Melissa Blake (writer) explained

Melissa Blake (born 1981) is an American writer, blogger, journalist, and disability activist. She is best known for her blog "So About What I Said", where she discusses relationships, pop culture, and disability.[1] Her work has appeared in The New York Times,[2] Bustle,[3] CNN,[4] Good Housekeeping,[5] among others. She is an alumnus of Northern Illinois University[6] with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and currently resides in DeKalb, Illinois.[7]

Blake lives with Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting her bones and muscles in addition to causing a visible facial difference. Her disability activism has helped her to feel confident and proud of her identity as a disabled woman.[8]

Personal life

Blake was born in 1981. Because of her disability, she spent much of her time in hospitals. To straighten the bones in her legs, Blake wore an Ilizarov apparatus multiple times. She also had an operation on her spine to correct severe spinal cord compression when she was 13. Her last major surgery was a knee fusion surgery at the age of 15.[9]

Blake's father died by suicide in March 2003 after undergoing treatment for sinus cancer.[10]

Career

Blake is an outspoken critic of former United States president Donald Trump[11] and was harassed online after writing an article about him for CNN in 2019.[12]

After being told by a troll that she should be banned from posting pictures of herself online,[13] Blake began posting daily selfies on Twitter (now X)[14] in order to promote disability acceptance.[15]

Her first book, "Beautiful People", was published in March 2024.[16]

Further reading

References

  1. Web site: Welcome to So About What I Said . 2024-01-10 . So About What I Said . en-US.
  2. News: Blake . Melissa . 2017-02-15 . Opinion Disabled, Shunned and Silenced in Trump's America . 2024-01-10 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  3. Web site: Melissa Blake . 2024-01-10 . Bustle . 10 October 2017 . en.
  4. Web site: Blake . Melissa . 2020-10-31 . Someone told me I'd never model because I'm disabled. I proved them wrong at NY Fashion Week . 2024-01-10 . CNN . en.
  5. Web site: Melissa Blake . 2024-01-10 . Good Housekeeping . en-US.
  6. Web site: Melissa Blake, '05, Makes Kindness and Courage Go Viral . 2024-01-10 . www.myniu.com . en.
  7. Web site: @21stshow . 2020-10-15 . DeKalb Disability Activist, Melissa Blake . 2024-01-10 . Illinois Public Media . en.
  8. Web site: Melissa Blake Is Disabled and Proud of It - HealthyWomen . 2024-01-10 . www.healthywomen.org . en.
  9. Web site: 2017-06-05 . My Dad Made Me Feel Beautiful . 2024-01-10 . Good Housekeeping . en-US.
  10. Web site: 2016-04-12 . My Father Committed Suicide, but He's Still My Superhero . 2024-01-10 . Cosmopolitan . en-US.
  11. News: Blake . Melissa . 2017-02-15 . Opinion Disabled, Shunned and Silenced in Trump's America . 2024-01-10 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  12. Web site: Blake . Melissa . 2019-08-03 . What if we all unfollowed Trump on Twitter? . 2024-01-10 . CNN . en.
  13. Web site: 2020-07-30 . Blogger delivers pointed response after receiving hateful comments online about her appearance . 2024-01-10 . ABC7 San Francisco . en.
  14. Web site: 2021-11-04 . Melissa Blake Was Trolled for Being Disabled. Then a Viral Tweet Gave Her the Platform to Speak Out . 2024-01-10 . Shondaland . en-US.
  15. Web site: 2017-05-11 . What It Feels Like Getting Bullied On Social Media Ravishly . 2024-01-10 . www.ravishly.com . en.
  16. Book: Beautiful People . 2023-07-03 . 978-0-306-83042-6 . en-US . Blake . Melissa . Hachette Books .

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