MP3 • APPLE PODCASTS • RSS • SPOTIFY • RADIOPUBLIC • GOOGLE • TRANSCRIPT
"Sometimes I've heard people talk about losing a child and people say it's like losing a limb. And as someone who's lost both things, I just want to say, the realities are very different." Musician and writer Christa Couture has experienced way too much of people trying to convey sympathy and instead expressing their discomfort about disability and death.
Content note: we talk about ableism, cancer and bereavement. Part of the conversation is about the deaths of two of Christa's babies, so stop listening at the 20-minute mark if you need not to hear about that subject right now.
EXTRA MATERIALS:
“By 1696 this meaning had found its way into the English language by way of The compleat surgeon. The more general cultural use of the word prosthesis in relation to bodily disability became mediated in the new medium of print.” If you want to know more about ‘prosthesis’ moving from grammar to artificial limbs, Prosthesis: From Grammar to Medicine in the Earliest History of the Word has you covered.
“Though no parent who has lost a child has ever felt that ‘no’ is an honest answer, ‘yes’ can feel unnecessarily complicated.” Read Christa’s essay about being the parent of children who died.
The ‘b’ in ‘limb’ is fake, FYI. And slang for ‘ballet’ used to be ‘leg business’.
Don’t Call Me Inspirational: A Disabled Feminist Talks Back.
The Controversial Process of Redesigning the Wheelchair Symbol.
YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
vatic
CREDITS:
Christa Couture is a musician and writer. Her new memoir How To Lose Everything is out now, and her music is available on Bandcamp, Spotify etc. Find her work at christacouture.com and she’s @christacouture on Instagram.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with editorial help from Erin Wade.
The original Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and hear more of his composition on the new science podcast for kids Maddie’s Sound Explorers.
Find the show at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow, twitter.com/helenzaltzman and instagram.com/allusionistshow.
If you want to become a patron, to support the show and to receive INCREDIBLE BEHIND THE SCENES ALLUSIOSCOOPS, head over to patreon.com/allusionist.
There’ll be more on the show in the future about language and disability. If you want to talk about how it all works for you, you can send me a written or voice message at theallusionist.org/contact. - HZ.
Christa Couture, photographed by Jen Squires
