ds_0027_vallicook_cap_01.mp4

ds_0027_vallicook_cap_01.mp4

Morning analysis session

Valli, Clayton

American Sign Language literature

Deaf Poetry

American poetry 20th century

Deaf, Writings of the, American

ASL poetry

Clayton Valli discusses different genres in ASL creative arts and ASL poetry expression. ASL creative arts make use of handshape repetitions, changes to reflect the deaf experience in stories (such as flashing lights), songs (audience participation, clapping, hand and palm orientation), poetry (repeated handshapes, repeated path movements and facial expression), and humor. The characteristics of ASL poetry such as rhyming and repetition patterns, classifiers, transformations, marked signs, eye behavior, and the signer's location all influence the delivery of the poem. Literary features include personification, figurative language, metaphors, symbols, irony, and frames. He shares his experiences teaching art signs to Deaf children who are enthusiastic learners. Bilingual Deaf education, the importance of early ASL exposure for Deaf children, and encouraging more interactions between younger and older Deaf students will help develop stronger identities and ASL language skills. Peter Cook shares his educational background: he attended Clarke School for the Deaf, an oral school in MA, after he became deaf. He learned sign language at NTID, where he participated in theatre productions and fell in love with ASL. He and Kenny Lerner formed The Flying Words Project as poets and perform ASL poetry all over the world. Peter performs an ASL poem, "Einstein Under the Apple Tree," then discusses the importance of playing with language for Deaf people, to increase the body of ASL literature. He demonstrates a variety of ways of playing with language in ASL. Then he discusses the creative process of Flying Words Project, how Peter and Kenny work together to create poetry

National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Libraries - RIT Archive Collections

Cook, Peter S.

ASL Literature Conference (1991 National Technical Institute for the Deaf)

1991

2018

moving image

mp4

VHS

80 minutes

American Sign Language

English

RITDSA.0027

Sculptures in the Air: An Accessible Online Video Repository of the American Sign Language (ASL) Poetry and Literature Collections

Miriam and Kenneth Lerner ASL Poetry Collection

2018-2019 CLIR Grant-ASL Poetry and Literature

https://albert.rit.…

https://archivesspa…

New York - Rochester

Henrietta Campus

RIT Libraries makes materials from its collections available for educational and research purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. It is your responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder to publish or reproduce images in print or electronic form.

CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International

HELLO. I'M MATTHEW MOORE.

I AM THE PUBLISHER OF
"DEAF LIFE" MAGAZINE,

AND ALSO I AM A COORDINATOR WITH
FLYING WORDS PROJECT.

I WANT TO WELCOME YOU HERE.

BEFORE WE START, I WOULD LIKE
TO MENTION A FEW THINGS

TO GET US GOING.

FIRST OF ALL, GOOD MORNING.

I AM PERSONALLY NOT MUCH OF
A MORNING PERSON.

I'M A LITTLE LOGY RIGHT NOW,
BUT I'LL SHAKE THAT OFF.

NOW, I AM SUPPOSED TO INVITE
KENNY LERNER TO THE STAGE

TO SAY A FEW WORDS, BUT HE IS
NOT HERE,

SO I GUESS WE'LL JUST
JUMP AHEAD.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU
TO THIS CONFERENCE.

AND I WANTED TO MENTION
THE PEOPLE

WHO HAVE MADE THIS CONFERENCE
POSSIBLE--

KAREN CHRISTIE, PATRICIA DURR,
LAURIE BREWER, KENNY LERNER,

MIRIAM LERNER, MYSELF--WELL,
I DON'T MATTER SO MUCH--

DOROTHY WILKINS,
JEAN BONDI-WOLCOTT.

NOW, THE PURPOSE OF THIS
CONFERENCE IS

TO DISCUSS THE IDEA
OF ASL LITERATURE

AND WHAT EXACTLY THAT MEANS
AND WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

WE WANT TO HAVE A BETTER
DEFINITION OF IT.

AT THIS POINT, WE DO NOT HAVE
A PARTICULAR WAY

TO DEFINE IT, SO AS A GROUP,
WE'RE COMING TOGETHER TO FIND

A COMMON MEANING AND DEFINITION
OF THE TERM "ASL LITERATURE."

DOES IT EXIST, OR DOESN'T IT?

THROUGHOUT THIS CONFERENCE,

WE'LL HAVE COPY SIGN
INTERPRETERS UP ON THE STAGE,

MEANING YOU'LL HAVE
THE PRESENTER

AND YOU'LL HAVE A COPY SIGNER
AFTER THAT PRESENTER

HAS DONE WITH THEIR PARTICULAR
INFORMATION.

AND WHEN THERE'S A Q&A PORTION
OF THE PRESENTATION,

SO THAT PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE
DON'T HAVE TO CRANE THEIR NECKS

CRAZILY AND TRY
TO SEE EACH OTHER,

WE WILL HAVE A COPY SIGNER
ON THE STAGE COPYING, MIRRORING

THAT QUESTION SO THAT
EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE

CAN SEE IT.

AND THEN THE PRESENTER
CAN GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS IT

AND GIVE THE ANSWER, ALL RIGHT?

WE'LL HAVE 3 COPY SIGNERS,

WHO WILL BE PROVIDING SERVICES
THROUGHOUT--MYSELF,

LESLIE GREER,
AND JACKIE SCHERTZ.

LET'S SEE. IS THERE ONE MORE?
1, 2, 3. I GUESS THAT'S IT.

THE THREE OF US WILL BE
PROVIDING THAT SERVICE, OK?

ALL RIGHT.

I AM VERY PLEASED TO
BE WELCOMING TO THE STAGE

OUR FIRST PRESENTER,
CLAYTON VALLI.

HE PERFORMED HERE LAST NIGHT.

SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN
HIS SHOW,

AND TODAY HE'LL BE DISCUSSING
HIS WORK.

HE IS A PROFESSOR AT
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS
AND INTERPRETING.

HE'S ALSO STUDYING PART-TIME
FOR HIS Ph.D. IN COLLABORATION

WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF OHIO.

PLEASE WELCOME HIM WITH ME,
CLAYTON VALLI.

HELLO, EVERYBODY.

SO LAST NIGHT, I HAD MY
PERFORMANCE HAT ON,

AND NOW I HAVE TO SWITCH HATS
AND GO TO A PRESENTATION TRACK,

AND THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT
FOR ME.

THE TOPIC I'LL BE
ADDRESSING TODAY IS

APPROACHES IN TEACHING
ASL CREATIVE ARTS AND POETRY.

I'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN RESEARCH
AND STUDY AND ANALYSIS

ABOUT HOW TO TEACH
CREATIVE ARTS AND POETRY IN ASL.

THIS IS IN REGARDS
TO MY Ph.D. STUDIES

THAT I'M ENGAGED IN RIGHT NOW.

AND SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE
AN OVERVIEW

OF WHAT I HAVE FOUND SO FAR.

NOW, IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY,
AS I'VE BEEN STUDYING IT,

I'VE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE
5 INTERESTING FORMS

WHICH HAVE PRESENTED
THEMSELVES TO ME.

THERE'S CREATIVE ARTS.

AND I'LL EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT
THE DEFINITIONS OF THAT

AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH
THE PRESENTATION.

THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED
PERCUSSION--PERCUSSION SIGN.

AND THAT'S RHYTHM ACCOMPANIED
USUALLY BY A DRUM.

AND I'LL, AS I SAID, BE GOING
MORE INTO THAT.

THERE'S POETRY.

LET'S SEE.
WHERE IS THIS FOURTH ONE?

THERE'S STORYTELLING...

AND THERE'S HUMOR.

THESE ARE 5 PARTICULAR ART FORMS
THAT I HAVE SEEN EVIDENCED

IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY.

AND TODAY THE FOCUS OF MY TALK
WILL BE SPECIFICALLY

ON CREATIVE ARTS AND POETRY.

I MAY MENTION THE OTHER 3
IN PASSING,

BUT, PREDOMINANTLY, MY TALK
WILL BE ABOUT THOSE FIRST TWO.

I HAVE AN OVERHEAD, AND I'LL BE
TALKING A LITTLE BIT

ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE--

WHAT CREATIVE ARTS ACTUALLY
MEANS AS AN OVERARCHING THEME--

AND THEN GO DOWN THROUGH
THE VARIOUS PARTS

THAT I WANT TO ADDRESS.

IS THIS CLEAR?
CAN YOU SEE THIS OK?

TOO SMALL?

YEAH, IF I MOVE THE PROJECTOR
BACK, WE CAN ENLARGE IT.

HOW'S THAT? OK.

YOU CAN SEE BETTER?

WHAT'S THE QUESTION
FROM UP THERE?

OH, THE QUESTION FROM
THE AUDIENCE IS,

WILL I BE DISSEMINATING COPIES
OF MY PRESENTATION

IN TERMS OF THE OVERHEAD?

I WASN'T PLANNING TO, BUT I CAN
ASK SOMEBODY TO MAKE SOME COPIES

AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY
GETS ONE IF THEY CARE TO.

