F124.
Writing and Intellectual Disability: An Inclusive Panel
Friday, February 9, 2024
9:00 am to 10:15 am
Each of the published writers on this panel has written about a family member with Down syndrome, and each of us will speak to the ethical and aesthetic complications of that process. But our panel will also include two of those family members: Laura Estreich and Sophie Stern, who will discuss their lives and advocacy. With this shared approach, we hope to trace links between advocacy, activism, and writing, showing that all can spring from—and foster—a common wish for connection.
Participants
Melissa Hart's writing has appeared in Smithsonian, Slate, CNN, Orion, The Advocate, the New York Times, and many other publications. She's the author of seven books including the forthcoming Down Syndrome Out Loud. She teaches for the MFA program in creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University and lives in Oregon. melissahart.com
George Estreich is the author of The Shape of the Eye: A Memoir and Fables and Futures: Biotechnology, Disability, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves. He teaches in the MFA program at Oregon State University.
Amy Silverman is a journalist, teacher and memoir writer in her hometown, Phoenix. She's executive producer for KJZZ/NPR's The Show and has contributed to This American Life, STAT, ProPublica, Lit Hub, Lenny Letter, Slate, The Forward, NYT, Washington Post, and more. See her work at amy-silverman.com
Laura Estreich
Sophie Stern
