Beautiful People

Disability activist and social media influencer Melissa Blake offers a frank, illuminating memoir and a call to action for disabled people and allies. In the summer of 2019, journalist Melissa Blake penned an op-ed for CNN Opinion. A conservative pundit caught wind of it, mentioning Blake’s work in a YouTube video. What happened next is equal parts a searing view into society, how we collectively view and treat disabled people, and the making of an advocate. After a troll said that Blake should be banned from posting pictures of herself, she took to Twitter and defiantly posted three smiling selfies, all taken during a lovely vacation in the Big Apple: Her tweet went viral, attracting worldwide media attention and interviews. Now, in her manifesto, Beautiful People, Blake shares her truths about disability, writing about (among other things): the language we use to describe disabled people ableism, microaggressions, and their pernicious effects what it's like to live in a society that not only isn't designed for you, but actively operates to render you invisible her struggles with self image and self acceptance the absence of disabled people in popular culture why disabled people aren't tragic heroes Highlighting other disabled activists and influencers, Blake’s work is the calling card of a powerful voice—one that has sparked new, different, better conversations about disability. **"No matter what kind of body we move through the world in, Melissa’s warmth is a welcome invitation to join her in recognizing the beauty we each possess.” -Jessica Slice and Caroline Cupp, authors of Dateable: Swiping Right, Hooking Up, and Settling Down While Chronically Ill and Disabled “In prose that is clear, warm, and always laced with humor, Melissa draws you in, making you a part of her world. With her trademark wit, pop culture references, and ability to tackle challenging topics with seeming effortlessness, Beautiful People is a book with heart and is an absolute delight to read.”-Erin Khar, author of Strung Out**