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Northern Illinois University

NIU Office of Public Affairs


News Release

Contact: Elizabeth Leake, NIU ITS Customer Support Services
(815) 753-9512

February 17, 2004

Author who is blind to share her insights with NIU

DeKalb, Ill.--Northern Illinois University will host author and National Public Radio (NPR) commentator Beth Finke for a daylong series of lectures and book signings in early March.

Finke's 2003 book, "Long Time, No See," chronicles her struggles with juvenile diabetes and blindness. The memoir has been widely praised by the Chicago Tribune, which named the work among its top non-fiction books of the year. Finke also is a freelance writer and commentator on NPR's "Morning Edition."

During her Wednesday, March 3 visit to campus, Finke will be the featured speaker at the annual International Women's Day Luncheon, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Chandelier Room of Adams Hall. There is a fee of $7.50 for lunch. Reservations are required; call ahead (815) 753-9614.

Finke also will conduct a 1:30 p.m. book signing at the University Bookstore in Holmes Student Center, followed by a 3:30 p.m. presentation in the Duke Ellington Ballroom. A reception and book signing will follow at 4:30 p.m. in the HSC Gallery Lounge. The author will conclude her visit with a book reading at 7 p.m. at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in DeKalb. All events are open to the public.

Following a tumultuous struggle with juvenile diabetes, Finke was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy on her honeymoon at the age of 26. Over the next 13 years, she chronicled her loss of sight and other experiences - including marital challenges, her search for work and the birth of a son with severe disabilities.

Says Marcus Roberts, a jazz pianist and composer who is also blind, "Unlike many of life's dysfunctions, blindness cannot be hidden. Beth Finke's frank accounting of life from a blind perspective gives a much-needed modern view of the visually impaired in our culture. She reminds us that never giving up the fight assures victory, regardless of the actual outcome of the struggle."

Finke's writing career began when her essay about work as a blind nude model was reprinted in numerous alternative papers. That success led to her work as a "Morning Edition" commentator. Her writing also has been featured in numerous periodicals, including the Chicago Tribune Magazine. She also appears regularly as a commentator on "Eight Forty-Eight," a morning program on Chicago Public Radio.

Sponsors of Finke's visit include Hauser-Ross Eye Institute and Surgicenter, Kishwaukee Community Hospital, NIU Presidential Commission on People with Disabilities, Information Technology Services, Enhancing Success (HECA) Project, University Resources for Women, Center for Access-Ability Resources and Visual Disabilities Teacher & Rehabilitation Program.

For more information on Beth Finke's visit, contact Elizabeth Leake at (815) 753-9512.

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