On the Blink

Consider how my light is spent

  • a plea for exceptional students and those who believe in them

    Dear Commissioner Robinson and the members of the Florida Board of Education, I write to you today, filled with concern for your upcoming decision to assign grades to Jacksonville’s “center schools” – Mt. Herman and Alden Road. I implore you to consider the far-reaching consequences of such a decision, consequences that will not only affect…

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  • “Still Water”: Thoughts on blindness and nature-writing

    I wrote this last year when I was TA-ing for an Ecocriticism seminar and thought I would post it here. I want to explore these issues further. September 4, 2011 “Cry of shore-bird and crash of surf were the sounds of the edge of the land—the edge of the sea” (Carson 139). Living in the…

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  • “The Blind Leading the Blind”: Watch your language.

    I’m standing in the hallway, talking to J and K, two girls from class. J and I stand, enthusiastically discussing the merits of “Downton Abbey” while K, seated against the wall, reviews the 40-page article we had to read. A lull in our conversation gives me the opportunity to notice two guys standing just behind…

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  • Heightened Senses: Smells (Part 1)

    There’s a popular theory that when one of your senses is diminished, the other four (let’s call them four for now, but we can debate this later) are heightened, accentuated, incalculably brightened in some way. So I’ll be devoting a series of entries to exploring this phenomenon in completely un-medical terms, as it relates to…

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  • Time for introductions

    I’d like to welcome you to my literary corner of cyberspace. It’s not very big and not very well decorated, so I hope you don’t mind roughing it. I’m Emily, and I’ll be bringing you tales of my experiences – insightful, venturesome, and reflective encounters that offer you a version of my reality. I can…

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  • Cautionary tales

    I’ve been contemplating the idea of starting a blog for a while now, but I had no clue what my first entry should be about. And now, thanks to an overzealous sign, I know where to begin. Picture me traveling down hallways, carpeted in some drab, un-luxurious material – (my friend tells me it’s blue)…

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About Me

Emily K. Michael is a blind poet, musician, and writing instructor. She serves as the poetry editor for Wordgathering at Syracuse University. She is also a poetry mentor in AWP’s Writer to Writer program. Her work focuses on music, embodiment, teaching, and ecology. Emily is passionate about birds, medieval history, singing, and guide dogs.

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