Special Collections
Deaf Special Collection
Description: A strong collection featuring biographies, fiction and non-fiction by and about members of the deaf community. For books by and about individuals who are deafblind, visit https://www.bookshare.org/browse/collection/194343 #disability
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The Other Victims
by Ina R. FriedmanPersonal narratives of Christians, gypsies, deaf people, homosexuals, and blacks who suffered at the hands of the Nazis before and during World War II, written for teenagers.
Mean Little Deaf Queer
by Terry GallowayIn 1959, the year Terry Galloway turned nine, the voices of everyone she loved began to disappear. No one yet knew that an experimental antibiotic given to her mother had wreaked havoc on her fetal nervous system, eventually causing her to go deaf. As a self-proclaimed "child freak," she acted out her fury with her boxy hearing aids and Coke-bottle glasses by faking her own drowning at a camp for crippled children. Ever since that first real-life performance, Galloway has used theater, whether onstage or off, to defy and transcend her reality. With disarming candor, she writes about her mental breakdowns, her queer identity, and living in a silent, quirky world populated by unforgettable characters. What could have been a bitter litany of complaint is instead an unexpectedly hilarious and affecting take on life.
Deaf Heritage
by Jack GannonThis in-depth history of Deaf America begins with an overview of the early years. Each chapter then covers a decade of history, beginning with 1880. The text is supplemented by marvelous pictures, illustrations, vignettes and biographical profiles. "Subchapters" chronicle the multi-facited dimensions of Deaf culture by focusing on Deaf athletes and more. A complete Deaf Culture course!
Shaman
by Noah GordonRobert Jeremy Cole, the legendary doctor and hero of "The Physician," left an enduring legacy. From the 11th century on, the eldest son in each generation of the Cole family has borne the same first name and middle initial and many of these men have followed the medical profession. A few have been blessed with their ancestor's diagnostic skill and the "sixth sense" they call The Gift, the ability to know instinctively when death is impending. The tragedy of Rob J.'s life is the deafness of his son, Robert Jefferson Cole, who is called Shaman by everyone who knows him. Shaman's life is difficult. First, he must learn to speak so that he can take his place in the hearing world, and then he must fight against the prejudices of a society where physical differences matter. As Shaman struggles to achieve his identity, the Coles, along with the rest of America, are drawn into the conflict between the North and the South.
Resistance
by Janet GraberIt is 1942, and German troops have invaded France. Marianne's mother has joined the Resistance, and Marianne disapproves. Her father has already been killed in the fighting--must her mother risk their lives as well? When her mother hides a wounded English soldier in the cellar of their woodshed, Marianne is filled with dread. She struggles between the impulse to give up the soldier and save her family, and the desire to help her country fight the occupying army.
In This Sign
by Joanne GreenbergJanice and Abel are a deaf couple. Their daughter can hear, and becomes their interpreter from a very early age. The parents are ashamed of their sign language and won't sign in public, only at the deaf club or with deaf friends. The daughter is interpreting phone calls, medical and banking appointments, legal and other situations long before she understands them. This is a historical novel, of a deaf world that no longer exists, but is accurate for its time.
The Orange Houses
by Paul GriffinTamika Sykes, AKA Mik, is hearing impaired and way too smart for her West Bronx high school. She copes by reading lips and selling homework answers, and looks forward to the time each day when she can be alone in her room drawing. She's a tough girl who mostly keeps to herself and can shut anyone out with the click of her hearing aid. But then she meets Fatima, a teenage refugee who sells newspapers, and Jimmi, a homeless vet who is shunned by the rest of the community, and her life takes an unexpected turn.
Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language
by Nora E. GroceFrom the seventeenth century to the early years of the twentieth, the population of Martha's Vineyard manifested an extremely high rate of profound hereditary deafness.
In stark contrast to the experience of most deaf people in our own society, the Vineyarders who were born deaf were so thoroughly integrated into the daily life of the community that they were not seen-- and did not see themselves-- as handicapped or as a group apart. Deaf people were included in all aspects of life, such as town politics, jobs, church affairs, and social life.
How was this possible? On the Vineyard, hearing and deaf islanders alike grew up speaking sign language. This unique sociolinguistic adaptation meant that the usual barriers to communication between the hearing and the deaf, which so isolate many deaf people today, did not exist.
