Chapter Break with James Francisco Bonilla episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 3, 2025 · 25 MIN

Chapter Break with James Francisco Bonilla

from Midwest Writers Room · host Luella and Ken

BIO:James is a New York City–born Puerto Rican writer now living just across the Mississippi in Winona, Minnesota. He was born with congenital cataracts and has never had sight in his left eye. At age nine, he lost much of his remaining sight in the right eye due to a racial assault. A decade later a medical breakthrough restored the sight to his right eye. Because of his experiences his memoir follows his entry into the early disability rights movement which helped ground his work as a community organizer and, later as a nationally recognized social justice educator and environmentalist.SYNOPSIS:After a classmate hurled a horseshoe at his face James became legally blind. At home, too, he feared physical violence, experiencing the unpredictable outbursts of a single mother suffering from mental illness. Searching for relief and inspiration, he discovered an unexpected solace in the natural world, spiritual encounters with Mother Earth that led him toward both personal healing and advocacy. An Eye for an I presents both James and his aggressors with refreshing nuance and humility, inviting readers to empathize, be inspired, and consider their own potential to be of service in a broken, yet beautiful, world. LINKS:https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517919146/an-eye-for-an-i/

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Nov 3, 2025

Embed this episode

BIO: James is a New York City–born Puerto Rican writer now living just across the Mississippi in Winona, Minnesota. He was born with congenital cataracts and has never had sight in his left eye. At age nine, he lost much of his remaining sight in the right eye due to a racial assault. A decade later a medical breakthrough restored the sight to his right eye. Because of his experiences his memoir follows his entry into the early disability rights movement which helped ground his work as a comm...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

Chapter Break with James Francisco Bonilla

0:00 25:46

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Midwest Writers Room?

This episode is 25 minutes long.

When was this Midwest Writers Room episode published?

This episode was published on November 3, 2025.

Can I download this Midwest Writers Room episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!