PRESS RELEASE
Happy Louis Braille Day!
Today we are releasing the digital editions of OUTSIDE MYSELF by Kristen Witucki.
OUTSIDE MYSELF illuminates blindness to the sighted
world, and will feed a hungry reading market of young blind readers—at no
cost—through audiobooks and braille distributed by Bookshare and Learning ALLY;
Kirkus Reviews calls it “A human, humane, and uplifting story.”
Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author
reviews OUTSIDE MYSELF: “It is so refreshing to encounter people with
disabilities in a story who are not merely heroic. Ultimately, these are heroic
individuals as agents in their own lives, but they are not ‘brave blind
people.’”
JANUARY 4, 2018 — Deadwood, OR
— OUTSIDE MYSELF is a YA novel that focuses on Tallie, a teen girl struggling
to adjust to her blindness, and Benjamin, an older gentleman who works in a
library for the blind; each has a compelling story about negotiating the
sighted world.
Told from two perspectives, this book provides insight on
life for blind individuals before and after the ADA. The National Federation of
the Blind states that over seven million Americans have visual disabilities; this
novel presents some of their unique experiences while bridging the reader to
the feelings of isolation and interconnection of humanity without resorting to
miracles or pity. Currently there are a half-million print-disabled students
reached by Learning ALLY and Bookshare who will receive access to this novel.
Suzanne Kamata, author of the empowering
disability-centric GADGET GIRL reviews, “Rich in sensory detail, this story
offers rare and authentic insight into navigating the world without sight, but
it’s really about loneliness and making connections and being human.” Anna
Swenson, author of BEGINNING WITH BRAILLE reviews, “OUTSIDE MYSELF is a
powerful narrative about adolescent angst and the ability of a mentor to change
lives, including his own.” Nicole Haroutunian, author of SPEED DREAMING and
advocate for young girls, reviews,“... experience blindness—and its confluence
with race, religion, education, illness, friendship, and family—in separate,
yet intersecting ways.”
Author Kristen Witucki has been totally blind since
birth. She earned a BA in English from Vassar College in 2004 with a minor in
German and certification to teach students in grades 7-12. She followed it with
three Masters degrees: an MA in teaching gifted students from Teachers College,
Columbia University, (2006); an MFA in the creative writing of fiction from
Sarah Lawrence College, (2008); and an Ed.M in teaching students who are blind
or visually impaired from Dominican College, (2011). While in school, Witucki
earned her living at Learning Ally, where she helped people with visual
impairments, dyslexia, and other disabilities to access technology related to
reading audio books. Kristen acted as a
writer and editor for Learning Ally’s College Success Curriculum for students
who are blind or have visual impairments. Learn more at kristenwitucki.com.
Accessible editions will be made available to over 500,000
students with print disabilities through Learning ALLY and Bookshare. The
National Library Service has libraries in every region of the country for
people who are blind and hosts worldwide Book Clubs—OUTSIDE MYSELF has discussion
questions for book club members, and aims to be part of the NLS program “That
ALL May Read” providing braille and audiobook copies to the library system, with
outreach through Ability Magazine,
National Federation of the Blind, the American Council of the Blind, and Exceptional Parent magazine—to provide rich
content for parents of blind children, educators, writers for state affiliates
of national organizations, as well as state agencies for the blind, caregivers,
physicians, therapists, nurses, and virtually every professional society and
lay organization serving persons with print disabilities.
# # #
OUTSIDE MYSELF by Kristen
Witucki, ISBN: 978-1-942545-97-2 $25 Library Edition Hardcover, ISBN:
978-1-942545-99-6 $15 Softcover Edition, Available in multiple ebook formats,
audiobook and braille (Bookshare), 232 pages, Pub Date: March 6, 2018;
YA06000/YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Books & Libraries, YAF037000/ YOUNG ADULT
FICTION/Loners & Outcasts, YAF058070/ YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Social Themes/Disabilities
& Special Needs, YAF058150/YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Social Themes/ New
Experience, YAF058220/YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Social Themes/Self-Esteem &
Self-Reliance; Distributed by Ingram, Follett, Coutts, Bertrams, and Gardners.
Wyatt-MacKenzie in Deadwood, Oregon celebrates 20 years of indie publishing in
2018.
