Author Melissa Blake to visit DeKalb library May 2

DeKALB – Local author Melissa Blake, of DeKalb, will be at a meet-and-greet event Thursday at the DeKalb Public Library and to showcase her new book “Beautiful People: My Thirteen Truths About Disability.”

The free event will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 2 in the library’s lower-level Yusunas Meeting Room, 309 Oak St., DeKalb, according to a news release.

The book includes Blake’s story, highlights #MyBestSelfie movement activists and calls the disabled community and allies to fight ableism. No registration is required to attend.

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Blake has written pop culture, celebrity and fashion pieces for The Washington Post, Glamour and Cosmopolitan. She was born with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, a genetic condition that causes bodily muscle contractions. Blake’s physical appearance was met with internet scorn after she wrote CNN Opinion political piece. In response, she posted one selfie-style photograph daily for a year.

For information, email samanthah@dkpl.org or call 815-756-9568, ext. 1701.