NOW, PREDOMINANTLY,
WE'RE LOOKING AT

PATTERNS OF HANDSHAPES--
5s, 1s, DIFFERENT HANDSHAPES

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
THE CREATIVE ART FORM.

OH. YOU WERE HAVING TROUBLE
SEEING ME.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, PATTERNS,
LIKE ABC STORIES.

YOU'RE FAMILIAR ABC STORIES,
RIGHT? YOU'VE SEEN THOSE BEFORE.

I COULD DO IT THIS WAY, LIKE
AN AUTOPSY--

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K,

L, M, N, O, P,

Q, R, S, T, U, V,

W, X, Y, Z.

AND THAT DESCRIBED AN AUTOPSY,

A PERSON BEING PREPARED
FOR BURIAL,

AND THEN THE FUNERAL.

NOW, I DID NOT CREATE THAT.

I ACTUALLY TOOK THAT
FROM A KID IN A HIGH SCHOOL

WHO CREATED IT.

I BORROWED IT FROM THAT PERSON
BECAUSE IT EVIDENCED IT SO WELL.

BUT, ANYWAY, THAT GIVES YOU
AN IDEA OF WHAT ABC STORIES

WOULD LOOK LIKE.

AND THEN THERE'S SOMETHING
CALLED NUMBER STORIES.

HERE'S ONE. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,

7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

THAT'S 1-11.
AGAIN, YOU, LOOK AT ME.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,

7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

NOW, I KNOW IT'S REALLY FAST.

BUT I REMEMBER THIS ONE
REALLY WELL

BECAUSE I WAS INTRODUCED TO IT
WHEN I WAS PRETTY YOUNG.

LET'S SEE. I THINK I WAS
AT JUNIOR NAD--

THE JUNIOR NAD CONFERENCE.

AND I WAS JUST SO YOUNG
AND GREEN.

AND I RAN INTO THIS GROUP OF
OLDER DEAF KIDS,

WHO WERE JUST SORT OF ALL THAT.

AND I WALK IN, AND ONE OF THEM
SAYS, "HEY, LOOK AT ME.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,

7, 8, 9, 10, 11."

AND, OF COURSE, I DIDN'T GET IT.

I HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THAT BEFORE.

AND I SAID, "HEY." AND THEY
DID IT AGAIN.

AND THEY DID THIS OVER AND OVER
AND OVER AGAIN

UNTIL I FINALLY GOT IT.

AND I REALIZED, "OH, THIS WHOLE
THING IS THE NUMBERS 1-11,

BUT IT LOOKS LIKE
THEY'RE CALLING ME ON THE CARPET

ABOUT SOMETHING, BUT I NEVER
FORGOT IT.

NOW, THERE ARE SOME CREATIVE
ART FORMS IN ASL

USING JUST ONE HANDSHAPE.

LET'S SEE HERE.

YES. LIKE, M.J. BIENVENU--

SHE HAD A STORY ON A TAPE
THAT I SAW,

AND I THOUGHT IT WAS
A PERFECT EXAMPLE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN DRESSED
VERY ELEGANTLY, TALKING.

AND THEN THEY LOOK UP.

THERE'S A FIRE. EVERYBODY TRIES
TO GET OUT IN A MAD DASH,

AND THEY ALL,
UNFORTUNATELY, DIED.

THAT WAS ALL IN 5 HANDSHAPE--

"MAN," "WOMAN," "CLOTHES,"
"FANCY," "TALKING," "MINGLING,"

"LOOKING UP," "SEEING A FIRE,"

"EVERYBODY SCRAMBLING
TO GET OUT,

"BUT, UNFORTUNATELY,
THEY TRAMPLE EACH OTHER,

AND THEY ALL DIE."

ONE HANDSHAPE THROUGHOUT.

AND THEN THERE ARE WORD STORIES
OR WORD UTTERANCES.

AND YOU'VE SEEN THESE AROUND.
YOU'VE SEEN "GOLF,"

THAT'S THE MOST FAMOUS ONE.
"G" WITH AN "O," L-F.

"G" IS THE TEE, "O" IS THE BALL,

"L" IS THE CLUB,
AND "F" IS WHEN THE BALL IS HIT.

"G-O-L-F."

THE BALL GOES INTO THE DISTANCE.

OR SOMEBODY IN THE AUDIENCE
IS SAYING SOMETHING.

OH. THEY HAVE AN EVEN CLEARER
VERSION OF IT.

OK, I LIKE YOUR VERSION BETTER.

YOU MAKE THE "G" LIKE THIS.
THIS IS THE TEE.

THE "O" GOES ON TOP OF IT.
RIGHT, RIGHT.

"G-O-L-F." "GOLF."

WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE?
OH, THERE'S "LEAF."

HERE'S THE TREE, AND THEN "L."
WAIT. HOW DOES IT GO?

"L-E-A-F." THE LEAF LANDS ON
THE GROUND. L-E-A-F FOR "LEAF."

AND THEN THERE'S "WATERFALL."

THERE'S ALL SORTS OF THEM.
THAT'S RIGHT.

THERE'S "REFLECTION," WHERE BOTH
HANDS SPELL "REFLECTION,"

AS IF ONE'S A REFLECTION
OF THE OTHER.

LOTS OF VARIATIONS ON THE THEME.

COFFEE. C-O...

I DON'T EVEN THINK I CAN EVEN DO
THIS ONE. I FORGOT HOW TO DO IT.

RIGHT. "C-O-F-F-E-E."

RIGHT. SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
"COFFEE."

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT KIND OF
WORDPLAY GOING ON.

THEN THERE'S FINGERSPELLED
NAME STORIES OR JOKES.

LIKE MY NAME, VALLI. V-A-L-L-I.

I LOOKED DOWN, I GOT AN "A"
ON AN EXAM. WOW! I'M ALL THAT.

I'M PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT THAT,

AND THEN I GO, "AH! IT'S ALL
ABOUT ME." V-A-L-L-I. "VALLI."

SO YOU LOOK AT THE PERSON.

AND YOU TRY TO EVOKE SOME SORT
OF PERSONAL CHARACTERISTIC

ABOUT THEM BY TAKING
THE LETTERS OF THEIR NAME--

FIRST OR LAST NAME--
AND THEN CREATING

SORT OF A SIGN LANGUAGE PLAY
ABOUT IT.

IT CAN EITHER BE SOMETHING
COMPLIMENTARY

OR SOMETHING MORE CRITICAL.

[CHUCKLES]

SO YOU GET THE IDEA.
THAT'S CREATIVE ARTS.

AND ALL OF THE FOCUS IS ON
THE HANDS.

AND, OF COURSE, BODY LANGUAGE
AND FACIAL EXPRESSION

IS IMPORTANT, BUT THE REAL
ARTISTRY IS TAKING PLACE

ON THE HANDS THEMSELVES
AND THE SIGNS THAT ARE CHOSEN.

NOW, YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR

WITH THE IDEA OF DEAF SONGS
OR DEAF CHANTS.

DEAF SONG--SONGS AND DEAFNESS

DON'T NECESSARILY SEEM
TO GO TOGETHER,

AND THAT'S UP FOR DISCUSSION.

BUT I'VE GONE TO WORKSHOPS,

AND THERE WAS ONE PERSON
WHO SUGGESTED

THE IDEA OF PERCUSSION, MEANING
THAT THERE'S A FORCED BEAT,

THERE'S A SOUND
THAT'S ACCOMPANYING THE SIGNS

AT THE SAME TIME.

AND I LIKE THAT
WORD "PERCUSSION."

I THINK IT'S VERY STRONG,
AND IT MAKES SENSE.

THERE CAN BE DIFFERENT SORTS
OF DRUMS,

WHATEVER CONFIGURATION
OF DRUMMING YOU MAY BE USING.

AND YOU FEEL THAT RESONANCE
IN YOUR STERNUM.

YOU FEEL THAT AT THE SAME TIME
THAT THE SIGNS ARE BEING

BALLISTICALLY PRODUCED.

IT WAS REALLY POPULAR BACK
IN THE DAY AT GALLAUDET.

YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH
THE BISON CHEER

OR THE BISON CHANT.

AND I WAS NEVER ANY GOOD AT IT.
I DON'T KNOW IT VERY WELL.

BUT I'VE SEEN IT. I'VE SEEN
PEOPLE DO IT REALLY WELL.

BISON, BISON.
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT--

SOMETHING LIKE THAT
BUT WITH A DRUM ACCOMPANYING

AT THE SAME TIME.

AND IT'S WONDERFUL, REALLY.
YOU CAN FEEL IT.

IT'S VERY EXCITING.

YOU FEEL THE BOOM-BOOM, AND IT

RESONATES THROUGH YOUR WHOLE
BEING.

IT SEEMS LIKE THERE
ARE OCCASIONAL RECURRENCES

AND RESURGENCES OF
THAT ART FORM,

BUT I HOPE THAT IT HAS
A REJUVENATION

OF THAT TECHNIQUE BECAUSE
I THINK THERE'S

A LOT OF VARIATIONS YOU CAN DO
WITH IT.

AND I DO SEE THAT BEGINNING
TO PROLIFERATE AGAIN.

