On a Journey to Happiness with Keah Brown

Strong Feelings

It’s a rough year after a rough year after…a rough year. Writer, journalist, and #disabledandcute creator Keah Brown reminds us to celebrate our wins and find joy anyway.

Keah has written for publications like Harper’s Bazaar, Teen Vogue, Essence, Catapult, Lenny Letter, The Rumpus, and Glamour. She also has cerebral palsy—and one day in 2017, she was feeling cute. So she posted a photo of herself with the hashtag #disabledandcute, and boom: she started a movement.

Since then, she’s signed her first book deal, written about everything from Lilliam Rivera to Solange, and generally taken the world by storm. Plus, Roxane Gay thinks she’s great. What more is there to say?

> We spend so much time with disability narratives either being used to prop up an able-bodied character, or to die for the emotional turmoil of an able-bodied character. And I’m just like, nope. I live at the end of this book, and I’m going to keep living, and you’re going to see more of me, because I’m not going anywhere.
> —Keah Brown, writer and #disabledandcute creator

Keah tells us all about:

• Starting the #disabledandcute movement Her Teen Vogue cover story on
  disabled representation in fashion
• Being named to The Root 100 list of most influential African-Americans
• Writing for Roxane Gay’s Unruly Bodies series
• The double-edged sword of being the “go-to disability writer”
• Working on her first essay collection, The Pretty One, due out from Atria Books next fall
• Relying on Demi Lovato, Paramore, and her friends to get through the hard parts

Plus:

• Katel tells us all about her workshop with last week’s guest, Sonalee Rashatwar
• Sara has a very attractive knee surgeon
• Don’t miss Milena Paulina’s gorgeous photos of fat bodies

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