Q & A with Dr. Wilde
on
Question:
Why did you want to write The Disability Journey?
Dr. John Wilde: For the past decade I've had a passion to
write a book about disabilities that gives folks guidance they can immediately
apply to life . . . and I wanted to offer something that says it is possible to
live a fulfilling life, even with a disability. Because it seems to me there's
so much dissatisfaction with how to navigate complex disability laws and, at
the same time, make a path toward getting services, there was no turning back
once I got started on this project. Further, teaching my course titled "Perspectives
on Disability Rights" at City College of San Francisco, served to stress
the need for a book that could be used as an accessible disability information
resource, while also doubling as a textbook.
Q: What
disability-related books do you view as being similar to yours?
Dr. Wilde: This is not an easy question because the reader of
my book quickly realizes that each of the 14 chapters in The Disability
Journey is a topic onto itself. I am not familiar with a comparable book
approach, unless you consider edited handbooks with closely related topics
written by several authors. Given that, I'd say the following texts are
probably nearest to what I present for my readers: A Handbook of Disability
Studies by Gary L. Albrecht; Accommodations in Higher Education under
the Americans with Disabilities Act: A No-Nonsense Guide for Clinicians,
Educators, Administrators, and Lawyers edited by M. Gordon and S. Keiser; Perspectives
on Disability by Mark Nagler; and Career Counseling for People with
Disabilities by Karen Wolffe.
Q: In your
book you mention that you've been in the disability profession for almost
thirty years. What do you see as the one accomplishment you are most proud of?
Dr. Wilde: Getting called by the United Nations in 2001 to
write a report for the Chinese government that I titled "A
Comparative Study on Disability Laws of China and the USA." Certainly,
other milestones have come along, like seeing so many students whom I have had
the chance to work with go on to great success. But, knowing that at least a
billion people will be affected by that report still gives me goose bumps even
today.
Q: Why do
you think you are qualified to write a book like The Disability Journey?
Dr. Wilde: This is such an important question I decided to
fully address it within Chapter 3. Both my own background as someone with a
disability, together with growing up in the midst of so much adversity,
probably together played a big part in me finally getting this book off the
ground. Sure, there are many folks who are also highly qualified to write a
book like The Disability Journey, but the topic requires a great deal of
intimate awareness, attention to detail, and unremitting resolve in order to
finally get the information into the hands of readers. Furthermore, in my
website http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jwilde
I do the best I can to spell out why I am committed to this profession.
Q: Say, for
example, I was caring for a loved-one who is living with a disability. What
would I get from your book?
Dr. Wilde: I tell readers that The Disability Journey
is about making things happen in one's life; changing what you think about
disabilities; changing what you define as your rights and responsibilities; and
changing what you think about your capabilities. This book is especially for
those with a life road that is so difficult, forward movement seems almost at a
standstill. Because I have found that people are frustrated by systems that add
layers of oppressive and bureaucratic insensitivity, inflexibility, and
inefficiency to simple solutions, I wrote The Disability Journey to
offer guidance. The book is especially for those seeking emotional support and
skill-building advice to achieve their goals.
Q: How did
you go about selecting your ideas for each chapter?
Dr. Wilde: I'm often asked where the ideas for my chapters
came from. The answer is that I have to describe what I think of my
responsibility as a professional in the disability arena: To give my readers
the most useful information in an easy-to-read format is my intent. In
writing this book, that meant that, rather than looking through newspapers or
magazines or journals for inspiration, I spent most of my time during the early
preparation stage, reflecting on my many conversations with persons with a
disability, and disability advocates, and people who care for a person with a
disability.
Q: How did
you get The Disability Journey into print?
Dr. Wilde: Most important to my own unique writing style and
independent determination, I knew I wanted to undertake the publishing phase in
a non-traditional way. After a good amount of research, it was clear that
self-publication was the way to go. I chose iUniverse because they had the best
commitment to making sure that we jointly created a quality product.
Q: Did
writing The Disability Journey come easily to you? Did you revise much?
