It's exciting for me when someone finds a story in one of my works that's different from that which unfolded for me. This sort of phenomenon precipitates my own growth because it's an opportunity to inhabit someone else's world. So it is with Erin Lynn Marsh's choice to use Affects of Denial to illustrate her newest collection of poetry.
The poems in Disability Isn't Sexy, explore the feelings of longing, vulnerability, and strength that Ms. Marsh experiences as someone who lives in a disabled body. Her poetry, though unique to her experiences, carries within it a reflection of the fears of rejection and alienation we each face as humans. We may not hide a prosthesis in a corner before sharing our bed with someone, but there's probably something we hide about ourselves that limits intimacy in any of our relationships. That Erin wrote plainly about the truth of her life opens my heart, but that she channeled metaphors for our crippled psyches breaks it.
Open your heart and engage your brain. Buy Disability Isn't Sexy through Amazon. You'll be surprised by its relevance to your so called able-bodied life.
