Today we’d like to introduce you to Effy Redman
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up with Moebius Syndrome – a rare condition of facial paralysis – I learned from an early age that I could transcend the more painful aspects of my disability through writing and creativity. I began keeping a journal at age six as a way of observing the world around me and understanding my place within it.
I studied creative writing intensively in undergraduate and graduate college. Whilst completing my MFA, I worked on a thesis project in memoir, and that was a big part of how my first book developed. This book – a memoir called Saving Face – is my queer coming-of-age disability narrative, and was published by Vine Leaves Press earlier this year.
Through writing, I advocate for marginalized people such as myself. For where there is suffering there also exists great beauty.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have definitely encountered struggles along the way!
I was deep into pre-publication work on my memoir Saving Face when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. During lockdown, I turned to the work on my manuscript as a way of focusing my energy on something outside of the tragic events unfolding around me. This helped me to grow as an artist. I think it taught me that commitment to one’s creative practice must be unconditional.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an author, queer disability advocate/activist, and editor.
I specialize in positive creative representation of facial difference and disability. I write a lot about the intersection of disability and identity. I also work as an editor for a nonprofit organization ensuring that informational documents are accessible to clients with developmental disabilities.
I am most proud of my commitment to voicing the unspoken, fostering inclusion, and celebrating diversity.
My work seeks to expose beauty within a deeply imperfect world, to honor those who are most vulnerable to discrimination and the individuals who support them.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Please buy my book, read it, and get in touch with me with your ideas and questions! I am always happy to have conversations with like-minded readers.
There is a link to buy Saving Face on my website www.effyredman.com
You can also find my contact information there.
Pricing:
- Saving Face (paperback) $17.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.effyredman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/effyredman38/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/effy.redman
