Chapter 62 :)

Is there Deaf Literature?

This chapter was a bit of a no brainier for me......  Wasn't Beethoven Deaf? One of the best composers/ pianists of all time was almost completely deaf... so of coarse there is Deaf Literature. All people want to express themselves and tell their view point why would Deaf people be of any acceptation? Also while I was reading this chapter, the first thing that came to my mind was YouTube! There are so many amazing memoirs, and documentaries in ASL on YouTube, and they are so intricate and full of emotion! I would definitely consider videos as being literature. Not only can Deaf people express themselves through video, but also as noted in this chapter... there have been many professional Deaf writers, who write about all different things! I think it is so amazing that Deaf people write books and have them published... it is hard for me to even make a 5 minute video in ASL. I am trying to picture the tables turned and imagine me publishing a book in another language. To me the fact that there is so much Deaf literature out there it really shows intelligence and determination.

I do think that the the author of this chapter makes a great point in saying "instead of comparing contemporary ASL artists with Shakespeare, it might be more instructive to try and understand how ASL literature uses visual- kinetic instead of written/spoken language" As I mentioned, there are so many amazing videos out there by Deaf people that show so much expression and literally sets up a scene from the person's perspective.

One of the best examples of Deaf literature I have seen (and I have not seen that much) is the Personification Bobber by Trix Bruce. It is so amazing how she role shifts and portrays so many different perspectives!