A Published Letter
So, I’ve been reading about Abraham Lincoln, and they often discuss letters that were published at the time, so I’ve been pondering that idea of a “published letter”.
I also recently had the honor of being a keynote presenter at the annual Wisconsin Brain Injury Association convention, where I performed my piece “Who Am I, Again?” The response to this performance was, and still is, overwhelming.
Returning to Abraham Lincoln, I recently wrote a letter about this conference to the Brain Injury Association of America, and I feel that this letter best expresses my personal reactions to the conference, and so here, I will publish my letter:
Hello,
My name is Lethan Candlish and I am a brain injury survivor and a degreed storyteller. I was in contact with your office and had a wonderful conversation with someone on your staff, but I’m afraid I have forgotten who that was.
I am contacting you because I have a performance piece titled Who Am I, Again? a verbal collage of stories about TBI. This piece looks at brain injury through the medium of storytelling. Because of an extra-ordinary recovery from sTBI, I have been able to revisit the memories of my recovery. I have also interviewed my friends and family to get their stories, and the stories residents at The Crumley House Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center. This has allowed me to examine brain injury from multiple perspectives, showing how TBI effects everyone around the survivor. I have pieced together a selection of these collected short stories in a collage fashion, to show a story about the loss and reclamation of self identity after brain injury.
In the above mentioned previous conversation, I was advised to contact the state BIA boards, and this past Monday (May 3rd), I gave my first keynote address at the Wisconsin Brain Injury Association annual conference. The performance was an amazing success. The piece was praised for the story, its honesty, its artistic integrity. TBI survivors, family members, and care givers could all intimately relate to the performance. Many told me it was the best keynote presentation they had ever seen. I’m sure Mark Warhus, the BIAW director, would confirm this: mwarhus@biaw.org. Words cannot sufficiently describe my elation from the compliments I have received, so I will simply say I am honored and overwhelmed by the praise.
I am writing because, I feel that with this praise comes a responsibility. Because of my extra-ordinary recovery and my training in the art of storytelling, I have a unique ability in how I can help the public to learn about brain injury, hopefully make them feel safe discussing their own stories. For many families, brain injury is the equivalent of “the uncle we don’t really talk about.” My recovery has been a gift, but it has also given me a mission – to raise the public awareness of TBI.
To work on this goal, I am currently interested in seeing is we can work together to present my piece to a national audience. I recognize that all the state BIA groups talk with each other, and my name will eventually get spread in that manner, but I feel that if my piece could get some national attention, it would help to raise brain injury awareness. The piece shows the story of brain injury in a manner that audiences can relate to, thus inspiring people to speak about their own experiences with brain injury, and raising the national consciousness. I feel this is particular important now with so much attention on the health care debate, and because so many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are returning counted as alive, but after TBI, with a new way of dealing with the world. The world needs to be made aware of TBI.
I am writing you ask if BIA USA can assist in this. I know that the goals of your organization are similar to the goals mentioned above, so I come to you to ask if there is any way we can find grant money to fund a national tour and/or event? I recognize that is “one hell of a” request, having only spoken at two conferences (I was a late presenter at the Nashville TBI conference), but the sense I got from speaking with people at the Wisconsin Conference is that this is needed. I do not intend this to sound egotistical, but families came up to me, crying, saying how everyone in the family deeply related to the piece – everyone was convinced this piece had already been performed around the world, and they said I had a powerful professional control on the presentation – I was repeated praised for the interesting and effective theatrical elements of the performance – it was suggested that this piece should be performed for both medical students and high school students to help communicate the experience of TBI. I hope I don’t seem arrogant, I am trying to relate only the events.
I know your organization has far too much to do, and far too little time and funding, so I will not be offended if you cannot pursue this project right now. I bring it to you because of the feedback I have gotten that this top is crying out for some national attention, and I, intending this in all humility, believe this piece could help.
I do have video clips from the first draft of this piece available on my website: www.travelingtales.net/videos/, but please be aware that, while these are good, the piece has undergone a year’s worth of intensive work and has taken on a much deeper sense of meaning. I hope we can explore possibilities together. I have not confirmed this, but I feel confident that anyone at BIAW would confirm these reports, or I can give you more references.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope that we can brain storm together about how we might raise awareness of TBI – I have a few ideas, but I will warn you that I tend to think big. I hope that all is well and that the best tales are tumbling toward you.
Best,
Lethan Candlish
Storyteller
www.travelingtales.net