author seeking stories

Calling All Short Bus Riders

“Right or wrong, to be different is to be distinguished”

—Henry Darger

One 25 year old author of Learning Outside the Lines (Simon & Schuster) (dyslexic, hyperactive, inattentive, as well as numerous yet to be discovered deficits and disorders, the kid who grew up hiding in the bathroom terrified of reading out loud, now an ivy league graduate, writer, lecturer, and disabled activist) seeking crips tards spazzes freaks and any other liminal beings for a cross country journey in a converted short special ed bus…

I am writing to ask for your help in soliciting stories for a new writing project entitled The Short Bus Story: A Journey Beyond Normal to be published by Henry Holt and Co. in the fall of 2004. The Short Bus Story is a work of creative non-fiction, part travel literature, part memoir, part oral history, a hybrid of Oliver Sacks and a disabled William Heat Moon. For this project I have converted a special ed bus (the short bus) into a living space. In the spring of 2003, I am going to criss-cross the country in this converted short bus to explore disabled culture and our social and institutional ideas of normalcy and deviance through personal stories of people with disabilities. While I have the short bus and my route is slowly coming into focus, the most important element of the project is the disabled individuals’ personal narratives. I am writing to solicit from you any short bus stories you are willing to share from either your personal or professional life.

I am seeking a wide range of stories. There are no restrictions on types of disabilities, ages, or gender. I am looking for stories that explore a range of social themes—stories that touch upon our country’s secret history of eugenics and forced sterilization laws, stories that focus on the poverty that many disabled individuals live in, and stories of disabled artists, entrepreneurs, and innovators. In short, I am looking for any and all short bus stories that bring to life the uniqueness, humanity, and beauty of disabled culture.

While the exploration of the social construct of disability and normalcy is the heart of this book, the project’s goal is take the reader on a journey that I hope will teach us all something more about being human. I am looking for stories that bear witness to the human struggle to embrace cognitive and physical diversity. Stories that will empower all readers, whether they are disabled or not, to celebrate the freak we all have inside but often cover up out of shame, fear and punishment. My goal is for The Short Bus Story to be a glimpse into and a celebration of the painful duality of human existence that links life to death, health to sickness, redemption to suffering, and deviance to the human condition.

If you are interested, or know someone who is, there is no need to submit written stories. All that is needed to be considered is a short written description of the narrative—(Or if writing is not the preferred mode of communication, you are welcome to submit a cassette recording of a story). The written description should include any details and anecdotes that the individual sees fit. If a story is selected to be a part of the project, the individual will be interviewed by me during my travels in the short bus, and their story will be re-told and dramatically re-created. In effect, each story will read like short fiction, not interviews. At that point the individual will sign a release that waves their rights for financial compensation for their story as well as any editorial discretion over the final use of their story. If requested, the participant’s identity and confidentiality would be protected in the final publication.

Short bus stories can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to this address:
Jonathan Mooney
Ansonia Finance Station
P.O. Box 230598
New York, NY 10023

I want to thank you up-front for taking time out of your busy life to support this project. The Short Bus Story is about giving voice to silenced minorities and celebrating these beautiful stories. In the Spring of 2003, my short yellow bus, long a trope representing physical and cognitive deficits, will roll across the landscape of 21st century America, transformed. This is a vehicle of change. Be part of a journey into the paradoxes and borders of the human mind and body. Be part of a journey beyond normal. Send your stories and come for a ride on the short bus.