In Praise of Moss

In Praise of Moss is an essay about disability illuminated with nature photography and formatted as a 22-page zine.

In this essay, I argue against the myth of productivity while celebrating the value of a diversity of contributions to our culture and communities. Not everyone can be a tree, and that’s okay. Moss is an equally important part of an ecosystem.

Moss is a useful metaphor for a story that recontextualizes what it means for disabled people to be valued in our communities and relationships. By exploring how moss supports an entire ecosystem, we can craft a model for how disability positivity can benefit society.

In addition, moss is remarkably adept at surviving disaster, which makes it an engaging analogy for resistance against the pressures of self-optimization exerted by neoliberal capitalism. While my focus is on disability, I believe that all readers can benefit from a shift in perspective that encourages us to grow naturally without worrying about productivity.