“Rare is the child, or adult for that matter, who doesn’t wonder what it would be like to lose a sense. I was six or seven the first time I wondered—lying on my stomach in the front yard of our house in San Mateo, the grass cool, prickling against my bare belly, the light stippling through the leaves of the elms that ringed our yard and round a circle of children, siblings and friends, heads close together, whispering,
‘What would you rather be: deaf or blind?'”
Enjoy this audio recording of “The Sublime Edge of Absence” by Theresa Anne Padden from Vol. 34:3 of CALYX Journal! Buy your copy here!
Theresa Anne Padden writes essay, memoir, and poetry exploring disability, pain, and resilience. Her essay, “Touch is the Mother,” published in Minerva Rising Press, was nominated for Best of the Web. Other work can be found in Still Point Arts Quarterly and through LitCamp writers community in San Francisco, CA.
1 Comment
I love hearing your voice, Theresa. Your thoughtful choice of words and imagery are comforting and evocative. Thank you for sharing your memories and observations.
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