ABSTRACT
Singer’s invitation, some grounded in my involvement in the disability rights movement, others entirely personal. For the movement, it seemed an unusual opportunity to experiment with modes of discourse that might work with very tough audiences and bridge the divide between our perceptions and theirs. I didn’t expect to straighten out Singer’s head, butmaybe I could reach a student or two. Among the personal reasons: I was sure it would make a great story, first for telling and then for writing down. By now I’ve told it to family and friends
and colleagues, over lunches and dinners, on long car trips, in scads of e-mail messages and a couple of formal speeches. But it seems to be a story that just won’t settle down. After all these tellings, it still
lacks a coherent structure; I’m miles away from a rational argument. I keep getting interrupted by questions-like these:
Q: Was he totally grossed out by your physical appearance?
