Guess who’s heading to wine country?

This time next week Mike, Whitney and I will be on our way to California. Mendocino, to be exact: I was awarded a grant to attend the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference (MCWC) from August 2 to August 5, 2018.

I was flattered – and surprised – to receive the grant. Flattered, since it means I will be in the midst of so many talented writers there. Surprised, because the grant I received is a “Voices of Diversity” grant, and having a disability is not always regarded as an element of diversity.

While I’m in workshops, Mike’s going to get a nice dose of scenery.

I’ve written about the time Court Theater in Chicago asked me to be a consultant for their production of Wait Until Dark – the actress playing the Audrey Hepburn role wasn’t blind in real life, and they needed someone to show them the ropes.

During the first rehearsal we just sat in a circle so I could answer questions. Cast members wanted to know how I do certain things without being able to see, and what it feels like to be blind. When the actress playing the Audrey Hepburn role asked me if I think the friends I’ve made since I lost my sight are different from the friends I made when I could still see, I had to give it some thought. “I think some of the friends I’ve met since I lost my sight were surprised to find out they actually like me,” I finally said. “Some people, I think, were drawn to me because I was a kind of novelty.”

Another cast member added an important detail. “And then, when they get to know you, they’re surprised to find out there’s more to you than being blind, am I right?” I nodded, and the actor laughed. “You’re telling our story,” he said, explaining that he was one of many of the actors in this production of Wait Until Dark who was Black. The woman playing the Audrey Hepburn character was Filipina. A supporting actress was Hispanic.

Who knew?

The Mendocino Coast Writers Conference Voices of Diversity grant is awarded once a year to “writers from an underrepresented group on the basis of age, ethnicity, sexual identity, disability, social or cultural background.” Being around people from different backgrounds exposes us to all sorts of viewpoints, and in the case of a conference for writers, that’s key. Hearing from people with ideas and perspectives we may not have considered before gives us all more to ponder –and to write about. I am grateful to the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference for the honor –and the privilege — of attending the conference next week.

Now, what to pack?