Dr. Wilde: I wouldn't say it came easily to me, but I did
enjoy doing it big time. On most days, I looked forward to writing. However,
because the chapters were meant to stand alone, it felt like each time I began
a chapter, I was starting a new book. That was the hardest part of the process.
It was as if each chapter demanded a different part of my brain. As for
revisions, I did plenty of that. Fortunately, the people who offered their
valuable professional and personal expertise in the reviews showed me how to
refine each revision to make sure I was getting to my target (I liberally thank
each of them in the preface).
Q: Where
did you do your writing?
Dr. Wilde: For some reason, I feel most comfortable writing on
a laptop in coffee shops. One time I sat in a coffee shop writing for seven
hours while my car was being repaired up the street at the garage. The Café
Dante (it has since gone out of business and is now under new ownership)
located across from the Bridge Theater on Geary Street in San Francisco, was my
best writing place because it offered a plush couch, an "eclectic"
flow of clientele, and plenty of good coffee. As for my laptop, it seems funny
now, but toward the end of the book, it actually began to malfunction; there
were a few writing sessions when, in order to get the thing to turn on, I
actually had to pound on the keyboard several times.
Q: Are
there books that played a role in the development of your writing and would you
recommend any of them?
Dr. Wilde: It's tough to recommend books, as we all have
different tastes. I can only talk about those books I have found to be
intellectually stimulating, captivating and which had a definitive influence on
me. They include
The Lincoln Rhyme suspense thrillers (The Bone Collector, The Stone Monkey,
The Empty Chair, Coffin Dancer, A Magical Mystery) by Jeffrey Deaver.
My Life by Bill Clinton
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David Burns, M.D.
The Devil's Advocate by Morris West
River Town by Peter Hessler
Summerhill by A.S. Neill
The Genesee Diary by Henri J.M.Nouwen
The Negotiating Game by Chester Karrass
Passion of the Cut Sleeve by Bret Hinsch
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Cardinal Sins by Andrew Greeley
Intercultural Communication: A Reader, 9th Ed., edited by Larry Samovar
and Richard Porter.
Q: Many
authors say that they try to follow in the footsteps of other writers. Do you
have a writer whose style that you think influenced your writing?
Dr. Wilde: There are three. While living in Chicago, I really
liked the brash, sometimes insulting, in-your-face writing of Mike Royko who
wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times. One may not have liked his impertinent
and brazen style, but you always knew he was writing from the heart as he
relentlessly fought for the underdog. These days I like the keen attention to
detail that suspense novelist Jeffrey Deaver shows when he writes about his
fascinating character, Lincoln Rhyme, the retired New York City detective who
is also a quadriplegic. Deaver lets his readers know that people with
disabilities can be brilliant and highly capable, even though they have
limitations. Dave Ford, a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle,
has also gotten my attention for the past couple of years because I've found
that he picks a subject for his columns and then, no matter how plain and
simple his topic appears, he brings it to life. He shows readers, in a fun and
lively way, the beauty and irony of that which would have otherwise gone
unnoticed in today's fast-paced existence.
Q: In
writing The Disability Journey did you ever have "writer's
block?"
Dr. Wilde: There's no such thing as writer's block; the
problem is really "making it understandable" block. If you know your
subject, can focus your energy, and have at least a good working knowledge of
how to use written language, it's fairly easy to write. In this book, figuring
out what I wanted to communicate was the hellish part. When I found myself
frozen, it was usually because I was trying to make sure that my words were
truly helpful and at the same time would act as sort of nudge for people
feeling trapped in situations that seem hopeless. Chapters 3, 11, and 14 were
the hardest to write because, as the reader quickly discovers, they are deeply
personal. Throughout, though, I kept asking myself: What am I trying to say? If
I couldn't answer that, or if the answer didn't make sense to my reviewers, I
went back to my original premise and tried another approach. So, for me,
finding the right words to express my ideas was the real block.
Q: What was
the best advice about writing The Disability Journey that anyone gave
you, and who gave it?
Dr. Wilde: Dr. Wyatt Stephens: "You're on the right track
and this will be a useful resource for lots of folks." Because he was not
only the chair of my Ph.D. dissertation committee long ago during my early
professional years, but also because he is still my mentor and confidant, I
felt a wave of relief and encouragement to go forward with this monumental
project when he gave my first chapter a thumbs-up.
