Episode 222 with Andrew Leland, Author of The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, and Masterful Chronicler of His and Other Journeys with Blindness and its Intersections with our World

Notes and Links to Andrew Leland’s Work

 

 

   For Episode 222, Pete welcomes Andrew Leland, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early balance of technology and art and creativity that continues to govern his writing and careers, early formative reading, the philosophy of “going blind” versus “becoming blind,” the spectrum of blindness, and salient themes in his book like intersectionality, ableism, and differing ideas of how society sees the blind and disabled, and how this affects Andrew and others in similar situations.

 

   Andrew Leland is a writer, audio producer, editor, and teacher living in Western Massachusetts.

His first book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press.

He has produced audio for a range of entities, including an interview with the DeafBlind poet John Lee Clark for the New Yorker Radio Hour; a story about disabled astronauts for Radiolab; and a story about reading technologies for the blind for 99 Percent Invisible.

From 2013–2019, he hosted and produced the Organist, an arts-and-culture podcast, for KCRW.

He has taught nonfiction writing, radio, and “digital storytelling” (?) at Smith College, UMass-Amherst, and the University of Missouri, he’s been an editor at the Believer since 2003, and he’s edited books for McSweeney’s and Chronicle Books.

 

Buy The Country of the Blind

 

Andrew's Website

 

New York Times Review of The Country of the Blind

 

NPR Article on The Country of the Blind

 

 

At about 3:15, Andrew details his background with reading and writing, including how he was influenced by his parents in different ways, as well as how he was indirectly influenced by his uncle, the playwright Neil Simon

At about 6:25, Andrew talks about a towering gift from his aunt that really energized his reading and writing journeys

At about 9:30, Pete and Andrew discuss David Foster Wallace, his lasting literary legacy, and his marred legacy outside of writing

At about 11:15, Andrew responds to Pete’s questions about how his background in audio engineering, and how it has affected his writing

At about 15:15, Pete reflects on the reading experience and Andrew reflects on how the book moved along due to his audio background, and Andrew shouts out Rachel Cunningham at Penguin Random House as being extremely helpful with structuring his book

At about 17:10, Andrew discusses seeds for his book

At about 21:00, The two lay out some exposition of the book and discuss the book’s opening lines and contradictions; Andrew expands upon Will Butler’s ideas of “going blind” vs. “becoming blind”

At about 25:20, Andrew gives background on the book’s title, and how it’s based on a HG Wells’ book

At about 27:30, Andrew talks about long-held ideas or stereotypes of blind people and the consequences of same

At about 30:05, Andrew discusses the myriad ways in which blindness has been used as metaphor, and shouts out a book that explores these tropes, There Plant Eyes, by M. Leona Godin

At about 32:45, Andrew explains the difficulties he had with a meetup in Missouri that is featured in the book, as well as some immediate and later revelations that came from this

At about 37:30, Andrew delves into his travels and conventions attended that adjusted his mindset and provided many beautiful moments and learning moments 

At about 41:55, Andrew discusses genetic testing for his medical condition, and how he and his wife decided whether or not to have their son tested

At about 44:00, The two discuss ideas of intersectionality and in Andrew’s research and reporting and what he found regarding racism and the strong work put forth by queer women of color in disabled communities

At about 48:10, Andrew and Pete reflect on the history of the Bay Area in the fight for disability justice

At about 51:00, The two discuss the medical advancements and artificial sight that are coming to the forefront and the ways in which Andrew writes and thinks about them

At about 54:20, Andrew details the importance of Ben McFall, the legendary bookseller, and how his obituary connects to how Andrew feels as he started to use a screen reader  

At about 58:25, Andrew juxtaposes the Carroll Center for the Blind’s philosophy versus that of other organizations that work for and with the blind

At about 1:01:10, Pete and Andrew analyze an important set of encounters with a fellow guest at The Colorado Center for the Blind and the implications of their attitudes and philosophies and experiences

At about 1:05:30, Andrew talks about exciting new projects

 

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    Please tune in for Episode 224 with Sarah Rose Etter, the author of 2023’s Ripe, and The Book of X, which was the winner of the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award. Her short fiction collection, Tongue Party, was selected by Deb Olin Unferth to be published as the winner of the 2011 Caketrain Award.

   The episode will air on February 13.