November 1 @ 5pm | Book Launch w/ Author Dr. Evan Sullivan (Glens Falls Taproom)
November 01, 2024 05:00 PM until November 01, 2024 08:00 PM
About the Event:
This book launch party celebrates the publication of Dr. Evan P. Sullivan's book, Constructing Disability after the Great War: Blind Veterans in the Progressive Era. Dr. Sullivan invites family, friends, colleagues, and members of the public to Mean Max Brew Works to hear him discuss his work and give a brief book reading, followed by a book signing. Light refreshments will be served, and there will be a cash bar.
About the Book:
As Americans--both civilians and veterans--worked to determine the meanings of identity for blind veterans of World War I, they bound cultural constructs of blindness to all the emotions and contingencies of mobilizing and fighting the war, and healing from its traumas. Sighted Americans’ wartime rehabilitation culture centered blind soldiers and veterans in a mix of inspirational stories. Veterans worked to become productive members of society even as ableism confined their unique life experiences to a collection of cultural tropes that suggested they were either downcast wrecks of their former selves or were morally superior and relatively flawless as they overcame their disabilities and triumphantly journeyed toward successful citizenship. Sullivan investigates the rich lives of blind soldiers and veterans and their families to reveal how they confronted barriers, gained an education, earned a living, and managed their self-image while continually exposed to the public’s scrutiny of their success and failures.
About the Author:
Dr. Evan Sullivan is assistant professor of history at SUNY Adirondack. He earned his PhD in history from the University at Albany. He has written and published extensively on the histories of disability, gender, and war, in the modern era, and focuses in particular on the experiences of disabled veterans after World War I. His research has appeared in the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, the international journal First World War Studies, and numerous academic books. He has previously served as a writer for the academic blog Nursing Clio. Additionally, Evan has presented his work in various conferences worldwide, his work has been recognized by the Disability History Association, and in 2022 he was included in The Post Star's list, "20 Under 40." Sullivan also serves locally on the Chapman Museum's Board of Trustees.