I’ve always loved stories. But as a multiply marginalized, disabled woman, I never saw myself represented in the stories I grew up loving, I knew from a young age that what I wanted, more than anything, was to write myself into the narrative. I wanted to write stories by and for people with disabilities. My entire life has revolved around that singular goal.
Currently, I work part-time as a disability advocate while pursuing a career in traditional publishing. I write a bimonthly column for SMA News Today, “The Wolf Finally Frees Itself,” about my life with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). I also work as a patient advocate on SMA My Way, a resource cultivated by biotech company Genentech for all people affected by SMA.
Over the years, I’ve written everything from poetry to personal essays; my work has been published in a variety of literary magazines and anthologies. I’m currently drafting an adult space fantasy, AN ANGEL IN THE GARDEN, with the goal of seeking representation sometime next year. In addition to my manuscript, I am active on Instagram @briehalbers and Substack, where I publish a bimonthly newsletter, “Studes in Light.”
I have degrees in psychology and community care and am always thinking about the intersection of disability and mental health. I live in snowy Minnesota with the cat of my heart, Rey. If I’m not writing, I’m probably indulging my imagination through ritual and art.