Once In Every Life
by Kristin HannahTess Gregorys brilliant career as a research scientist hides her longings for a husband and child. Though deaf, she is a free spirit-a woman full of life and love. She is struck down all too soon. But for Tess, a new life begins at her death, in post-Civil War America. She is now Amarylis Rafferty, wife and mother of three-and she can hear. Shocked and disoriented by her new surroundings, she is drawn into the savage heartache burdening the family, especially her husband, Jack. Pioneer living is rough for a woman used to modern conveniences, but Tess flourishes, bringing happiness and hope to her daughters and her son-to all except her husband, a man haunted by angry, violent voices that give no rest to his bitter soul. A man who fears himself capable of anything. But Tess's faith is unshakable. Sheer determination will drive her as their hearts become entwined in a fierce struggle that can be tamed only by love itself....
Finding Zoe
by Marlee Matlin and Brandi Rarus and Gail HarrisAt just a few months old, Zoe was gradually losing her hearing. Her adoptive parents loved her-yet agonized-feeling they couldn't handle raising a Deaf child. Would Zoe go back into the welfare system and spend her childhood hoping to find parents willing to adopt her? Or, would she be the long-sought answer to a mother's prayers?
Brandi Rarus was just 6 when spinal meningitis took away her hearing. Because she spoke well and easily adjusted to lip reading, she was mainstreamed in school and socialized primarily in the hearing community. Brandi was a popular, happy teen, but being fully part of every conversation was an ongoing struggle. She felt caught between two worlds-the Deaf and the hearing.
In college, Brandi embraced Deaf Culture along with the joys of complete and effortless communication with her peers. Brandi went on to become Miss Deaf America in 1988 and served as a spokesperson for her community. It was during her tenure as Miss Deaf America that Brandi met Tim, a leader of the Gallaudet Uprising in support of selecting the university's first Deaf president. The two went on to marry and had three hearing boys-the first non-deaf children born in Tim's family in 125 years.
Brandi was incredibly grateful to have her three wonderful sons, but couldn't shake the feeling something was missing. She didn't know that Zoe, a six-month-old Deaf baby girl caught in the foster care system, was desperately in need of a family unafraid of her different needs. Brandi found the answer to her prayers when fate brought her new adopted daughter into her life.
Set against the backdrop of Deaf America, Finding Zoe is an uplifting story of hope, adoption, and everyday miracles.
Open Your Eyes
by H-Dirksen L. BaumanThis volume introduces readers to the key concepts and debates in deaf studies, offering perspectives on the relevance and richness of deaf ways of being in the world. In Open Your Eyes, leading and emerging scholars, the majority of whom are deaf, consider physical and cultural boundaries of deaf places and probe the complex intersections of deaf identities with gender, sexuality, disability, family, and race.
Signing the Body Poetic
by William C. Stokoe and H-Dirksen L. Bauman and Heidi M. Rose and Jennifer L. Nelson and W. J. T. MitchellThis unique collection of essays at last brings a dazzling view of the literary, social, and performative aspects of American Sign Language to a wide audience. The book presents the work of a renowned and diverse group of deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing scholars who examine original ASL poetry, narrative, and drama. The book showcases the poems and narratives under discussion in their original form, providing access to them for hearing non-signers for the first time. The book provides new insight into the history, culture, and creative achievements of the deaf community while expanding the scope of the visual and performing arts, literary criticism, and comparative literature.
Outsiders in a Hearing World
by Paul C. HigginsSociological observations on several topics in the deaf community: identity, deviance among the deaf, stigma, and encounters with the hearing.
