Deafrelated books NOT to read

[deafdyke]

What are some dhh related books that you wouldn't reccomend?
I just read " Listening with My Heart" by Heather Whitestone McCalumn....FAR too cheesy and "inspirational" ...Even if I wasn't a curmudoen who dislikes "Chicken Soup" style writing, I wouldn't reccomend it, on the account of that HWM cannot write. She cannot create a scene, and she can't show us what she means. She simply tells the story..(remember what they taught us in English, when writing essays? Show...NOT tell!)...It's also really ironic because she yaps on and on about how speaking has given her SO much freedom, and yet when she was going around doing her tour of duty, she actually acknowledged that she needed some oral 'terp folks......What are some other books you wouldn't reccomend?

 

[Cousin Vinny]

I just read " Listening with My Heart" by Heather Whitestone McCalumn....FAR too cheesy and "inspirational" ...Even if I wasn't a curmudoen who dislikes "Chicken Soup" style writing, I wouldn't reccomend it, on the account of that HWM cannot write.

I guess that makes me a curmudgeon, as I don't like those Chicken Soup books!

It's also really ironic because she yaps on and on about how speaking has given her SO much freedom, and yet when she was going around doing her tour of duty, she actually acknowledged that she needed some oral 'terp folks.

I don't find it ironic at all. I consider myself independent, and yet, still rely on ASL interpreters. They're just pawns in my goal of world domination.

I remember watching a TV program and in it, Heather used sign language. Granted, it wasn't perfect, but she clearly had a good grasp of SL. I wonder why she doesn't use it as often as she should? Using an ASL interpreter is a whole lot less taxing than an oral interpreter, even if the ASL interpreter changes her signs to more of an English structure.

Speaking of books, didn't Heather's mother write one, too? I wouldn't read that one. I'm afraid I'll find too many things I'll dislike about the book, should I ever read it, and toss it to a Fahreinheit 451-styled bonfire.

 

[Etoile]

I can't imagine not reading a deaf-related book, actually! I have read Listening (Hannah Merker) and The Feel of Silence (Bonnie Poitras Tucker), I didn't really like either of them but I was still glad to have read them. Hannah Merker was late-deafened and Bonnie Tucker is oralist (I believe she now has a CI, too). Hannah's book was just kind of slow and boring, and Bonnie Tucker was actually angry that she was deaf! Not all oralist books are necessarily bad, though...I liked Sue Thomas's book "Silent Night" just fine. (You'd never guess from the show what her life was really like, too, so if you like the show I definitely recommend the book.)

 

[ayala920]

They're just pawns in my goal of world domination.

Hey now, I don't appreciate that sentiment very much. Unless, of course, I can be the interpreter and somehow get in on a piece of this "world domination" of which you speak.

 

[deafdyke]

I consider myself independent, and yet, still rely on ASL interpreters.

I know. I consider those who use ASL 'terps to be independant.....but my point was that a lot of hardcore Oralists (not those with oral skills, but ORALISTS!) go on and on about how freeing talking and listening are (remember we're talking about an organization that has as its motto, "Freedom in Listening and Talking") and then when they encounter a sitution where hearing and talking is not feasible or they encounter the limitations of that methodology, they are all "Oh, boohoohoo.....Signers get 'terps, and we don't get oral 'terps or FM devices or other things to help us!) Make sense now?

I remember watching a TV program and in it, Heather used sign language. Granted, it wasn't perfect, but she clearly had a good grasp of SL. I wonder why she doesn't use it as often as she should?

Maybe b/c of her mom. I remember a few years ago, someone posted here, that they'd grown up with Heather, and they said that her mom was a very stereotypical AG Bell mom. That is she just wanted a healthy normal child, and wasn't going to stand for any "speshal needs" methods.