NOW, IN CANADA, THERE'S A WOMAN
NAMED ANGELA STRATIY.

I'VE SEEN HER WORK.

I'LL TRY TO COPY A LITTLE BIT
OF WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

SHE WAS SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT--
LET'S SEE--HAIL THE FLAG.

AND IT GOES ALONG WITH THE DRUM,
REMEMBER?

SO "HAIL THE FLAG,

COLORS OF WHITE AND RED,"

AND THERE'S CLAPPING IN BETWEEN
ALONG WITH THE BEAT.

"IF YOU'RE DEAF AND YOU FEEL
FRUSTRATED..."

FRUSTRATED, FRUSTRATED,
I THINK.

"OPPRESSED, OPPRESSED,
PUT DOWN, PUT DOWN,

TAKE HEART. BE BRAVE."

WHAT IS IT?

"FIGHT, FIGHT. COOPERATE,
COOPERATE.

COOPERATION, COOPERATION."

I THINK THAT'S IT.

"FROM THE FOUR CORNERS
OF THE LAND...

WE LOOKED TO EACH OTHER
AND KNOW THAT DEAF CAN."

SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I KNOW
THAT WAS A LITTLE AWKWARD,

BUT ALONG WITH A DRUMBEAT,
IT IS WONDERFUL.

AND THE SIGNS ARE PRODUCED
IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE GONNA SAY
"COOPERATION," YOU WOULD SIGN IT

LIKE THIS IN JUST EVERYDAY
PARLANCE.

BUT THERE IS A SWINGING MOVEMENT
TO IT.

IT CHANGES THE MOVEMENT OF
THE SIGN

WHEN IT GOES ALONG WITH
A DRUMBEAT.

OR THE IDEA OF OPPRESSION
OF BEING PUT DOWN.

THE REGULAR FORM WOULD JUST BE

THIS "RIGHT IN FRONT
OF YOUR BODY" WAY,

BUT THIS MAKES YOU LEAN BACK.

AND IT'S ALWAYS IN A COUNT OF
THREE--1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3.

AND SO THE BEAT ACTUALLY
PUSHES THE SIGNS

IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY
A DIFFERENT FORM,

A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING IT
THAT'S QUITE EXCITING.

NOW, RHYTHM AND METER--1, 2,
1, 2, 3 WITH A DRUM.

IT CAN BE TWO BEATS,
IT CAN BE THREE BEATS.

OR SOMETIMES IT CAN ALTERNATE.
1, 2, 1, 2, 3. OR 1.

THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS
TO DO IT.

AND THEN THERE'S THE MOVEMENTS
OF THE SIGNS THEMSELVES.

LIKE I SAID,
THE SIGN "COOPERATION"

CHANGED TO A SWINGING KIND OF
MOVEMENT.

IT WAS NOT PRODUCED IN
THE REGULAR PROSAIC WAY.

SOMETIMES THE AUDIENCE
CLAPS ALONG,

SO THEY FEEL PART OF IT,
AND THEY ACCOMPANY THE SIGN.

SOMETIMES THE AUDIENCE IS NOT
SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.

THEY'RE JUST SUPPOSED TO FEEL IT
AND WATCH.

SO IT'S INTERESTING. THERE
ARE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS IN THAT

IN THIS PARTICULAR ART FORM,

BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I
HAVE LOOKED AT IN DEPTH.

I'M JUST BEGINNING MY RESEARCH
INTO THAT PARTICULAR AREA.

NOW, THE DEAF COMMUNITY
IS QUITE FAMOUS

FOR ITS STORYTELLING.

AND I'VE SEEN FOUR DIFFERENT
SORTS OF STORIES.

THERE'S PERSONAL NARRATIVES,
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

THAT PEOPLE TELL,

AND THEY ARE SO ARTFUL IN
THE TELLING SOMETIMES.

PEOPLE ARE SO GOOD AT IT.

SOMEBODY WOULD BE TELLING
A STORY,

AND, OF COURSE, WITH REPETITION
OVER AND OVER AGAIN,

THEY AUGMENT IT,
AND THEY EXAGGERATE.

AND THEN YOU'RE REALLY ABLE
TO SEE THE ART INSIDE

AS IT GROWS AS A PERSON TELLS IT
MORE AND MORE.

IT CAN BE ABOUT
THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES

THAT THEY'RE RECOUNTING.

THEN THERE ARE WRITTEN STORIES
THAT A PERSON PERFORMS

ALMOST THE SAME AS WHEN THEY
WERE WRITTEN,

JUST EXACTLY THE SAME FROM
A WRITTEN STORY.

SOMEBODY IN THE AUDIENCE
IS JUMPING AHEAD, SAYING,

"YOU MEAN TRANSLATION?" NOPE.
THAT'S THE NEXT CATEGORY.

THEN THERE ARE TRANSLATIONS--
TRANSLATIONS OF STORIES.

AND BY THAT, I MEAN--WELL,
A GOOD EXAMPLE IS

"THE THREE LITTLE PIGS."

YOU KNOW, IN THAT STORY,
THE WOLF

KNOCKS ON THE DOOR OF THE PIG.

THAT'S HOW IT'S WRITTEN.

BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT
A DEAF STORY,

YOU WOULD HAVE SOMEBODY
RING THE BELL,

AND A LIGHT WOULD FLASH.

SO YOU COULD RETELL THE STORY
SO THAT IT FITS BETTER

FOR DEAF AUDIENCES.

YOU COULD HAVE TTYs,
FLASHING LIGHTS,

BEHAVIORS AND SENSIBILITIES
THAT DEAF PEOPLE WOULD EXHIBIT.

SO YOU'RE ADAPTING THE STORY
AND TRANSLATING IT.

AND THEN THERE ARE ORIGINAL
STORIES THAT ARE CREATED

BY THE STORYTELLERS THEMSELVES
THAT ARE ORIGINAL.

DO YOU KNOW THE STORY OF EYETH?
YOU FAMILIAR WITH "EYETH"?

THAT'S ONE THAT WAS CREATED
BY SAM SUPALLA.

THAT WASN'T FROM SOMEBODY
ELSE'S PEN.

HE CREATED THAT ONE, AND HE'LL
BE PERFORMING THAT--

I THINK HE'S PERFORMING TONIGHT,
RIGHT?

SO MAYBE HE'LL GIVE A SHOW
AND...MAYBE HE'LL PERFORM

"EYETH" FOR YOU TONIGHT.

I'VE ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE
OF LOOKING AT STORYTELLING

IN A MORE IN-DEPTH WAY.

THAT'S MORE SAM'S FIELD.

HE IS THE STORYTELLING GUY.

THAT'S THE FIELD THAT HE'S MOST
INVOLVED WITH.

NOW FOR MY RESEARCH INTO POETRY,

AND I HAVE SEVERAL ELEMENTS
THAT I'VE FOUND,

THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT
FROM WORKSHOPS I'VE BEEN IN,

THINGS I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO
FROM OTHER PEOPLE,

AND IDEAS THAT I'VE GATHERED.

NOW, POETRY DOES HAVE RHYME
WITHIN IT.

THERE'S REPETITION
OF HANDSHAPES,

AND THAT CREATES RHYME IN
ASL POETRY.

NOW, I PERFORMED LAST NIGHT.

AND YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED WHEN
I DID "DANDELION"

THAT I USED THIS HANDSHAPE
OVER AND OVER AGAIN

TO SHOW THE MAN
AND ALSO THE DANDELION PUFF.

I USED IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

AND THAT ACTUALLY CREATED
AN INTERNAL RHYME SCHEME.

AND THEN THERE'S CYCLES, OR
DIFFERENT MOVEMENTS THAT RECUR.

YOU CAN LOOK AT
THE MOVEMENT ITSELF,

AND THAT CREATES A SORT OF
A RHYME.

LIKE, ELLA MAE LENTZ'S POEM
THAT SHE'S SHOWN BEFORE

WHERE THERE'S
"TIME," "CONTINUE,"

"CYCLES," "CIRCLES," "ORBITS,"
"ROTATIONS."

SO THE REPETITIVE MOTION OF
THE CIRCLE CREATED A RHYME.

REPEATING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
OVER AND OVER CAN ALSO CREATE

A CERTAIN KIND OF RHYME.

AND ALSO REPEATING CERTAIN
PLACEMENTS IN SPACE

CAN CREATE RHYME.

SO THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT
WAYS THAT ASL POETRY EXHIBITS

THE COROLLARY TO SPOKEN LANGUAGE
RHYME BUT IN ASL.

NOW, ONE THING THAT YOU MIGHT
CHANGE, TOO, IS THE WAY

YOU PRODUCE A SIGN IN SPACE.

I WAS SIGNING MY POEM,

AND THE SIGN "GRASS" GOES UP
ON YOUR CHIN, ACTUALLY,

BUT I DIDN'T LIKE THAT.

I DIDN'T FEEL THAT IT FIT
THE POEM TO HAVE

THE SIGN "GRASS" SO CLOSE TO
MY FACE,

SO I CREATED A SIGN FOR "GRASS"

THAT WAS MORE CENTRAL
TO MY BODY.

