PUTNEY — The work of Putney writer Toni Ortner appears in the current issue of Kaleidoscope: Exploring the Experience of Disability through Literature and the Fine Arts.
Ortner's poem, “Weather of the Heart,” appears in issue 83, “Global Perspectives.” The work was selected from more than 400 submissions.
A college teacher of English and a writer who has had 26 books published by small presses, her books include Daybook I Deerbrook Editions (2019) and Giving Myself Over to J.S. Bach (2018).
“I write honestly about the experiences I have and what I observe,” she said in a news release, “and hope my words connect with my readers and bring them some measure of joy or comfort.”
The award-winning Kaleidoscope magazine, available at no cost at KaleidoscopeOnline.org, has been published by United Disability Services in Akron, Ohio for more than 40 years.
A pioneer in the genre of disability literature and fine arts, the magazine expresses the experiences of disability from the perspective of individuals, families, friends, caregivers, and health care professionals.
As described in the news release, “The material chosen for Kaleidoscope challenges and overcomes stereotypical, patronizing, and sentimental attitudes about disability.”