Book Review: Something on Our Minds (Volume 3)Reviewed by Erin M. KellyThe written word is a delicate thing of beauty in the world of poetry and prose. It blooms slowly like a flower when pen is put to paper, so that stories may be born. The third installment of Something on Our Minds—an anthology of stories and poems written by individuals living with chronic illness and disease—offers a vibrant, diverse display of existence highlighted by the strength of the human spirit. This collection awakens the senses in a way that serves as a call for empathy and understanding. It continues to shine a light on both sides of the realm of disease as previous volumes have done—giving the reader an immersive glimpse of what it's like to be the recipient of the internal and external struggle it brings, as well as the one who's on the outside looking in. If a reader were to dive into this—or either of the previous anthologies in this series without knowing that, they'd be catapulted into a world completely different from their own. In this case, Carrillo and the other talented contributors make the fear of the unknown less scary. Thus, readers are granted the freedom of diving into this world created by something horrifying, perhaps take away a new experience and pass these nuggets of wisdom on to someone in need. That alone speaks volumes about the depths in which each author and poet featured in this anthology was willing to go, in hopes that their contribution might help those in similar situations. Albino Carrillo, whose poem entitled, Fire Escape, boldly puts this observation on display as the words from that particular piece of work come alive on the page:
…my body is glass This sets the tone for the rest of the works in the anthology—being part of one of the first two pieces of work featured, but also serves a greater purpose. Carrillo's words speak to the mission of The Accelerated Cure Project—the non-profit organization that the proceeds from the sale of the anthology benefits. Laura Kolaczkowski, Caroline Kyriakou, Sean Mahoney and Tracy Todd, the editors of this latest edition, express their support for the project and its efforts to find advanced treatments and eventual cures for Multiple Sclerosis and other chronic diseases: Many hearts and minds worked together on this edition of Something on Our Minds. Thanks [to] everyone, but especially the writers who allow us into their view of living with a chronic disease. [Our] philosophy is everything that people who live with [MS], and their support partners, is driven by one simple belief: You are more than your MS. The introduction itself gives way to many other examples of the need for empathy, understanding and why it's vital for the anthology to be considered a call for compassion. Thus, pulling the reader further into the world of the writer. Such examples of this include Kim Dolce's short story, "A Kiss Before the Falling: The Noir of MS. " In the second paragraph of the story, Dolce explains that a noir is a deep, dark form of storytelling, and a "MacGuffin" is a plot device used to motivate characters and propel a narrative forward. She uses these literary devices to craft an intimate portrait depicting the journey of life with MS for herself and others as a whole and writes: We are redefining our MacGuffin as being more than a cure, because it now includes restoration and rejuvenation in the form of severe damage repair and disability reversal. It's just the stuff dreams are made of, anyway. If we're going to dream, why not dream really, really big? Dolce follows this up with a chilling but beautiful quote from Raymond Chandler's crime novel, The Big Sleep, which reads: "You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you would attack or where your victims would fall." There's a subtle switch from this point on, in the sense that the writers focus on the inner strength MS gives them. This provides a platform for contributors like Angela Allen to talk about what they can do, rather than what they can't. It not only challenges the reader to have a moment of selflessness and put themselves in the writer's shoes, but it also ties in with the ongoing theme of compassion and empathy. Allen's contribution to the anthology, "The Wheelchair Cruise", offers a simple yet stunning look at life—and what one is left with— when everything is seemingly stripped away:
I can't drive a car Allen's work in particular is a reminder that the human race is the same in many aspects. We're all made of flesh and bone, we all have weaknesses and we all need help sometimes. She—as well as all the writers who contributed to this body of work—writes in a way that makes disability feel beautiful, almost elegant. It never feels as though the writers had to research anything, because they live with what they're writing about. By the same token, they don't write in a manner that lends itself to pity. Nor does their writing ask readers to feel pity for them. That's a genuine breath of fresh air in the realm of disability writing, because that kind of attention to detail is rare. It's also important because of the fact that disabled writers have the opportunity to showcase their talent and ability—not just in this anthology, but in disability literature in general. In essence, it's a reminder that on the other side of struggle and hardship, there's something good and positive. Others will take notice and respond to that. When that happens, the human race will be one step closer to making the world a better place. If anything, those who read this anthology will get a profound glimpse of humanity. Even if readers don't have a chronic disease themselves—or if they serve as a caretaker for someone who has one, they'll be able to relate to these stories and some way because they possess the very essence of what makes us all human. Erin M. Kelly is a writer, columnist, and Social Justice Editor at The Good Men Project. She was born with Cerebral Palsy and wants to be recognized for her work rather than her disability. Her work has been published by The Huffington Post, The Good Men Project Wordgathering Poetry Journal, XoJane, and Oberon Magazine She's a 2009 graduate of Penn State Altoona, majoring in Letters, Arts and Sciences. During her senior year, she was hired as a columnist for The Altoona Mirror. Her column entitled, “The View from Here,” runs monthly and addresses the challenges she faces on a daily basis. She has also had the honor of editing several published works by various authors. Writing is her window to the world giving her the opportunity to bring what's inside out.
Title: Something on Our Minds (volume 3)
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