Maureen Sullivan had it all: a high-profile job, high-profile friends, and more "cool junk" than she knew what to do with.
Then came the fall.
She slipped on the ice one dark and frigid night, and suffered a closed-head injury. Unable to speak or think clearly, and unable to move without stumbling, she lost it all: her job, her friends, her house, her possessions... even one of her eyes.
But when she lost her sight, she found her vision: photography.
And after two years of homelessness, thanks to the magic of a very special art gallery in Anchorage, Alaska, she found something else:
Hope.
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Piece Description
Maureen Sullivan had it all: a high-profile job, high-profile friends, and more "cool junk" than she knew what to do with. Then came the fall. She slipped on the ice one dark and frigid night, and suffered a closed-head injury. Unable to speak or think clearly, and unable to move without stumbling, she lost it all: her job, her friends, her house, her possessions... even one of her eyes. But when she lost her sight, she found her vision: photography. And after two years of homelessness, thanks to the magic of a very special art gallery in Anchorage, Alaska, she found something else: Hope.
Broadcast History
This piece originally aired on "AK," the weekend public affairs program on the Alaska Public Radio Network, on October 14, 2006.
Musical Works
Various works, Bexar Bexar, Haralambos, Western Vinyl, 2003
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Deborah Astley
Posted on October 25, 2006 at 07:10 AM | Permalink
Review of Before & After: The Second Spirit of a One-Eyed Photographer
This is a thoughtful, sensitive interview piece with a woman who fell, got up, fell again, and . . . got up again. For this reviewer, the most touching part about the piece was when Maureen said, "I want to cry because I was acknowledged. I was present." This piece would work well on a weekend show -- Saturday or Sunday "All Things Considered?" -- when things slow down a bit and listeners can take the time to listen and reflect on what a gem of a piece they just heard on public radio.