Let Me Re-Introduce Myself: Why I Left The Geeky Gimp and Where I Am Now

It's been a very long time since I've written a blog post. I used to run The Geeky Gimp, a blog focused on accessibility and disability representation in nerdy media. I wrote video game accessibility reviews, hacks to make your board game design inclusive, and breakdowns of Star Trek episodes through the lens of disability. I had The Geeky Gimp blog for over ten years, and it led to some amazing opportunities: connections to big tech companies and speaking engagements; freelance employment in game accessibility; new friends to game with. I couldn't be more proud of the work I put into it and the impact it had on the industry, no matter how small.

But over the last few years, I lost interest. A month ago, I took down my blog entirely. I cancelled my hosting plan. I was paying a lot of money to host a blog that I hadn't updated in years, just because I was afraid I was going to lose opportunities, or cut off a source of information for students studying game design or disability in media (I was apparently featured on a few course syllabi, which was super cool!). That first step to cancel the plan and my email was scary, but necessary. It was also a little sad.

This decision to remove the blog was mainly borne out of shifting priorities and interests. I desperately wanted to go back to school. I wanted to situate myself in academia and pursue my interests in Classical studies and literature. I wanted to share my love of reading with a new audience, through video. I wanted to be in community with other readers and scholars. I still love gaming as a hobby and support our gaming program at my day job, so I'm not entirely removed from The Geeky Gimp (it's still my gamer tag!), but I needed and wanted change.

So I did what any normal person would do. I created a BookTube channel, enrolled in Classical studies at Villanova University, and started a new blog to share my academic adventures and scholarship.

If this is the very first blog you've ever read from me, hi, my name is Erin. I'm a bibliophile living in New Jersey. I have a Yorkie named Madelyn, but we call her Maddy. I'm obsessed with Mariah Carey, Spock, and Euripides' Medea. I currently attend Villanova University, but I also have a BA in English from Monmouth University and an MA in Multicultural and Transnational Literatures from East Carolina University. I work at a nonprofit in brand marketing. I'm disabled with Muscular Dystrophy and anxiety, and have been disabled my entire life. I've used a wheelchair to get around since I was 3, but I still smash my knees into my desk by accident at least once a week.

I am so happy you are here, reading this. I don't know how often I will publish, but I hope you follow along. You can expect posts about what I am studying, thoughts on disability and accessibility in academia, book recommendations and reviews, and whatever else I inevitably become obsessed with. You can also expect minimal editing, conversational writing (unless I'm feeling academically spicy), and the occasional image to go along with the text. This is my space to have fun, not stress over!

Thank you for reading.