Upcoming book 'Telethons' posthumously published by Paul K. Longmore
- Ronnie Thibault
- Jan 23, 2016
- 1 min read
"During the second half of the 20th century, millions of Americans gathered around their televisions during weekend-long, celebrity-studded variety shows that raised billions of dollars for disability-related charities. But "Telethons: Spectacle, Disability, and the Business of Charity," a posthumously published book by Paul K. Longmore, argues that the cultural phenomenon that many dismissed as kitschy was helpful but also heightened stigma for people living with disabilities. Longmore, a professor of history at SF State for almost two decades, created the Institute on Disability in 1996, which at the time was one of the first of its kind. It was later named to memorialize its founder, who died in 2010."
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