"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses distracts me from my book friends' sweet, gracious discourse. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness." -- The Story of My Life, 1902
Helen Keller saw herself as a writer first and foremost—her passport listed her profession as "author." It was through the typewritten word that Helen communicated with Americans and ultimately with thousands across the globe.
From an early age, she championed the underdog's rights and used her writing skills to speak truth to power. A pacifist, she protested U.S. involvement in World War I. A committed socialist, she took up the cause of workers' rights. She was also a tireless advocate for women's suffrage and an early American Civil Liberties Union member.
Helen Keller wrote 14 books and over 475 speeches and essays on topics such as faith, blindness prevention, birth control, the rise of fascism in Europe, and atomic energy. Her autobiography has been translated into 50 languages and remains in print.
The books, essays, and speeches you can read here are a sampling of Helen Keller's writings in the collection.
