September 8, 2014 - 10:32
Considering what I've read of Clare so far, I'm taken with his imagery of feeling in his bones. Beyond his frustration with being evaluated in comparison to an ableist ideal, on entirely superficial bases, he discusses the importance of what's under the skin. He frequently expresses that his deepest feelings and beliefs about advocacy and identity resonate internally, in his bones. Clare argues that unity can be acheived in like-mindedness and humanity, not through the pity expressed towards disabled people, but in considering a person's character wholeheartedly, not ignoring what makes them who they are, but instead, accepting all factors. I am touched with the unifying concept that we all share bones. Bones can be used as a metaphor for our collective consciousness; they can represent strength and resonance of feeling, with which many can identify. With a skeleton as his avatar, I believe Eli Clare would represent himself with the username: BoneDeepFeeling.
Skeleton 3 by Joanne Claxton
Source: http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/skeleton-3-joanne-claxton.jpg