AND THAT'S A CHOICE A POET
CAN MAKE.

NOW, IF I WAS GONNA SHOW
"BLOWING A DANDELION,"

IT WOULD SHOW PICKING IT
AND BLOWING IT,

BUT I DIDN'T FEEL THAT THAT WAS
DRAMATIC ENOUGH.

SO I CREATED ANOTHER
SIGN TO SHOW

THAT PUFF OF DANDELION SEEDLINGS

AT THE TIP OF THE STEM
OF MY HAND.

SO YOU WILL MAKE THESE SORTS
OF DETERMINATIONS

AND CREATIVE CHOICES DEPENDING
ON THE FLOW OF YOUR POEM.

CLASSIFIERS.

PRETTY MUCH, EVERYBODY'S
FAMILIAR

WITH THE IDEA OF CLASSIFIERS.

AND POETRY RELIES QUITE HEAVILY
ON THEM

TO A GREATER OR LESSER EXTENT
DEPENDING ON THE POEM,

OF COURSE, BUT CLASSIFIERS ARE
A PRETTY INTEGRAL PART

OF MOST ASL POEMS.

TRANSFORMATIONS OF ONE SIGN
TO ANOTHER ONE.

IF YOU'VE SEEN THE POEM BY
DEBBIE RENNIE--

SHE HAS A QUITE FAMOUS POEM
THAT SHE PERFORMS

WHERE SHE THROWS A CARD INTO
THE AIR.

AND AS IT SLOWLY FALLS
TO THE GROUND,

WHEN IT REACHES THE GROUND,
IT TURNS OVER

AND BECOMES THE SIGN "DEATH."

SO THE CLASSIFIER "B" IS A CARD,

AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM OF
THE MOVEMENT, IT TURNS OVER,

WHICH CREATES THE SIGN "TO DIE,"
OR "DEATH," WHICH IS AMAZING.

IT'S THE SAME SIGN, BUT IT
CREATES TWO DIFFERENT MEANINGS.

AS IT FLOWS THROUGH SPACE, IT
TRANSFORMS INTO A DIFFERENT SIGN

AND THEREFORE A DIFFERENT
FEELING FOR THE POEM.

NOW, MARKEDNESS. THAT MEANS THAT
YOU NOTICE SOMETHING

THAT JUST SEEMS A LITTLE STRANGE
AND OUT OF THE ORDINARY,

SOMETHING YOU WOULDN'T SEE
IN EVERYDAY PARLANCE.

IF SOMETHING'S MARKED, IT'S
UNCOMMON THE WAY IT'S PRODUCED.

SO THE HANDSHAPE I SHOWED
YOU BEFORE

WITH A STEM WITH A DANDELION
SEED POD ON TOP OF IT,

THAT'S NOT A NORMAL SIGN.

IT'S A MARKED SIGN,
A MARKEDLY DIFFERENT SIGN.

PATRICK GRAYBILL WAS DOING HIS
POEM "REFLECTION" THE OTHER DAY.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1,"

AND THEN THE SMOKE FROM
THE ROCKET

AS IT CLEARS THE LAUNCH PAD.

THEN WHAT WAS IT?
HE WAS LOOKING BACK IN TIME.

AND THE BACK OF THE HEAD OF
THE PRESIDENT BLEW OFF

AND CREATED THIS HANDSHAPE.

SO HE TOOK A HANDSHAPE,
PUT IT BEHIND HIS HEAD,

AND IT WAS MARKED IN A WAY.

IT WAS SOMETHING OUT OF
THE ORDINARY.

IT BROKE THE NORMAL RULES
OF PRODUCTION AND MOVEMENT

AND DRAWS ATTENTION TO ITSELF.

EYE GAZE WOULD REFER TO WHERE
YOUR EYES GO

WHEN YOU'RE PERFORMING THE POEM.

WITH STORYTELLING,
YOU CAN EITHER LOOK DIRECTLY

AT THE AUDIENCE,

OR YOU WOULD LOOK AROUND YOU
WITHIN THE WORLD OF THE POEM.

AND IT CAN GO EITHER WAY,

EITHER ENGAGING THE AUDIENCE,
LOOKING STRAIGHT OUT AT THEM,

OR BEING COMPLETELY SUBSUMED
WITHIN THE WORLD OF THE POEM

THAT YOU'RE PERFORMING.

IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT
SORT OF THING YOU'RE PERFORMING

AT THE TIME.

THERE'S ALSO PERSONIFICATION--
TAKING ON THE CHARACTER,

SUCH AS BECOMING THE FLOWER IN
THE POEM I PERFORMED LAST NIGHT.

I TOOK ON THE FLOWER'S
CHARACTER.

I DIDN'T SHOW IT APART FROM
MYSELF.

I PERSONIFIED IT AS IF
THE FLOWER WAS A HUMAN

OR THE HUMAN WAS A FLOWER.

LIKE THE TEDDY BEAR POEM,
WHEN I BECAME THE TEDDY BEAR

AND SAID, "I'M SORRY."

IT'S AN INANIMATE OBJECT THAT
BECOMES HUMAN. IT'S PERSONIFIED.

THERE'S ALSO THE IDEA TO ADDRESS
A LITERAL VERSUS FIGURATIVE.

NOW, LITERAL IS WHEN SOMETHING
IS OVERT OR REALLY HAPPENING,

AND FIGURATIVE IS SOME SORT
OF SYMBOLIC MEANING

THAT UNDERLIES IT.

LITERAL. IT MEANS SOMETHING
THAT'S REALLY HAPPENING

IN REAL LIFE.

FIGURATIVE IS JUST A PARTICULAR
CONSTRUCT

THAT'S OPPOSITE OF LITERAL,

AND IT'S USED
FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT.

ALMOST LIKE METAPHOR.

YOU SEE SOMETHING ON THE OUTSIDE
OF SOMETHING,

BUT WHAT'S HIDDEN BEHIND IT
COULD BE THE FIGURATIVE MEANING

THAT YOU'RE TRYING
TO GET ACROSS.

AND SYMBOLISM, OF COURSE, IS
QUITE IMPORTANT.

THE SUN REPRESENTS THE FATHER
IN THE "SNOWFLAKE" POEM,

AND THE SNOWFLAKE REPRESENTED
THE CHILD IN THAT POEM.

AND SO TOGETHER WHEN YOU PRESENT
BOTH OF THOSE ELEMENTS,

YOU UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE UNDERLYING MEANING IS.

THEN THERE'S THE USE OF IRONY.

REMEMBER IN THAT POEM,
WHEN THE SNOWFLAKE LANDS

ON TOP OF THE REST OF THE SNOW,

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE
A POSITIVE THING,

BUT MY FACE BELIES THAT.

OR WHEN THE FATHER SAYS,
"ONE SENTENCE!"

HE SAID, "ONE SENTENCE!"

BUT MY FACIAL EXPRESSION,
ALTHOUGH THE SIGNS LOOKED

LIKE IT WAS POSITIVE, I WAS
SHOWING THAT THE OPPOSITE WAS

ACTUALLY TRUE, AND IT WAS
IRONIC AND NOT SO GREAT.

THERE'S ALSO THE IDEA OF FRAMING
THAT I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT A POEM--
A BEGINNING FRAME,

A MIDDLE FRAME,
AND AN END FRAME--

DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WITHIN IT,

OR PERHAPS A WHOLE POEM CAN
TAKE PLACE IN ONE FRAME.

PERHAPS THERE COULD BE
4 DIFFERENT FRAMES

IN SPACE AND TIME THAT YOU'RE
PRESENTING.

IT'S HOW YOU DIVIDE THE POEM UP
INTO DIFFERENT SORTS OF SCENES.

SOMEBODY OVER IN THE AUDIENCE
IS SAYING, FOR EXAMPLE,

"THE CAVE," MY POEM--"THE CAVE."

HOW MANY FRAMES DO YOU THINK
THAT HAD?

THIS PERSON'S SAYING THAT
"THE CAVE" TAKES PLACE

IN JUST ONE FRAME.

SOMEBODY ELSE IS SAYING,
"MAYBE, LIKE, 7 OR 8?"

SAYING, "THE WIRES,
THE COCHLEAR IMPLANT?"

THAT BEARS SOME TIME FOR
ANALYSIS.

I DON'T REALLY HAVE TIME TO GO
INTO IT RIGHT NOW,

BUT I'D HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT
IT AND DETERMINE

HOW MANY FRAMES ARE
IN THAT POEM.

BUT THE IDEA OF FRAMING IS
VERY IMPORTANT

WHEN YOU'RE COUNTING HOW MANY
DIFFERENT SCENARIOS

ARE PRESENTED IN EACH POEM.

I ALSO HAVE NOTICED THAT
MOST POETS--MOST ASL POETS--

STAND IN ONE PLACE ROOTED
TO THE SPOT.

NOW, THEY MAY CHANGE
THEIR BODY ALIGNMENT.

THEY MAY WALK BACK
AND FORTH JUST A LITTLE BIT.

