For My Readers Out There

For my book-loving readers out there, I thought I would share some great materials that I have read recently.

If you are looking for great books on Deaf/deaf people, then have I got the books for you! In “No Walls of Stone: An Anthology of Literature by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Writers,” I read the most awesome story called “Deafness.” It was written by David Wright and is an excerpt from his book titled “Deafness: A Personal Account.” What I found so remarkable about this book was that he explains so vividly how deaf people “see sound” and what sound means to deaf people.

People always ask me if it is quiet when I am with my Deaf and hard of hearing friends and I always struggle with an answer because, on the one hand, it is quiet in the sense of actually “hearing” conversation and what-not, but it also just as loud as being with hearing people. I had no idea how to express this until I read his book. David Wright explains it this way: he says that, for a deaf person, “quiet” means stillness–no movement–like trees standing erect without wind. “Loudness” means movement and more movement means “louder.” If the wind is blowing and the trees are swaying and the leaves are swirling, then “noise” is filling the senses. Of course, David Wright says it much better than I can, so read his book!

I know that I have already mentioned this book before, but, I cannot help it. It is a great book that gives incredible insight into the Deaf community and Deaf values. Besides, it is hilarious. Who does not like a funny book? ”Bug: Deaf Identity and Internal Revolution” by Christopher Jon Heuer is amazing. If you want an example of what I am talking about, read my blog “A Cookie-Cutter Image.”

“Deaf World: A Historical Reader and Primary Sourcebook” edited by Lois Bragg is a great resource, too. It is a compilation of many, many books, articles, and other such materials that gives a well-rounded education of the Deaf-World.

Lastly, I must recommend the very first book I ever read about the Deaf: “A Journey into the Deaf-World” by Lane, Hoffmeister, and Bahan. It is a great book that explains all you would ever want to know about deafness, sign language, Deaf culture, cochlear implants, and the list goes on! This book, along with several other books by Ben Bahan, are what gave me my first glimpses into the Deaf-World and Deaf culture. As I said before, when I was first learning ASL, I had little to no contact with Deaf people, so I read and read and read. This is one of those books I happened to pick up, and I am so glad I did, too.

I hope this list helps! At least it would make for an incredible summer reading experience!