Every issue of New Mobility takes aim at the journalistic
clich? that editor Tim Gilmer calls ‘the inspirational cripple
story.’ Gilmer, a paraplegic who edits the magazine and runs a
10-acre organic farm from the seat of a manual wheelchair, has
little patience for such tired, teary-eyed dispatches. ‘Most of our
writers have disabilities,’ he explains, ‘so we offer an insider
viewpoint.’ That viewpoint-honest, intelligent, and human (as
opposed to superhuman)-is what makes New Mobility such
compelling reading, both for the disabled and for the ‘temporarily
abled’ (that’s the rest of us).
When it comes to the writing, abilities are varied: Many
contributors, says Gilmer, are not professional writers, though
some, like Lorenzo Milam and Harriet McBryde Johnson, are well
known. Regardless, the stories and style are down-to-earth and take
on tough subjects. The mix of voices and perspectives captures the
paradox of life in a wheelchair: It commands time and energy, but
disability doesn’t define every moment. New Mobility
manages to finesse the distinction, demonstrating that a life on
wheels is a rich and complicated one.
Subscriptions: $27.95/yr. (12 issues); 215/675-9133;
www.newmobility.com.
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