Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - List of Books by Harriet McBryde Johnson

Harriet McBryde Johnson (July 8, 1957 - June 4, 2008) was an American author, attorney, and disability rights activist. She was disabled due to a neuromuscular disease and used a motorized wheelchair.

Johnson, who was born in eastern North Carolina, lived most of her life in Charleston, South Carolina.

In 2002 Harriet Johnson debated Peter Singer, challenging his belief that parents ought to be able to euthanize their disabled children. "Unspeakable Conversations," Johnson's account of her encounters with Singer and the pro-euthanasia movement, was published in the New York Times Magazine in 2003.

She wrote Too Late to Die Young in 2005 and Accidents of Nature in 2006.

During her career as an attorney she specialized in helping people who couldn't work get Social Security benefits. She was also chairwoman of the Charleston County Democratic Party. She once described herself as a "disabled, liberal, atheistic Democrat". She expressed support for Congress during the Terri Schiavo case.

In 1990 she drew national attention for her opposition to the annual Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. Lewis told the Chicago Tribune he had no intention of making peace with opponents such as Johnson. He likened the idea of meeting with them to entertaining Hezbollah or insurgents in Iraq. Johnson described the telethon as "the charity mentality" and decried its "pity-based tactics".

In 2003 Johnson was named Person of the Year by New Mobility.

Johnson died at home on June 4, 2008.

Published Works   more

This author page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Harriet McBryde Johnson", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Total Books: 8
Accidents of Nature
2008 - Accidents of Nature (Paperback)Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
ISBN-13: 9781842707418
ISBN-10: 1842707418
Genre: Children's Books
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1

Accidents of Nature
2007 - Accidents of Nature (Hardcover)Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
ISBN-13: 9780786291823
ISBN-10: 0786291826
Genres: Health, Fitness & Dieting, Teen & Young Adult
  ?

Accidents of Nature
Accidents of Nature
2006 - Accidents of Nature (Hardcover)Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
ISBN-13: 9780805076349
ISBN-10: 0805076344
Genres: Children's Books, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Teen & Young Adult
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 4

Too Late to Die Young  Nearly True Tales from a Life
2006 - Too Late to Die Young Nearly True Tales From a Life (Paperback)Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9780312425715
ISBN-10: 0312425716
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction
  ?

Too Late to Die Young  Nearly True Tales from a Life
2005 - Too Late to Die Young Nearly True Tales From a Life (Hardcover)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780805075946
ISBN-10: 0805075941
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Nonfiction
  • Currently 1.5/5 Stars.
 1

Accidents of Nature
Accidents of Nature (Audio CD)Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
ISBN-13: 9780739335628
ISBN-10: 0739335626
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 2