Lazarus Rising
by John HowardJohn Howard spent decades under media scrutiny, and while his credentials as a political leader, devoted family man and sports tragic are beyond dispute, in this autobiography he reveals much more about himself. In Lazarus Rising, Howard traces his personal and political journey, from childhood in the post-World War II era through to the present day, painting a fascinating picture of a changing Australia. We see the youngster who had to overcome serious deafness and who latched onto the family passion for current affairs and politics. From school debating, to a legal career, to the Liberal Party and life with Janette, it all seemed such a natural progression. Yet no one would say that Howard had it easy; not when his own colleagues sidelined him . . . twice. An economic radical and social conservative, John Howard's ideology united many Australians and divided just as many others. Long before he attained the role of prime minister, he first had to convince his fellow Liberals that he was the man they needed. To do that, he had to tough it out; it took several attempts and many years biding his time. When he finally got his turn to take on the ALP, he proved wrong all his doubters, and showed a whole nation that it had been a mistake ever to underestimate John Howard. He led the Liberal Party to victory in four elections and became the second-longest-serving PM in the nation's history.Lazarus Rising is history seen through the eyes of the ultimate insider; an account of a 30-year political career. No prime minister of modern times has reshaped Australia and its place in the world as forcefully as John Howard. As part of his reform agenda he privatized Telstra, dismantled excessive union power and compulsory trade union membership, instituted the unpopular Goods and Services Tax, and established the ‘work for the dole' scheme. Then there are the insights into political leadership and character, the stuff that drives history. Without his deep reserves of resilience - and the support of a strong wife and loving family - there would have been no Prime Minister John Howard walking the world stage. He tells us how he responded on issues vital to Australia, such as gun control, the aftermath of 9/11, Iraq and the rising tide of asylum-seekers. He also shares his thoughts on his former Treasurer and leadership aspirant, Peter Costello, and the Rudd-Gillard debate.Lazarus Rising takes us through the life and motivations of John Howard and through the forces which have changed and shaped both him and the country he led for 11 years.
Inside Deaf Culture
by Carol Padden and Tom HumphriesIn this [account] of the changing life of a community, the authors of Deaf in America reveal historical events and forces that have shaped the ways that Deaf people define themselves today. Inside Deaf Culture relates Deaf people's search for a voice of their own, and their proud self-discovery and self description as a flourishing culture.
Padden and Humphries show how the nineteenth-century schools for the deaf, with their denigration of sign language and their insistence on oralist teaching, shaped the lives of Deaf people for generations to come. They describe how Deaf culture and art thrived in mid-twentieth-century Deaf clubs and Deaf theater, and they profile controversial contemporary technologies.
Most triumphant is the story of the survival of the rich and complex American Sign Language long misunderstood but finally recognized by a hearing world that could not conceive of language in a form other than speech. In a moving conclusion, the authors describe their own very different pathways into the Deaf culture, and reveal the confidence and the anxiety of the people of this tenuous community as it faces the future.
Listening with My Heart
by Heather Whitestone and Angela Elwell HuntHeather Whitestone. Her name has become synonymous with incredible determination and unprecedented achievement. In Listening with My Heart, Heather tells her own story and the stories of others who have inspired her, proving that with hard work, perseverance, and faith, each of us can move mountains.
Profoundly deaf since she was eighteen months old, Heather strove to live a normal life, and refused to listen to the voices of discouragement that many of us so often hear, no matter what problems confront us. She wouldn't listen to the doctor who said she wouldn't develop beyond third-grade abilities, or to those who said she would never dance ballet, or even speak. She did, however, hear the encouraging spirit of her family and followed the guidance of her own heart's dreams.
Struggling through her difficulties, she was sustained by every success--no matter how small--and ultimately became Miss America 1995. Though she is disabled, her incredible gifts have inspired many throughout the world, and in Listening with My Heart she at last shares her life-changing wisdom.
Deafening
by Frances ItaniThis novel interweaves the lives of its two main characters - Grania, deaf since age five; and her husband Jim, who serves as a medic on the battlefields of World War I. The story begins with Grania's childhood in a small Canadian town, and her years at a residential school for the deaf. Her relationships within her family are portrayed with insight and depth. Jim leaves for Europe two weeks after his marriage to Grania, and much of the book involves his horrifying experience of the war. The author based Grania's character on her own grandmother, who was deaf, and has done extensive research on both deaf history and the social history of the World War I era. This is an absorbing novel and gives a refreshingly rounded depiction of a woman with a disability.
The Deaf Musicians
by Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois JacobsLee is a piano man. Every night, he plays jazz for the crowd. It sounds something like this:
Plink-a-plink-BOMP-plink-plink.
Yimba-timba-TANG-ZANG-ZANG.
