Seeing Through

Author Christine Amsden, a local science-fiction and fantasy writer, appears today from 2 to 4 p.m. at Borders in Olathe (15350 West 119th Street, 913-764-0336) to discuss the release of her second novel, Touch of Fate. Amsden is hardly an ordinary paranormal writer, though — she copes with Stargardt's disease, a degenerative condition of the retina that impairs vision over time. Even basic visual tasks — let alone penning an entire novel — can become difficult or impossible. "Much of the creative process of writing takes place inside my head," Amsden says. "Even fully functional eyes can see the words that are supposed to be on the page rather than the words that are actually there." Christine Amsden
Sat., Feb. 16, 2-4 p.m., 2008