BUT, PRIMARILY, THEY STAY IN
ONE PLACE

BECAUSE THE RHYTHM WOULD BE
CONFOUNDED AND CONFUSED

BY SOMEBODY WALKING
BACK AND FORTH.

IT'S HARD TO CATCH THE RHYTHM
OF THE LANGUAGE

WHEN THE BODY MOVEMENT IS
SOMEHOW OVERLYING THAT.

AND WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS
MORE BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE

DISAGREE WITH
THIS PARTICULAR IDEA.

BUT I FIND THAT IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT TO STAY IN ONE PLACE

TO PERFORM A POEM.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU UNDERSTAND

THAT THIS IS STILL VERY MUCH
UP FOR DISCUSSION

AND HAS NOT BEEN AGREED UPON
BY MOST PEOPLE.

THERE'S A QUESTION OVER HERE?

I'M THINKING THAT STORYTELLING
LENDS ITSELF MORE

TO PEOPLE WALKING BACK AND FORTH
ON THE STAGE.

BECAUSE WHEN
SOMEBODY'S PERFORMING

AND BEING MUCH MORE DRAMATIC,

THEY MIGHT TRAVEL
A LITTLE BIT MORE,

BUT POEMS TEND TO STAY IN
ONE PLACE.

SO THE ART FORMS DETERMINE
THAT, I THINK.

YES, I WOULD AGREE.
THAT'S TRUE FOR STORYTELLING.

PEOPLE SOMETIMES DO TRAVEL
A LITTLE BIT MORE,

BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE SIT ON
THE EDGE OF A STAGE

OR ON A CHAIR AND TELL A STORY
AND DON'T MOVE AT ALL.

POETRY--MOST PEOPLE TEND TO
STAND, IT SEEMS TO ME.

MOST SEEM TO STAY IN ONE PLACE
FOR GREATER IMPACT.

I AGREE.

SO YOU GET THE IDEA OF WHAT
I'M SEEING HERE?

I'M LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT
CONSTRUCTS AND ELEMENTS

THAT I NOTICE IN
THE DEAF COMMUNITY

IN TERMS OF CREATIVE ARTS
AND POETRY.

THESE ARE VARIOUS ART FORMS
THAT I HAVE REMARKED UPON.

AND YOU CAN COMPARE THESE WITH
REGULAR CONVERSATION

IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE.

AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THEY'RE
QUITE DIFFERENT, OF COURSE.

IN CONVERSATION, YOU'RE
NOT GOING TO BE DOING

ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT SORTS
OF THINGS.

THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED
CITATION FORM, CF.

AND YOU COULD SAY THAT'S
A SIGN AS IT'S SHOWN

IN ITS DICTIONARY FORM.

IF YOU LOOK UP IN
THE DICTIONARY,

YOU SEE THE SIGN "LOOK,"
L-O-O-K,

IT'LL SHOW YOU A PERSON LOOKING
OFF INTO THE DISTANCE,

PERFORMING THAT SIGN.

THAT'S THE CITATION FORM.

AND THERE'S ONLY ONE

WHEN, IN ACTUALITY, WE USE THAT
SIGN AND WE PERFORM THAT SIGN

IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS--
LOOKING UP AND DOWN,

LOOKING OUT
IN SPACE,

MAKING TWO PEOPLE LOOK AT
EACH OTHER,

ALL THE DIFFERENT PERMUTATIONS
OF HOW YOU WOULD ACTUALLY SIGN

THE SIGN "LOOK."

BUT IN THE DICTIONARY, THERE'S
JUST A FROZEN FORM OF HOW IT

SHOULD BE DONE ONE WAY.

IN PROSE, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS
OF CREATING SIGNS,

AND THEN IN ART FORMS,

THERE'S YET ANOTHER WAY
OF SHOWING SIGNS.

AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THAT THERE ARE 3 DIFFERENT WAYS

TO PERFORM A SIGN, EVEN THOUGH
THERE'S ONLY ONE CITATION FORM.

NOW, WHO ARE THE BEST
ASL SIGNERS?

WE ALREADY KNOW IT'S KIDS
WHO HAVE GROWN UP

WITH DEAF FAMILIES,

THEY'VE LEARNED FROM
THEIR ELDERS,

THEY'VE LEARNED FROM PEER GROUPS

BY GOING TO THE SCHOOLS
FOR THE DEAF OR THE DEAF CLUBS

OR WHEREVER THEY MEET
OTHER DEAF PEOPLE.

AND THAT'S HOW THEY GROW
THOSE PARTICULAR SKILLS

OF BEING ADEPT ASL SIGNERS.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK
THE QUESTION,

WHO ARE THE SIGNERS WHO ARE
EXTREMELY CREATIVE,

WHO I WOULD SAY ARE
SIGN ATHLETES, IN A SENSE?

LIKE, MENTAL ATHLETES.

SO, YOU KNOW THAT
WHEN SOMEBODY'S ATHLETIC

OR THEY'RE DESCRIBED
AS ATHLETIC,

THAT MEANS THEY'RE REALLY ADEPT
AT SPORTS--GOOD AT SOCCER,

VOLLEYBALL, TRACK, YOU KNOW,
WORKING ON THE BODY.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE COROLLARY
OF THE MIND BEING ATHLETIC?

WHERE DO WE EXERCISE THOSE
CREATIVE ASL TECHNIQUES

AND MAKE A MIND OR ASL ATHLETE
MENTALLY?

WHERE ARE THE CREATIVE FORMS
AND THE ARTS AND ARTISTRY?

GENERALLY, IT'S FOUND

IN THE DORMS OF
THE SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF

OR THE DEAF CLUBS...

AND IN PUBLIC PERFORMANCES THAT
PEOPLE PERFORM

AND WHERE PEOPLE CAN THEN SEE IT
DEMONSTRATED FOR THEM.

BUT IN THE SCHOOLS,

THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE MUCH
HAPPENING AT ALL TODAY.

WHERE IS THAT HAPPENING?

I PROPOSE TO YOU THAT IT'S NOT
HAPPENING AT ALL.

IT IS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY,
BUT IT'S NOT IN THE SCHOOLS.

AND THAT'S WHERE I INTEND
TO FOCUS MY ENERGIES,

IS TO CREATE THAT MORE
"IN THE SCHOOL" SETTING.

THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WHY
THERE'S A DEARTH OF THIS.

SIGN LANGUAGE HAS BEEN PUSHED
TO THE SIDE

IN FAVOR OF ORALISM--

THE SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF

OR WHERE DEAF CHILDREN ARE
BEING EDUCATED.

THE ARTIFICIAL SIGN SYSTEM,
SUCH AS S.E.E. SIGN

OR OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT,
THAT ARE CREATED

WHICH ARE STILL OUT AND ABOUT,
HEALTHY AND WELL

IN THE SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF,

SOMETHING CALLED
CONTACT SIGN SYSTEMS,

WHERE THE SCHOOL SOMETIMES
TALKS, SOMETIMES SIGNS,

AND THEN BOTH OF THOSE LANGUAGES
INFILTRATE EACH OTHER.

THAT'S UBIQUITOUS AS WELL.

THERE ARE BILINGUAL SCHOOLS,

BUT THEY ARE VERY FEW
AND FAR BETWEEN.

NOW, WHAT THIS WOULD MEAN IS
SOMETHING LIKE

YOU CAN SEE AT
THE LEARNING CENTER IN BOSTON,

SOUTH OF BOSTON IN FRAMINGHAM,
MASSACHUSETTS.

THERE'S A PROGRAM THERE...

AND WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT
APPROACH IS THEY

KEEP ENGLISH
AND ASL QUITE SEPARATE.

THE MOMENT YOU ENTER THAT
SCHOOL, YOU TURN YOUR VOICE OFF.

AND ALL DAY LONG,
VOICES ARE OFF,

AND IT'S ONLY ASL EVERY MOMENT
OF THE DAY.

EVEN IF TWO PEOPLE--

HEARING PEOPLE ARE ALONE IN
A ROOM TOGETHER,

THEY'RE EXPECTED TO USE ASL
WITHOUT THEIR VOICES.

AND IT'S QUITE AN INTERESTING
APPROACH.

THE INDIANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
IS NOW BEGINNING TO INITIATE

THAT AS WELL.

THE FREMONT SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
IS ALSO USING IT.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S STARTING
TO OCCUR HERE AND THERE.

MORE AND MORE SCHOOLS MAY BE
USING IT,

BUT I'M JUST NOT AWARE OF IT.

THE KENDALL SCHOOL.

SOMEBODY SAID MSSD IS USING IT.

THE OHIO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
ALSO IS USING IT.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE
THAT APPROACH IS GAINING

A LITTLE BIT MORE TRACTION.

NATURAL SIGN LANGUAGE.
WHERE'S THAT?

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT
FROM A MOMENT A BABY

IS DETERMINED TO BE DEAF,
THEY ARE SIGNED TO.

BUT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY
MUCH. NOT YET.

AS WE KNOW, 90% OF DEAF KIDS
ARE BORN TO HEARING FAMILIES.

ONLY 10% HAVE DEAF FAMILIES.

SO IF A HEARING COUPLE
HAS A BABY

AND THEY DISCOVER IT'S DEAF,

THEY SPEND AN INORDINATE AMOUNT
OF TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT KIND OF PROGRAM TO PUT
IT IN

AND ONLY EXPOSE IT
TO SIGN LANGUAGE MUCH LATER.

AND THEY'VE LOST ALL THAT TIME
AND WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

RIGHT OFF THE GET-GO TO GIVE
THEM NATURAL SIGN LANGUAGE

RIGHT AWAY.

WELL, IN THE CLASSROOM,
THERE'S PROBLEMS

WITH THE DIFFERENT
SORTS OF SIGN SYSTEMS

THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED
TO THESE KIDS.

AND ALL THIS HAPPENS AT THE
EXPENSE OF ANY SORT OF ARTISTRY

OR ART FORMS BEING TAUGHT.

THE TEACHERS, FOR THE MOST PART,
ARE NOT AWARE

OF THE ART FORM OF ASL.

AND IF THEY ARE, THEY DON'T KNOW
HOW TO TEACH IT.

AND SO ANY SORT OF
CREATIVE ARTISTRY AND LANGUAGE

IS THROUGH ENGLISH,

AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE
PUMMELING THE KIDS WITH,

IS ENGLISH--ENGLISH POETRY
AND ENGLISH LITERATURE.

SO I'VE DECIDED WHAT I WANT
TO DO IS LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT

HOW TO ENGENDER
CREATIVE ARTS IN ASL

TO SCHOOLCHILDREN.

NOW, THE FIRST TIME
I TRIED THIS, I WENT

TO THE STERCK SCHOOL
IN DELAWARE.

IT'S A S.E.E. PROGRAM--
SIGNED EXACT TO ENGLISH.

THE WHOLE SCHOOL IS.

IT'S ALL DEAF,
AND IT'S A DAY PROGRAM,

SO THE KIDS GO HOME TO THEIR
PARENTS EVERY DAY.

THERE'S A FEW WHO STAY FOR
THE WEEKENDS IN THE DORMS,

BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S KIDS
WHO ARE DAY SCHOOL STUDENTS.

SO I WAS INVITED TO GO
FOR A RESIDENCY THERE.

NOW, S.E.E. SIGN.

I WAS A LITTLE INTIMIDATED.
I DON'T REALLY GET IT.

BUT I THOUGHT, "WELL, LET'S SEE
HOW THIS GOES."

SO I WENT. AND, BOY, IN THE
BEGINNING, IT WAS REALLY ROUGH.

THEY WERE DOING ALL OF THESE
DIFFERENT SIGNS

THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH.

BUT WHEN THEY SAW ME START
TO SIGN, THEY JUST MOBBED ME.

THEY CAME RIGHT AROUND
AND THRONGED ME.

AND I HAD TO STAY THEM DOWN
A LITTLE BIT.

I STARTED TO INTRODUCE SOME
CREATIVE ARTS TO THEM.

AND I DID THAT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10, 11 THING

THAT I HAD MET WHEN I WAS
AS A KID.

AND THEY JUST WENT CRAZY.
THEY WERE SO EXCITED.

AND THESE KIDS WERE SO CREATIVE.

AND I'M TELLING YOU,
THEY HAD IT.

THEY HAVE IT WITHIN THEM.

YOU COULD NOT BELIEVE IT.
IT SENT SHIVERS UP MY SPINE.

IT DID NOT MATTER THAT THE
PREVAILING FORM OF COMMUNICATION

IN THE SCHOOL WAS S.E.E. SIGN.

THEY HAD ASL ARTS IN THEM.

AND THE TEACHERS WHO WERE
WITNESSING ALL THIS

COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAW.

THEY CAME UP AND ASKED ME WHAT
TO DO TO HELP FAN THIS FLAME.

AND I SAID, "THEY'VE GOT IT
WITHIN THEM. DO WHAT YOU CAN."

AFTER I LEFT, THE WHOLE SCHOOL
JUST WENT INTO BEDLAM.

THE PRINCIPAL DECIDED THAT
EVERYBODY

HAD TO TURN OFF THEIR VOICES

AND WANTED TO CHANGE THEIR WHOLE
CURRICULUM.

AND, ACTUALLY, THE PRINCIPAL
WAS THEN FIRED.

THIS WAS UNINTENTIONAL.

I DID NOT MEAN
TO TURN EVERYTHING TOPSY-TURVY

BY MY VISIT,
BUT IT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

SO THEN--OH. THERE'S A QUESTION?

THE QUESTION IS, WHAT HAPPENED
AFTER THAT?

DID THE SCHOOL STAY VOICE OFF
AND GO TO ASL

EVEN THOUGH THE PRINCIPAL
HAD BEEN FIRED?

MY UNDERSTANDING--
THE SCHOOL WENT BACK

TO THE WAY IT HAD BEEN BEFORE.

YEAH, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING
MUCH LATELY ABOUT IT.

MY ASSUMPTION IS THEY WENT BACK.

I BEGGED THEM TO PLEASE TAKE
SOME FILMS OF THE KIDS.

TRIED TO CREATE THINGS, AND WITH
WHATEVER THEY WERE TRYING TO DO.

BUT THEY DIDN'T BOTHER EVEN
RETURNING MY CORRESPONDENCE.

AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING
ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.

AND THE QUESTION IS, "WAS
THE POEM LAST NIGHT THAT YOU DID

"LONE STURDY TREE,"
WAS THAT ABOUT THAT SCHOOL?"

NO, THAT WAS
ABOUT ANOTHER SCHOOL,

SOME OTHER WORK I WAS DOING
SOMEPLACE ELSE.

SO I REALLY LEARNED SOMETHING
FROM THAT EXPERIENCE.

THESE KIDS HAD THIS WITHIN THEM.
IT WAS INNATE.

SO I WENT TO THE KENTUCKY SCHOOL
FOR THE DEAF NEXT.

NOW, THEY DID USE ASL
AT THIS SCHOOL.

BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY HAVE
MUCH TRAINING

OR MUCH INFUSION OF ARTS.

THE KIDS WHO WERE FROM DEAF
FAMILIES ALREADY HAD THAT,

ALREADY KNEW HOW TO CREATE
SOME THINGS.

MOST OF THE OTHER DEAF KIDS
FROM HEARING FAMILIES

DIDN'T HAVE THAT
IN THEIR LEXICON

OR IN THEIR REPERTOIRE UNLESS
THEY'D PICKED UP

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM THE
OTHER KIDS WITH DEAF PARENTS.

BUT I WAS INVITED TO DO
A ONE-WEEK RESIDENCY THERE.

AND THE SAME SORT OF EXCITEMENT
WAS PREVAILING

WITH ALL THESE KIDS.

THEY WERE SO EXCITED.

AT THE END OF THE WEEK,
I WAS COMPLETELY DEPLETED,

BUT, OH, MY GOODNESS, IT WAS
JUST SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

AND, AGAIN, THEY HAD THAT WITHIN
THEM, TOO.

THEN I WENT TO FANWOOD SCHOOL.

SAME EXACT SITUATION.

JUST SO MUCH EXCITEMENT
AND SO MUCH INFUSION OF ENERGY.

NOW, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT
I'VE NOTICED IN MOST

OF THE SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF
THAT I'VE GONE TO,

IS THAT THE CAMPUSES ARE
CONFIGURED

SO THAT THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
AND THE UPPER GRADES WERE

ON ONE SIDE OF CAMPUS
AND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE

ON THE OTHER.

AND THERE IS, LIKE, A LINE
OF DEMARCATION

BETWEEN THESE TWO AREAS.

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'VE
ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.

SO I WAS HIRED TO WORK WITH
THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS.

AND I ASSUMED THAT DURING
LUNCHTIME OR RECESS

THAT THESE KIDS WOULD MINGLE.

BUT THE AGE GROUPS WERE KEPT
QUITE SEPARATE.

I WENT TO THE SCHOOL FOR
THE DEAF,

THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
AT FANWOOD,

AND I WAS TEACHING THERE.

SOME TEACHERS OVER ON
THE ELEMENTARY SIDE GOT WIND

OF THE FACT THAT I WAS THERE,

AND THEY WANTED ME TO COME
AND TEACH THOSE KIDS, TOO,

WORK WITH THE YOUNGER KIDS.

I FEEL GREAT TODAY HERE--
STANDING HERE,

TALKING ABOUT ASL POETRY.

BUT YOU KNOW WHY I'M HERE?

I'M NOT HERE SPECIFICALLY
BECAUSE OF THIS CONFERENCE.

I AM STANDING HERE--WELL, LET ME
GO BACK IN TIME.

I WAS BORN HEARING.

AND WHEN I WAS A 3-YEAR-OLD KID,

I BECAME ILL
WITH SPINAL MENINGITIS.

AND THAT'S WHY I BECAME DEAF.

WHEN I GOT OLDER, I WAS PUT INTO
AN ORAL SCHOOL, AN ORAL PROGRAM,

CLARKE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF.

YEAH. EVERYBODY'S SITTING THERE,
AGHAST.

YOU CAN'T BELIEVE IT, RIGHT?

BUT I'M NOT FOOLING.

THAT'S REALLY WHERE I WENT
WAS CLARKE.

I DID NOT LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE
UNTIL I WAS 19 YEARS OLD.

AND IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHERE
I LEARNED SIGN LANGUAGE,

IT IS RIGHT HERE.

LIKE, LITERALLY RIGHT HERE.

RIGHT THERE IN THIS THEATER
ON THAT SPOT.

I WAS IN A PLAY CALLED
"THE TEMPEST."

AND I PLAYED A CHARACTER NAMED
CALIBAN--

HALF-MAN, HALF-ANIMAL.

AND THE SIGNING WAS
VERY AWKWARD.

THE DIRECTOR TOLD ME JUST KEEP
IT LIKE THAT.

FOR 3 MONTHS, LET ME MAKE
ALL KINDS OF MISTAKES.

LIKE, IF I WAS SIGNING "KING,"
I WOULD SIGN IT BACKWARDS.

EVERYTHING I DID WRONG, THE
DIRECTOR KEPT SAYING, "GREAT!

JUST KEEP DOING IT EXACTLY
LIKE THAT."

PATRICK GRAYBILL WAS IN
THIS PLAY WITH ME,

AND HE SAID, "YUP, YUP.
STAY JUST LIKE YOU ARE."

AND I PROMISE AFTER THIS PLAY,

I WILL TEACH YOU
HOW TO SIGN RIGHT.

SO I LEARNED FROM HIM.
I LEARNED FROM ACTORS.

I LEARNED FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD
DEAF PARENTS.

AND I HAVE BEEN IN LOVE WITH
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

EVER SINCE.

SO TODAY, THE FACT THAT I'M
TALKING ABOUT ASL,

WHEN I LOOK BACK TO WHERE
I BEGAN, I THOUGHT,

"HOW COULD I EVEN OPEN A TALK
LIKE THIS?"

AND I THINK MAYBE THE BEST WAY
IS TO START OUT WITH A POEM.

THIS POEM IS CALLED
"EINSTEIN UNDER THE APPLE TREE."

AN AIR-PUFF TENT...

UNZIPPED WITH KNOWLEDGE.

RELEASING STARS
OF RED, BLUE, WHITE...

PLANETS...

AND GALAXIES.

SUPERNOVAS...

AND QUASARS...

MOONS PLAY TAG

WITH STARS.

TWINKLING STARS SHOOTING.

EARTH...

A BREATHING BALL OF CLOUDS

COMING DOWN THROUGH CLOUDS
OVER A TIMBERLINE FOREST

OF MAPLE AND SPRUCE.

AN AIR-PUFF TENT,

AND EINSTEIN WITH A NEWTONIAN
MIND UNDER AN APPLE TREE.

CRUNCH!

JUICES OF MOLTEN FLAME
SINGE HIS HAIR.

THERE IS NO WATER!

HE LEAPS UP...

AND, JACKKNIFING DOWN,

SWIMS THROUGH ROCKS.

AND, SURFACING
WITH A GRASS TOUPEE,

CLIMBING OUT.

UNDER AN APPLE TREE.

THE CRUNCH STARTLES A DEER.

UNKNOWN NOISES IN THE FOREST.

LEAPING...

HOOVES OVER BOULDERS...

OVER FALLEN TIMBER.

AS HE ENTERS A CLEARING,
A SHARPSHOOTER'S BULLET...

PIERCES TOWARDS...

THE ENEMY.

AS HE FALLS IN
A POOL OF GRASS,

SOLDIERS OF GRAY, CONFEDERATES,
CHARGE

SOLDIERS OF BLUE.

CHARGING LINES COME TOGETHER
AS DRUMMERS DRUM.

HOOVES FLY. SABERS SLASH.
FISTS FLY.

AND CANNONBALLS DECORATE THE AIR
WITH FALLEN BODIES.

THE WHITE-TAILED DEER HURTLES

OVER A JOHNNY REBEL...

THEN RACES...

PAST THE DYING THAT FALL
LIKE TIMBER.

WITH A GREAT LEAP, HE GLIDES
PAST THESE MEN OF WAR.

A RAISED HOOF SNAPS A TWIG,
STARTLING EINSTEIN.

UNDER THE APPLE TREE.

GAZING UP...

THROUGH LEAVES OF TREES,
OVER TIMBERLINE FORESTS,

TO A BREATHING BALL OF DUST,

STARS TWINKLING,
STARS SHOOTING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

NOW, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW

THAT I DID NOT CREATE THIS
POEM ALONE.

KENNY LERNER AND I ARE A TEAM.

AND QUITE OFTEN, WE WILL STAY UP
ALL NIGHT LONG CREATING THINGS,

HAVING A GOOD TIME.

AND THE MAIN GOAL IS THAT WE'RE
PLAYING WITH LANGUAGE,

AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TALK
WITH YOU ABOUT TODAY--

THE CONCEPT OF PLAYING WITH
LANGUAGE--WHY IT'S IMPORTANT,

HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.

NOW, I HAVE GONE TO A LOT OF
DIFFERENT SCHOOLS--

MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS, COLLEGES,
EVERYWHERE.

AND IF A STUDENT WANTS TO TAKE
ASL FOR CREDIT,

THEY'RE USUALLY TOLD IT WON'T
COUNT AS AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

ON THEIR TRANSCRIPT

BECAUSE THEY DON'T THINK IT HAS
ANY LITERARY VALUE

ON AN ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL.

AND THEY'LL CITE FRENCH
AND SPANISH AND GERMAN,

THAT THERE'S A LITERARY CANON
FOR EACH OF THOSE LANGUAGES.

AND THEY DON'T THINK ASL DOES,

BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ASL
DOES HAVE POETRY.

IT DOES HAVE STORYTELLING.
IT HAS THEATER.

IT HAS EVERY SINGLE
LITERARY ELEMENT

THAT ANY OTHER LANGUAGE HAS,
BUT HEGEMONICALLY,

NOBODY KNOWS THIS, AND IT'S OUR
DUTY TO EDUCATE THEM.

SO WHAT ARE WE TO DO
AS DEAF PEOPLE?

WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

MY ANSWER IS TO PLAY WITH
LANGUAGE AND CREATE.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF.
PLAY WITH YOUR OWN LANGUAGE.

SPOKEN LANGUAGE
LITERATURE CREATION

DIDN'T COME OUT OF NOWHERE.

IT CAME FROM YEARS
OF EXPERIMENTATION.

AND THAT'S WHY LIBRARY SHELVES
ARE FILLED WITH EXAMPLES OF IT.

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS
MULTITUDES OF SHELVES

FULL OF LITERATURE IN DIFFERENT
LANGUAGES--SPOKEN LANGUAGES,

BUT VERY LITTLE OF IT IN ASL.

AND WE NEED TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE
THE ENERGY,

WE HAVE THE TRAJECTORY, AND WE
HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE

JUST AS MUCH.

A FEW MONTHS AGO, I TOOK
A THEATRICAL WORKSHOP

WITH SOME OTHER DEAF PEOPLE,
AND WE HAD A HEARING INSTRUCTOR.

AND HE SAID, "OK, NOW, LET'S BE
HONEST.

"YOU GUYS ARE
ALL FRIENDS, RIGHT?

"NOW, JUST IMAGINE,
IF YOU WERE A DOCTOR,

"YOU PUT ON YOUR GLOVES.

"AND YOU'RE GOING TO PERFORM
AN OPERATION.

"YOU SLICE OPEN THE PATIENT,
AND YOU REACH IN,

"AND YOU GET ALL THE STUFF
THAT YOU'RE

"SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING OUT.

"AND YOU'RE ALL DONE,
TAKE OFF THE GLOVES.

"AND YOU'RE ALL DONE WITH WORK,

"AND YOU GO TO A BAR
TO KIND OF DECOMPRESS.

"OK, IT'S THE SAME THING
IN ACTING.

"NOW, YOU TWO ARE FRIENDS,
RIGHT?

"I'M GONNA GIVE YOU EACH
A SCRIPT.

"AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO
BE REALLY MAD AT EACH OTHER.

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DESPISE
EACH OTHER, OK?

"AND, REMEMBER,
THIS IS THE WORK.

"REMEMBER, THIS IS THE WORK.

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO JUST PRETEND
THAT YOU'RE MAD AT EACH OTHER.

"LATER, YOU'RE GONNA BE AT
A BAR,

AND EVERYTHING'S GONNA
BE FINE, RIGHT?"

OK. SO THE TWO PEOPLE WENT UP
ON STAGE.

THEY READ THEIR SCRIPTS.
THEY'RE BOTH DEAF, OK?

REMEMBER? THEY READ THE SCRIPTS.

PUT THE SCRIPTS DOWN.

AND THE INSTRUCTOR SAYS,
"OK, GO AHEAD."

"YOU STOLE MY MONEY,"
ONE PERSON SAID.

"I DID NOT," THE OTHER ONE SAID.

AND THAT WAS IT.