Q: How many
of the stories that you used in The Disability Journey came from your
real life experiences?
Dr. Wilde: All of them. I think people who write books about
disabilities have a responsibility to draw upon their personal experiences in
describing day-to-day life and human relationships.
Q: What
portion of your writing time was spent in research? How did you research and
how long did it take to write the book?
Dr. Wilde: I spent about three years researching and outlining
The Disability Journey. Most of this was through books, journals,
newspaper clippings, email exchanges with other professionals in the field, and
use of the Internet. I did, of course, rely heavily on discussions with
individuals who are disabled. Once I felt I had all the backup material needed
for the book, it was just a question of when to start the process. Fortunately,
a complete stranger came up to me while I was sitting in a library in Beijing
in 2001 and asked me if I was an author. His question both mystified and
shocked me (I later found out his name was Jack Wang and that he was a
researcher in the area of physics). But, the intensity of my guilt about
procrastinating the start of the writing process for so long, was the kick that
got me moving. Three years later the book was finished.
Q: You
studied to be an educator. Why do you think educators become writers?
Dr. Wilde: The easy answer is that teaching and counseling are
meaningful, and doing the work of writing a book is an extension of wanting to
enrich the lives of others. Of course, I can't speak for anyone else and how
they write, but for me, in piecing together The Disability Journey I
drew upon similar skills I use for teaching a class or counseling someone in my
office.
Q: Besides
being a disability counselor, you're also a professor. Which do you like
better?
Dr. Wilde: Ah, there's nothing like teaching. It's invigorating,
it's all-consuming, it's emotional, it's infinitely creative . . . In my years
at this craft I've taught kindergarteners, elementary, middle and high school
kids, graduate students, trained employees, and even coached managers in
industry. I like the challenge of teaching because it gives me a chance to take
on a leadership role. Counseling, on the other hand, is equally exhilarating.
Working with someone in a one-to-one setting, I have the opportunity to
collaborate and review options. In counseling, there's a mutual investment in
the future and in making things work better. The greatest pleasure for me is to
help set someone on a course where they are able to achieve their dreams and
desires for success. While working concurrently both as a counselor and as a
teacher may not be appealing to all professionals in the disability arena, I
thoroughly enjoy the dual roles.
Q: What do
you do for fun?
Dr. Wilde: I'm kind of a solitary guy. I read several
newspapers each day. Also, my life partner and I enjoy going to garage sales,
getting together with our friends, watching old movies and puttering around the
house we just bought in San Francisco near the ocean. My hobbies include
collecting Coca Cola memorabilia and improving my Chinese language skills. For
recreation, I like to go jogging along the beach.
Q: What
writing project are you working on at the moment?
Dr. Wilde: That United Nations assignment for the Chinese
government in 2001 really got me thinking about a future international role.
After that task, I decided that someday I would formulate suggestions on how
people in the East and West could better communicate with one another. So far,
I am about fifty percent finished with a text I have tentatively titled
"China and America at the Same Table" and should be at the
publication phase in 2008, around the time that the Olympics comes to Beijing.
In this project, I draw upon my understanding of Chinese culture that I have
developed from my studies and many visits to China.
Q: Finally,
why would a person with a disability want to read your book?
Dr. Wilde: That's like asking a writer of cookbooks why you
should read his or her book. The correct and only answer is: "To learn how
to make new and tasty dishes." While certainly not a cookbook, The Disability
Journey is a practical, no-nonsense guide that brings to the table a
fascinating exchange of facts, views, and advice that those concerned about the
topic of disabilities should find invaluable. Readers get plenty of ideas on
ways to draw up a plan for hitting their target of proactively dealing with the
whole range of disability issues. Topics include how to understand disability
laws, deal with differences between visible and invisible disabilities, how to
build better self-communication skills, how to find and use the power to make
things happen, and much more. Throughout, I share what I've learned from
compelling and transformational work with people who have disabilities, their
families, classmates, colleagues, and friends.