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My Heart Is Not Blind: On Blindness and Perception
My Heart Is Not On Blindness and Perception
is a collection of stunning portraits of blind and visually impaired people taken by photographer Michael Nye. Each image is accompanied by an intimate story told by the subject concerning his or her experiences and unique perspective.
The causes of vision loss range from genetic predispositions (retinitis pigmentosa) or disease (glaucoma) to external circumstances such as accidents (struck by a train) or violence (gunshot wound). The people in this diverse group differ not only in their particular conditions and losses but also in their cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Taken as a whole, however, the accounts of adapting to changing modes of perception are bound by a common theme of resilience, revealed in shared reactions and unexpected insights.
The subjects depicted in My Heart Is Not Blind share their experiences and unique perspectives in a personal narratives that accompany their respective portraits. Most speak of the transition from sight to vision loss, and how that has changed--and not changed--their ability to perceive the surrounding world. Some question the classification of blindness as a disability. One participant proposes that blindness may, in some ways, even aid in perception, musing, "if you can always see the sun, you can never discover the stars."
My Heart Is Not Blind offers a window into the world of the blind and visually impaired, revealing surprising similarities and fascinating differences alongside compelling accounts of survival, adaptation, and heightened understanding. The collection invites us to reconsider what we think we know about blindness in order to gain a deeper understanding of vision and perception.
The causes of vision loss range from genetic predispositions (retinitis pigmentosa) or disease (glaucoma) to external circumstances such as accidents (struck by a train) or violence (gunshot wound). The people in this diverse group differ not only in their particular conditions and losses but also in their cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Taken as a whole, however, the accounts of adapting to changing modes of perception are bound by a common theme of resilience, revealed in shared reactions and unexpected insights.
The subjects depicted in My Heart Is Not Blind share their experiences and unique perspectives in a personal narratives that accompany their respective portraits. Most speak of the transition from sight to vision loss, and how that has changed--and not changed--their ability to perceive the surrounding world. Some question the classification of blindness as a disability. One participant proposes that blindness may, in some ways, even aid in perception, musing, "if you can always see the sun, you can never discover the stars."
My Heart Is Not Blind offers a window into the world of the blind and visually impaired, revealing surprising similarities and fascinating differences alongside compelling accounts of survival, adaptation, and heightened understanding. The collection invites us to reconsider what we think we know about blindness in order to gain a deeper understanding of vision and perception.
- GenresPhotography
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2019
About the author
Michael Nye
13 books44 followersMichael Nye is the author of three books: the short-story collection STRATEGIES AGAINST EXTINCTION, the novel ALL THE CASTLES BURNED, and his forthcoming collection UNTIL WE HAVE FACES (Turner Publishing, 2020).
He attended the Ohio State University, where he graduated with a B.A. in English, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he earned his M.F.A. in creative writing.
His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in American Literary Review, Boulevard, Cincinnati Review, Crab Orchard Review, Epoch, Kenyon Review, New South, Sou’wester, and South Dakota Review, among many others. His work has been a finalist for the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in fiction and nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
He lives with his family in Columbus, Ohio, and is the editor-in-chief of Story.
He attended the Ohio State University, where he graduated with a B.A. in English, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he earned his M.F.A. in creative writing.
His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in American Literary Review, Boulevard, Cincinnati Review, Crab Orchard Review, Epoch, Kenyon Review, New South, Sou’wester, and South Dakota Review, among many others. His work has been a finalist for the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in fiction and nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
He lives with his family in Columbus, Ohio, and is the editor-in-chief of Story.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 21, 2022
My heart is not blind is a collection of stories of everyday people who all have visual impairment. What I love is that for each individual there were photos of those individuals. What I personally wished for people who do not suffer from any form of visual impairment is that total blindness is not the only kind of visual impairment out there. There are different kinds such as tunnel vision, partially blindness , loss of Peripheral (Side) Vision, Blurred Vision and so much more. As someone who is partially blindness, it can affect my reaction to things that require sight thus I may have a delayed reaction to visual cues at least for me.
December 22, 2021
This book has changed my understanding on what life can feel like with a visual impairment. Even more, it’s made me think more about how we connect to people and all of the beautiful and profound non-visual parts of our experiences. While not a new book this was my favorite book I read in 2021 by far.
July 17, 2019
The content of the stories I read was good. The narrator, however, was terrible. This is why the book only got 1 Star. I would not recomend the NLS BARD audio version.
September 14, 2019
very good book. varying perspectives on blindness, visual impairment and the public's perception of people with disabilities.
April 22, 2019
Absolutely a must read. Wonderful perceptions and views on blindness from the non-visual among us.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews