The disability experience has, until very recently, been marginalized, stereotyped, and ignored in literature. Now, through the vehicles of nonfiction, poetry, fiction, and drama, Staring Back is the first anthology to open the landscape of the disabled experience for exploration and discussion.The presence of such well-known authors as Lucy Grealy, John Hockenberry, and Marilyn Hacker in this anthology gives immediate lie to the notion that disability is a limitation to insight and productivity. But just as importantly, Staring Back challenges us to look anew at the disabilities of FDR and Matisse; the lives of Helen Keller and Frida Kahlo; the work of Stephen Hawking. It urges us to redefine what is meant by ?cure,? to understand hidden disabilities, and even to find humor in ways that defy our expectations.If there is one theme that binds this diverse body of work, aside from its subject matter, it is the theme of human connection?a connection with the past, with each other, with our bodies, and with ourselves. As Kenny Fries writes in his introduction, ?Throughout history, those who live with disabilities have been silenced by those who did not want to hear what we have to say. We have also been silenced by our own fear...the fear that if we told our stories, people would say, ?See, it isn?t worth it. You would be better off dead.?? Staring Back emphatically demonstrates the power of these writers? stories to overcome that fear and to break that silence.

Drawing on examples from art, media, fashion, history and memoir, cultural critic Rosemarie Garland-Thomson tackles a basic human interaction which has remained curiously unexplored, the human stare. In the first book of its kind, Garland-Thomson defines staring, explores the factors that motivate it, and considers the targets and the effects of the stare. While borrowing from psychology and biology to help explain why the impulse to stare is so powerful, she also enlarges and complicates these formulations with examples from the realm of imaginative culture. Featuring over forty illustrations, Staring captures the stimulating combination of symbolic, material and emotional factors that make staring so irresistible while endeavoring to shift the usual response to staring, shame, into an engaged self-consideration. Elegant and provocative, this unique study advances new ways of thinking about visuality and the body that will appeal to readers who are interested in the overlap between the humanities and human behaviors.

A study on how our eyes function with our brains examines the irrational elements of physical sight and concludes that human seeing transforms both the viewer and the object being viewed.

Drawing on examples from art, media, fashion, history and memoir, the author tackles a basic human interaction which has remained curiously unexplored, the human stare. She defines staring, explores the biological and psychological factors that motivate it, and considers the targets and the effects of the stare.

The Demon Staring Back at Me is a raw and real account of the perils that many face in dealing with toxic relationships. Jesse takes you through his story of real life events in a vulnerable and authentic way. His bravery in sharing his truth is commendable and inspiring as many could relate to his experience in dealing with the crazy-making of narcissistic abuse. His story showcases the real and raw facets of one man's journey in understanding and rebuilding from the grip of darkness. His bravery in sharing his own mistakes and the mechanisms from such as carefully orchestrated tactics to break down his resolve and psyche are truly commendable. His journey is inspiring in what it means to truly find freedom and truth from the chaos of evil.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "[A] poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child's life . . . eloquent and moving."—People "Everything that can be called love -- from shared joy to comfort in the darkness -- is gathered in the pages of this reassuring, refreshingly honest picture book."—The New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice / Staff Picks From the Book Review “Lyrical and sensitive, ‘Love’ is the sort of book likely to leave readers of all ages a little tremulous, and brimming with feeling.”—The Wall Street Journal From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all. "In the beginning there is light and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed and the sound of their voices is love. ... A cab driver plays love softly on his radio while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city and everything smells new, and it smells like life." In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that's soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age.

The dominant narrative of teen pregnancy persuades many people to believe that a teenage pregnancy always leads to devastating consequences for a young woman, her child, and the nation in which they reside. Jenna Vinson draws on feminist and rhetorical theory to explore how pregnant and mothering teens are represented as problems in U.S. newspapers, political discourses, and teenage pregnancy prevention campaigns since the 1970s. Vinson shows that these representations prevent a focus on the underlying structures of inequality and poverty, perpetuate harmful discourses about women, and sustain racialized gender ideologies that construct women’s bodies as sites of national intervention and control. Embodying the Problem also explores how young mothers resist this narrative. Analyzing fifty narratives written by young mothers, the recent #NoTeenShame social media campaign, and her interviews with thirty-three young women, Vinson argues that while the stigmatization of teenage pregnancy and motherhood does dehumanize young pregnant and mothering women, it is at the same time a means for these women to secure an audience for their own messages. More information on the author's website (https://jennavinson.com)