KNEE BRACE PRESS

A place for stories about chronic illness, disability, mental health, and neurodivergence.

The Magazine

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  • A white woman with shoulder-length light brown hair stands in a garden. She is smiling and wearing a blue dress with short sleeves.

    Try Not to Blink

    By

    This poem by Jean Janicke reflects on hours at the National Eye Institute in a “natural history study” for her type of blindness.

  • A photo in black and white. A white man wearing a hat with a moustache gazes at the camera. There are water droplets on the lens.

    An interview with Colin Dardis

    By

    “I certainly can be guilty of black-and-white thinking at times, which is a common neurodivergent trait: something is ultimately right or wrong. Writing is a way to help me question that and find the gray in-between.”

  • A person with shoulder-length black hair. He is hiding behind a small bunch of white flowers.
    ,

    So

    By

    T.C. Long has also recorded an audio version of this piece, both to increase accessibility and to lend additional humanity and dimensionality to disabled folks in media.

  • A white person with long, blonde hair smiling at the camera. She is wearing a red and white plaid shirt.

    (DIS)ABILITY: A PALINDROME

    By

    In her latest poem, Sarah Steinbacher offers us a different perspective on disability and those who would have her doubt herself.

  • A pale, blonde person wearing red lipstick, orange-rimmed glasses, and a blue sweater with white clouds on it. She is standing against the backdrop of several pieces of art.

    Eppi Girl

    By

    In her short story for Knee Brace Press, Zianna Ruiha introduces us to Eppi Girl, a disabled people pleaser who wants nothing more than to tell her coworkers that her body is none of their business.

  • A white woman with short, white hair reads a book at a microphone.

    Holding it Together

    By

    “Grandma held us together/Small and wiry/a Granny Clampett/fortunately/without a rifle.”

  • A white person with long, blonde hair smiling at the camera. She is wearing a red and white plaid shirt.

    Let Down

    By

    Sarah Steinbacher is a disabled nonbinary author, poet, disability advocate, instructor at The Writing Barn, and member of both SCBWI and Storyteller Academy.

  • An interview with Priyanka Taslim

    By

    While Bangladeshi teen Zahra Khan’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a “good match,” Jane Austen-style. We spoke with author Priyanka Taslim about her debut novel, The Love Match.

  • The photo is in black and white and depicts a white person with long, dark hair smiling to the right of the shot.

    Box-bed in a Doorway

    By

    Mandy Beattie’s poetry’s been published in Poets Republic, Drawn to The Light, Lothlorien, Ink, and now, Knee Brace Press!

  • A white woman with dark hair is smiling and looking off-camera. She wears a white, long sleeved shirt.

    Temporarily non-disabled

    By

    “My body holds a secret. It demands/to tell me, but won’t whisper it to you.” Poet Christa Fairbrother is back with a piece about invisible illnesses and the pressure to hide them.