Broek, authoring several books together, and perhaps the man who is most familiar with ten-Broek's work, and his life alive today. Dr. ten-Broek, pupil of Dr. Newel Perry, teacher at the California School for the Blind, was present at the creation of the National Federation of the Blind in 1940, and was its spiritual, intellectual, and political leader until ten-Broek's death in 1968.
This is a must-read for all those interested in the man at the center of a movement for over 30 years, whose legacy and inspiration is still felt today among blind activists around the world.
The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist
by Deirdre O'ConnellThe true story of a black musical savant in the era of slavery.
Born into slavery in Georgia, Tom Wiggins died an international celebrity in New York in 1908. His life was one of the most bizarre and moving episodes in American history. Born blind and autistic-and so unable to work with other slaves-Tom was left to his own devices. He was mesmerized by the music of the family's young daughters, and by the time he was four Tom was playing tunes on the piano.
Eventually freed from slavery, Wiggins, or "Blind Tom" as he was called, toured the country and the world playing for celebrities like Mark Twain and the Queen of England and dazzling audiences everywhere. One part genius and one part novelty act, Blind Tom embodied contradictions-a star and a freak, freed from slavery but still the property of his white guardian. His life offers a window into the culture of celebrity and racism at the turn of the twentieth century.
In this rollicking and heartrending book, O'Connell takes us through the life (and three separate deaths) of Blind Tom Wiggins, restoring to the modern reader this unusual yet quintessentially American life.
Vision Dreams
by Anthony CandelaIn this dystopian novella, Anthony Candela, a self-described “Trekker” and “secular humanist”, shows us the extremes to which societies will go if sufficiently frightened, especially if science and technology permit it. Individuals will do likewise in order to achieve, if not happiness, then at least relief from tyranny. In this story, the narrator, who both hovers above the action and is totally immersed in it, tells of the lengths he and his three co-adventurers go to achieve their goals. One wants an even chance at life and, oh yes, to be a star baseball player; another wants to fly. A third seeks true artistic sensuality, and the fourth wants nothing more than the Freudian essentials of success at love and work. Unfortunately the society they live in has hunkered down, devoting nearly all of its resources to self-protection and very little to everyday human comforts—all except for a small group of scientists who appear to be bucking the system.
Ultimately by extraction, this novella increases our understanding of what it means to live in a society that is supportive of its citizens’ daily happiness and humanity. Perhaps after reading it, you will be more on guard against what can happen when nations decide to be hypervigilant. As the plot unfolds, you will see the lengths to which people will go to achieve their humanity. In the midst of the subtle kinds of strife that leads many to live lives of quiet desperation, there are heroes willing to take risks.
Candle in the Window
by Christina DoddLady Saura of Roget lives a lonely life of servitude-her fortune controlled by her cruel, unscrupulous stepfather. Yet it is she who has been called upon to brighten the days of Sir William of Miraval, a proud and noble knight who once swore to live or perish by the sword . . . until his world was engulfed in agonizing darkness. Summoned to Sir William's castle, the raven-haired innocent is soon overcome by desire and love for the magnificent, golden warrior who has quickly laid siege to her heart. But there is grave danger awaiting them both just beyond the castle walls . . . and a dear and deadly price to be paid for surrendering to a fiery, all-consuming love.
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr*NOW A NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES—from producer and director Shawn Levy (Stranger Things) starring Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and newcomer Aria Mia Loberti* Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist, the beloved instant New York Times bestseller and New York Times Book Review Top 10 Book about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure&’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum&’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the Resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure&’s converge. Doerr&’s &“stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors&” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer &“whose sentences never fail to thrill&” (Los Angeles Times).
Blind Fear
by Hilary NormanHeld captive in a dark room in New York State, a young woman is at the mercy of a killer. As guide-dog trainer Joanna finds herself fighting her attraction to blind sculptor Jack Donovan she also begins to feel dangerously unwelcome. Meanwhile, another object of beauty is being stalked ...'Hilary Norman specialises in creepy thrillers and this one is just as gripping as her previous work' Woman's Own
Home Before Dark
by Susan WiggsShe left her child behind, but couldn't let her goAs an irresponsible young mother, Jessie Ryder knew she'd never be able to give her newborn the stable family that her older sister could, and the security her child deserved. So Luz and her husband adopted little Lila and told her Jessie was but a distant aunt.Sixteen years later, having traveled the world with the winds of remorse at her back, Jessie is suspending her photojournalism career to return home-even if it means throwing her sister's world into turmoil.Where life once seemed filled with boundless opportunity, Jessie is now on a journey to redeem her careless past, bringing with her a terrible burden. Jessie's arrival is destined to expose the secrets and lies that barely held her daughter's adoptive family together to begin with, yet the truth can do so much more than just hurt. It can bring you home to a new kind of honesty, shedding its light into the deepest corners of the heart.
Friendship Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
by Lisa Verge HigginsTOP THREE REASONS TO VISIT EUROPE: 1. Explore foreign cultures2. Sample outstanding food3. Desperately flee impending personal crisisLenny left his wife, Monique, a bucket list of things they'd dreamed of doing together before cancer took his life. For four years, she ignored it, too busy raising their daughter to consider the painful task of resurrecting shattered dreams. But when her next-door neighbor, Judy, starts a slow slide into a personal crisis, and another friend, Becky, receives shocking news about her future, Monique realizes that Lenny's legacy could be a gift to three women in desperate need of a new perspective.Whisking her friends away on adventures from London to Paris, from Monaco to Milan, she is determined to follow the bucket list to the letter-until one eventful evening knocks the three friends off the beaten path. Caught up in adventures of their own making, they begin to understand: Sometimes getting lost is the only way to find what you're really looking for.
Cutting Cords
by Mickie B. AshlingWhen Sloan Driscoll and Cole Fujiwara become reluctant roommates, neither man is willing to share too much. Sloan is instantly attracted to Cole but knows it's a hopeless cause; Cole has a steady girlfriend. But one night they share a joint, and Cole opens a window neither anticipated.
A relationship may be impossible--both men are living with heart-breaking secrets. While Sloan is smart, sassy, and a brilliant graphic artist, he's also a pothead with severe body image problems. Cole, a former major league pitcher, has his own personal crisis: he's going blind. Sloan and Cole are suffering on so many levels, they might not realize that the ultimate salvation could be within each other's arms.
Sequence
by Arun LakraTheo has been named Time Magazine's Luckiest Man Alive. For twenty consecutive years he has successfully bet double or nothing on the Super Bowl coin toss. And he's getting ready to risk millions on the twenty-first when he is confronted by Cynthia, a young woman who claims to have figured out his mathematical secret. Stem-cell researcher and professor Dr. Guzman is on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery. She's also learned that one of her students has defied probability to get all 150 multiple-choice questions wrong on his genetics exam, but it's not until he shows up to her office in the middle of the night that she's able to determine if it's simply bad luck. The two narratives intertwine like a fragment of DNA to examine the interplay between logic and metaphysics, science and faith, luck and probability. Belief systems clash, ideas mutate, and order springs from chaos. With razor-sharp wit and playful language, Sequence asks, in our lives, in our universe, and even in our stories, does order matter?