One night, Lee's bandmates notice something is off. Lee's music comes out like this:
Ronk. Phip. Tonk.
There's no way to hide it: Lee is losing his hearing. Then Lee discovers sign language. And soon after, he meets Max, who plays the sax. Together they form a new band-the Deaf Musicians. But who will listen to a deaf musician?
With The Deaf Musicians, Pete Seeger, Paul DuBois Jacobs, and three-time Coretta Scott King Honor winner R. Gregory Christie present an inspiring story of overcoming obstacles, set to a jazzy score.
OO-AH, BE-DOOP, BE-DOOP, OO-AH, YEAH!
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
The Mission Adventure (Darcy and Friends)
by Steve Jensen and Joni Eareckson TadaAlthough beeing in a wheelchair will make the trip difficult, Darcy feels called to go with members of her church on a mission to Guatemala where she and her sister help a deaf orphan.
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
Five Flavors of Dumb
by Antony JohnThe Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.
The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.
The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?
Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
Deaf Culture A to Z
by Walter Paul Kelley"A is for American Sign Language. American Sign Language (ASL) is the language of signs used among many Deaf people. Each sign represents a word or words. In the picture on the right, the boy is signing, "What should I do?" The librarian answers, "You can read a book on Deaf Culture." ASL is a beautiful language and it is fun to learn."
Echo
by C. L. KellyIn book two of the Sensations series, Cassie Dixon's getaway to the mountains with her friends and their thirteen-year-old deaf son becomes a high-stakes search when the boy disappears. Danger stalks the slopes.
The Mesa Conspiracy
by David KentDavid Kent unlocked the files of Department Thirty in his electrifying debut novel, "a thrill-a-minute ride" (Mystery Scene). Now he returns to the elusive government agency that erases criminal identities in exchange for lethal secrets -- in a heart-pounding new thriller. Raised by his tough but loving distant cousin Colleen, Eric Anthony never cared or asked what became of the parents who abandoned him early in life. But now Colleen is dying, and Eric, single dad to his young deaf son, is left with a mind-boggling mystery revealed in Colleen's last breaths: a cryptic directive from the man who was his father. Piecing together his shadowed past begins in the dust of Oklahoma's rugged terrain -- and leads to Department Thirty, where U.S. Marshal Faith Kelly chases the mastermind behind a wave of domestic terror. The nexus where their solo quests meet will have explosive implications for them both -- and will place many more than just themselves in grave danger.
Rocky Road
by Rose KentIce cream warms the heart, no matter what the weather. That's the Dobson family motto. Whenever things get tough, they break out the special heart-shaped bowls and make sundaes. The road has been especially rocky lately for Tess and her deaf little brother, Jordan. Their plucky Texan mother talks big, but her get-rich-quick business schemes have only landed them in serious financial hot water.
Ma's newest idea is drastic. She abruptly moves the family to snowy Schenectady, New York, where she will use the last of their savings to open her dream business: an ice cream shop. (Too bad the only place she could find an apartment is in a senior citizens' complex. ) Tess wants to be excited about this plan, but life in Schenectady is full of new worries. Who will buy ice cream in their shop's run-down neighborhood? What will happen when their money runs out? Worst of all is Ma herself-she's famous for her boundless energy and grandiose ideas, but only Tess and Jordan know about the dark days when she crashes and can't get out of bed. And Tess can't seem to find the right words to talk to Ma about it.
This moving story of family, community, and ice cream proves that with a little help from the people around us, life really can be sweet-and a little nutty-just like Rocky Road.
Understanding Deaf Culture
by Paddy LaddThis book presents a 'Traveller's Guide' to Deaf Culture, starting from the premise that Deaf cultures have an important contribution to make to other academic disciplines, and human lives in general. Within and outside Deaf communities, there is a need for an account of the new concept of Deaf culture, which enables readers to assess its place alongside work on other minority cultures and multilingual discourses. The book aims to assess the concepts of culture, on their own terms and in their many guises and to apply these to Deaf communities. The author illustrates the pitfalls which have been created for those communities by the medical concept of 'deafness' and contrasts this with his new concept of "Deafhood", a process by which every Deaf child, family and adult implicitly explains their existence in the world to themselves and each other.