So much to say on the book “There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness” by M. Leona Godin and published by Pantheon Books. There’s so much to say that we could have had a seven hour discussion on all the themes and stories about blindness throughout history and in our culture today.

On this special, slightly extended three-segmented episode of Outlook, we were three this week with our friend Barry Toner, Zooming in with us all the way from Ireland and returning for a forth appearance with us on the podcast. We three blind friends had a ball on this one talking Braille and braille (the man/inventor himself and the system of reading he created), about how we’ll never be taken seriously as romantic partners because blind people are thought all to need looking after, and one of us even reveals a new appreciation of the woman Helen Keller was, thanks to Godin’s insightful chapter on the woman’s legacy and the woman she was and wasn’t permitted to be in her day.

From talk of magic mushrooms and the author’s punk style with performing and other art forms to some more academic chapters with literature and science and philosophy - a little something for everyone. And let us, in this episode, tell you a bit about what we thought of the book and its themes, to hopefully entice as many readers to pick up the book as possible.

We talk everything from the chapter “Braille and His Invention” to “Helen Keller in Vaudeville and In Love” and yet what of all us blind people in the middle ground of it all? See us and understand that we are here and the majority of our minority group, while it’s those few famous blind people everyone hears about which makes it harder to live blind in the world. We fight stigma every day more than the blindness itself.

How two of us on this week’s Outlook On Radio Western know and love braille and the third didn’t learn. The Braille chapter shows this divide in the blindness community, but reasons aren’t so simple and often coming from other external sources. There’s more than one way to read, Braille requiring practice like reading print.

Co-host Kerry starts it all off by asking Brian and Berry to use one word to describe what it is that they each see, blackness being so far from the world most of us blind people exist in. Outlooks and perspectives, lived experience is what we champion here on Outlook with every episode we record. And there’s even a Pulp reference thrown in this one somewhere so listen closely, if you just happen to be a fan of their music.

So join us for this pulpy episode, if you dare. So much to comment on, on blindness and this versatile handbook for students and professors, one we three all agree should be required reading on college/university course reading lists, for any and all blindness rehabilitation workers and anyone who’s a part of the healthcare system. Oh, and don’t forget the politicians.

The three of us read it to be ready to record this one and now we recommend you read it too. You should read it if you’re blind and if you’re not. And check out this There Plant Eyes discussion episode for more of the fun we three had at our book club meeting over Zoom.

Purchase the hardcover, audio, or e-book here:

https://bookshop.org/books/there-plant-eyes-a-personal-and-cultural-history-of-blindness-9781643589664/9781524748715

And if you haven’t had a chance yet, read this incredible interview co-host Kerry put together with Leona for literary magazine The Rumpus:

https://therumpus.net/2021/08/the-rumpus-interview-with-m-leona-godin/