"Close Only Counts in Hand Grenades and Horseshoes"

I pried a form rejection slip for an essay adapted from my memoir -- Seven Wheelchairs: A Life beyond Polio. The short piece was titled "Magic Carpet Ride," and it was the third, fourth, or fifth rejection from The Southern Review.

On the other hand, another adapted-from piece, "Down Here," received a more encouraging response from AGNI.

Dear Gary Presley,

Thank you for giving AGNI the opportunity to read your work. We found the writing lively and interesting and enjoyed reading it. After careful consideration, we've decided that this manuscript isn't right for us, but please consider sending other work in the future.

This is not our customary rejection slip.

Kind regards,
The Editors

I suppose the question becomes, "Should I send "Magic Carpet Ride" to AGNI and "Down Here" to The Southern Review?

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"The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose." - Kahlil Gibran

The Galley Proofs Have Arrived!

... have arrived, and ...

• I like the design.
• My wife wants another person added to the Acknowledgments.
• Word about Seven Wheelchairs: A Life beyond Polio appeared on the website of The David Lawrence Show, "Pop culture, technology and humor, served up nightly from LA."

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I left the galley proofs on the bed and journeyed to the kitchen for lunch yesterday. Kitty, the Boston bulldog, read the Acknowledgments and learned her name was missing.

One of whom is the multi-published essayist, Dawn Goldsmith.

A few days ago she wrote me "Are you familiar with Barbara Ehrenreich and her political commentary "Nickel and Dimed" is one of her books. I sent a note to her website suggesting that she might be interested in reading your book and writing about the topic, too. And she actually responded. Brief "thank you, yadda yadda" but maybe she'll do something on it. I don't know if you want to offer her an advanced copy or not. Here's what I wrote to her:"

Do you ever consider writing about people with disabilities and the difficulties they face each day? A new memoir to be released this fall: Seven Wheelchairs by Gary Presley gives such insight into the life of someone struck with polio as he enters manhood and spends the next 50 years fighting his way back. He finds his place in a world that ignores people with disabilities or only see the disability and not the person. The book is published by University of Iowa Press.

My husband now fights for his life and quality of life against the insidious disease, ALS. He is fortunate in that his disease is slow to progress. Most die within six years of diagnosis and quality of life declines so rapidly that by the time Medicare approves the wheelchair, it is too late for the person to use it.

Gary has been helpful guiding us through the world of the disabled. So much we never considered. A wheelchair to get around -- that seems reasonable. So, how do you open doors from one? How do you close them? How do you get through power doors? What to do when it gets stuck. What to do in Chili's restaurant with a wheelchair or a cane or inability to stand or scoot in and out of a chair ... What to do when someone complains almost to your face about allowing motorized carts at a park or venue. Or say to a companion, "Well, if he'd taken care of himself, he wouldn't be needing a wheelchair ..."

Just a thought for future blogs. I've written a little bit on my blog about ALS, and Gary if you're interested.

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• Dawn's blog
• Ehrenreich's blog

ADVANCE for Respiratory Managers, the Magazine

I was interviewed for an article in this professional magazine, and I managed a mention of the forthcoming Seven Wheelchairs: A Life beyond Polio. The influence of poliomyelitis is gradually decreasing in our society, thankfully. On the other hand, many medical professionals have never experienced contact with someone who has had polio. This article may help.

Gary Presley always had a kinetic spirit. He could go to a concert, throw back a couple beers, and dash to work bright-eyed the next day. Around 1985, life seemed to catch up with him.

Presley, a polio survivor, was in his 40s and worked as an office manager at a Missouri insurance firm. He found himself dozing at his desk and constantly felt as if he just finished a marathon in his wheelchair. His family doctor said it might be heart disease and prescribed furosemide, a diuretic, for his edema.

• The full article here in ADVANCE for Managers of Respiratory Care

No Legs? No Problem!

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius won his appeal before The Court of Arbitration for Sport today. The 21-year-old South African can compete for a place in the Beijing Olympics. He is now eligible to race against able-bodied athletes, overturning a ban imposed by the IAAF.

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• Image (Andreas Solaro/Getty Images)
• Fox Sports on MSN complete story

ASL Video Podcast

"The first ever video podcast in American Sign Language is being launched today on the Disability Law Lowdown website . The Disability Law Lowdown ASL podcasts will bring a new level of service to the Deaf community by expanding traditional audio-only podcasts to include video that allows subscribers too see native Deaf speakers signing the show's content. The podcasts will deliver the latest in disability law information every other week via American Sign Language, captioning, voice-over, and transcripts to maximize accessibility. Free subscriptions to the ASL podcasts are available to have shows automatically delivered to MP3 players."

Exploring the Electronic Amazon

The memoir -- SEVEN WHEELCHAIRS: A Life beyond Polio -- is currently available for pre-order via Amazon.

The University of Iowa Press has mailed the Fall Catalog, but it is not yet on-line.