Chronicles of Courage: Very Special Artists [Hardcover]

Jean Kennedy Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 1993

Handicapped members of the Very Special Arts organization discuss how they have been able to enrich their lives through painting, poetry, music, and other artistic pursuits. 10,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With Plimpton ( Out of My League ), Smith--founder of Very Special Arts, which offers people with disabilities opportunities in the arts--presents interviews with artists who lead creative and fulfilling lives despite severe handicaps. Painter Chuck Close is almost totally paralyzed because of a collapsed spinal artery; writer Reynolds Price has been confined to a wheelchair and in constant pain since undergoing radiation treatment for spinal cancer; Jack Hofiss, director of The Elephant Man , became paralyzed after a swimming accident; Michael Naranjo, a sculptor, is blind. In telling their stories, they concentrate on their aspirations and achievements rather than on their disabilities, demonstrating the power of art to help people overcome tremendous odds. Useful appendices include a glossary of terms relating to disabilities, descriptions of the mental and physical impairments that affect some 43 million Americans, an outline of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and lists of disability organizations and programs sponsored by Very Special Arts. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Smith is the founder of Very Special Arts, an organization works to bring enrichment through the arts to people with disabilities. In this book, she and Plimpton interview 24 people about their participation in the arts. Those interviewed range from a blind sculptor to a painter with paranoid schizophrenia. Each interviewee has been changed by the arts, and their stories are inspirational. More than that, though, they promote a commendable attitude of "look what we can do" rather than what we cannot. Some of the artists talk about what it is like to be disabled in a society that has not tried to make itself accessible. Yet there is no self-pity here. These people have taken what was given to them and excelled in their chosen art. Included is a disabilities awareness guide and a list of disability organizations and addresses. Highly recommended for public libraries.
- Lisa J. Cochenet, Rhinelander Dist. Lib., Wis.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 234 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (April 6, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394570030
• ISBN-13: 978-0394570037
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,159,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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