Literary love for "Good Eye, Bad Eye"

Chapter 8 lauded in memoir contest

I’m pleased to share this news: A chapter from Good Eye, Bad Eye has garnered some accolades, even before we start the serialization of the book on June 1.

Streetlight, a Virginia-based literary magazine founded more than 20 years ago, runs an essay/memoir contest every winter. Back in February I entered their contest, submitting a slightly altered version of Chapter 8, “Blindsided.” I knew it was one of the more disturbing chapters of my memoir, so I hoped it would capture the judge’s attention.

Earlier this week Streetlight announced the contest winners, and … lo and behold! “Blindsided” won second place. Given how many entries literary magazines typically receive for these contests, I was thrilled.

Chapter 8, the prize-winning essay, is about my stuff-of-nightmares visit to a rural DMV office, where I failed the vision test because of my one blind eye. That had never happened before in my decades of driving—and being licensed in several states, despite my “monocular” status. You can guess how I reacted when I was told that I couldn’t get my driver’s license that day. It wasn’t pretty.

The scene of the shame

What you might not guess is what happened afterwards: how it turned into a war of wills, how my civil rights were violated in a most ugly way, how I was forced to do something that dredged up every painful, shame-soaked shred of my trauma history. It’s a story of how people with physical impairments are routinely marginalized, how the Americans with Disabilities Act can’t always protect us from discrimination.

Here’s what the editor at Streetlight had to say about my submission:

“… a precisely written story … this essay is admirably personal and evocative of the struggle to deal with a world that has trouble accommodating difference.”

Writing this chapter brought up awful memories—but it also felt empowering to put the story out there. That’s how it is when you speak your truth, right?

“Blindsided” will be published in the summer 2024 issue of Streetlight. And if you become a paid subscriber to Good Eye, Bad Eye, you’ll read it right here, when our once-a-week serialization gets to Week 8. Stay tuned!

Reminder: Only free subscriptions to “Good Eye, Bad Eye” are currently available. If you subscribe now, you’ll have access to all my posts throughout April and May. On June 1, when the first chapter of the book drops, I’ll open up the paid subscription option. At that time, if you upgrade your sub to paid, you’ll receive a new chapter each week. The serialization will span four months, June through September.