AND THE INSTRUCTOR SAID,
"I'M NOT FEELING IT, GUYS.

"OK, HOLD ON.
LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.

YOU ARE MAD WITH HIM, RIGHT?"

AND THE GUY SAID,
"BUT HE'S MY FRIEND," YOU KNOW?

THE INSTRUCTOR SAYS, "NO, JUST
BAWL HIM OUT.

"GIVE HIM WHAT FOR.
REALLY YELL AT HIM,

"BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GO TO
THE BAR AFTERWARDS.

"YOU'RE GONNA HAVE
A REALLY GOOD TIME AND SAY,

"'HA HA! WASN'T THAT FUN
THAT I YELLED AT YOU,' RIGHT?

"SO DON'T WORRY. THIS ISN'T
PERSONAL. OK. OK. ALL RIGHT.

LET'S SEE. TAKE TWO."

"YOU STOLE MY MONEY,"
HE SAID.

"I DID NOT," THE OTHER GUY SAID.

AND SO AFTER REPETITION OF,
LIKE, MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES,

IT STILL WASN'T GETTING MUCH OF
ANYWHERE,

BECAUSE THE PEOPLE DIDN'T REALLY
HAVE IT AUTHENTICALLY

WITHIN THEM.

BUT AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF THIS
PARTICULAR WORKSHOP,

THE SCRIPTS WERE GIVEN OUT
AGAIN.

AND THE INSTRUCTOR SAID,
"GO AHEAD AND TRANSLATE THIS

"INTO ASL, THE ENGLISH.

TAKE IT IN ASL."

AND SOMEBODY SAID,
"HOW WOULD YOU SAY THIS?"

SOMEBODY ELSE SAID, "NO! THAT'S
NOT HOW YOU WOULD SIGN IT

IN ASL."

AND THEY STARTED REALLY
GOING BACK AND FORTH

AND GETTING REALLY ACTIVATED

JUST TALKING ABOUT
THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.

AND THE INSTRUCTOR SAID,
"WAIT A MINUTE. STOP."

EVERYBODY STOPPED WHAT THEY
WERE DOING.

"LOOK WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

ARE YOU REALLY MAD
AT YOUR FRIEND THERE?"

"NO. WE'RE JUST, LIKE, HAVING
A FRIENDLY DISAGREEMENT

ABOUT THE LANGUAGE."

AND HE SAID, "YES. THAT WHOLE
WRANGLING BACK AND FORTH

"AND THAT REALLY ACTIVATED
DISCUSSION YOU'RE HAVING,

"THAT'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO BRING
TO YOUR ACTING--

THAT SAME KIND OF FEELING."

SO IT WAS SUCH
A GREAT SUGGESTION

BECAUSE DEAF PEOPLE LOVE TALKING
ABOUT THEIR LANGUAGE.

THEY LOVE IT!
THEY DO ABC STORIES.

THEY GO, 1-10 STORIES.

THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE GROUP
ACTIVITIES AND STUFF

WITH LANGUAGE.

IT'S AMAZING. THERE ARE SO MANY
VARIATIONS.

AND I'VE GONE TO
SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES

AND MET WITH
SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

LIKE, FOR ONE INSTANCE,
I'LL SAY, "WHAT'S THE SIGN

FOR 'FAVORITE'?"

AND SOMEBODY WILL SAY, "OH, I
DO THIS SIGN."

SOMEBODY ELSE DOES THAT SIGN.

SO THAT SHOWS THAT THERE'S
ENERGY IN THE LANGUAGE

AND ENERGY IN THE WAY
PEOPLE

WANT TO PLAY
WITH THE LANGUAGE OUT THERE

JUST NEEDS TO BE
CAPITALIZED UPON.

NOBODY'S EVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW
TO THINK ABOUT THE LANGUAGE.

AND YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO.

YOU JUST TAKE IT AND YOU DO IT.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE
NEED TO INCULCATE

IN LITTLE CHILDREN.

WE NEED TO LITTLE KIDS TO BE
AWARE OF THEIR LANGUAGE.

THEY'RE ALWAYS TAUGHT TO BE
SO AWARE OF ENGLISH,

BUT WE NEED TO GIVE THEM SOME
REAL DELIBERATE WAYS

TO WORK WITH ASL SO THAT THEY
CAN CAPITALIZE

ON THAT CREATIVITY.

AND THEN CHALLENGE THEM!

THE MORE THEY COME UP WITH,
THE MORE YOU MOVE THE BAR.

AND AS THEY GET OLDER AND OLDER,

YOU'RE GROWING THAT SKILL
WITHIN THEM.

AND THEN THAT LIBRARY OF
CONGRESS I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE

WILL HAVE SHELVES JUST AS FULL
OF LITERATURE AND CANON

AS SPOKEN LANGUAGES DO.

THAT'S WHAT I THINK. YAY!

EVERYBODY'S CLAPPING.

KENNY'S CLAPPING, TOO.

ALL RIGHT. NOW WHAT I WANT
TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT ARE

THE TECHNIQUES THAT KENNY AND I
EMPLOY IN OUR WORK.

TECHNIQUES ARE FUN BECAUSE THEY
SERVE AS TOOLS,

AND THEY'RE TOOLS THAT MAKE US
THINK.

AND IF YOU CAN GIVE THESE TOOLS
TO KIDS TO THINK AND PLAY WITH,

THEN THEY, TOO, CAN GROW THAT
PARTICULAR ART FORM.

AND, AGAIN, I WANT TO UNDERSCORE

THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
US TO BE DOING THIS.

SO...

WE ALL ARE AWARE OF THE
IMPORTANCE OF FACIAL GRAMMAR--

EYES, NOSE, LIPS, MOUTH, CHEEKS.

IF YOU WANT TO SHOW SOMETHING
REALLY FAR AWAY,

LIKE THIS--SQUINTING,

OR REALLY CLOSE UP.

OR SOMEBODY'S EXTREMELY SNOOTY
WITH THEIR NOSE UP IN THE AIR

OR SOMEONE WHO'S GETTING THEIR
NOSE PUNCHED IN.

MOUTHS CAN BE USED IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS,

SUCH AS THIS--
SORT OF JUDGMENTAL:

"EW. LOOK AT HER.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?

I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I SEE."

OR ASTONISHMENT...

OR DISGUST.

CHEEKS ARE USED
IN DIFFERENT WAYS,

LIKE A MACHINE GUN FIRING

OR HELICOPTER BLADES CHOPPING...

OR WIND SMOOTHLY FLOWING
THROUGH THE AIR.

AND THERE'S EVEN MORE WHEN
YOU CONSIDER

ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF
BODY PARTS THAT YOU CAN USE

AND ADD TO
THE FACIAL EXPRESSION.

LIFE IS VERY EXCITING.
YOU WOULDN'T SAY...

[IN MONOTONE]
"I WENT HOME FOR THE WEEKEND."

YOU WOULD EXPLAIN IT WITH
A LOT MORE FORCE

AND A LOT MORE DRAMA.

YOU CATCHING UP TO ME, KENNY?
WONDERFUL!

OOPS. YOU NEED SOMETHING. HERE.

TAKE THIS.

CLASSIFIERS.

YEAH, EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF
CLASSIFIERS.

THEY'RE USED TO DESCRIBE THINGS.

AND WE LOVE CLASSIFIERS,
LIKE ALL THE DIFFERENT BAUBLES

AND THINGS
AND DIFFERENT ELEMENTS ON DRESS,

FANCY CLOTHING,

ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTS THAT YOU

CAN SHOW ON SOMEBODY'S EYES.

THERE ARE EARRINGS.

EVERY ELEMENT THAT
SOMEBODY COULD BE WEARING

COULD BE DESCRIBED WITH
A CLASSIFIER.

OR IN ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS--
CLOUDS SWIRLING,

SENDING DOWN LIGHTNING BOLTS,
BUCKETS OF RAIN,

TREES FALLING OVER,

A FLOOD--A TUMULTUOUS FLOOD
THAT'S DESTROYING A VILLAGE.

ALL DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN USE
CLASSIFIERS.

HOW DID YOU INTERPRET THAT,
KENNY?

"UH, UH, UH," HE'S SAYING.

I'M INTERPRETING FOR YOU, KENNY.

I'M SHOWING THEM WHAT
YOU LOOK LIKE.

YOU'RE SAYING,
"I STARTED TALKING, AND I SAID,

"CLOUDS AND FIRE AND
THUNDERBOLTS AND THEN RAINDROPS

AND THEN A FLOOD AND..."

OH, DAMN IT.
GOT EVERY BIT OF IT.

ALWAYS GOOD TO CHALLENGE
EACH OTHER.

BUT BODY LANGUAGE IS SOMETHING
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT.

YOU CAN SHOW SOMEBODY BIG,
SOMEBODY SMALL.

HERE I AM KIND OF A JOHN WAYNE
KIND OF GUY.

"HEY, COME ON OVER HERE."

"WHO? UH, ME? ME? YOU WANT ME?
ME? YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ME? OK."

"GIVE ME YOUR MONEY."

"OH, YEAH, SURE. UH, GOT IT HERE
SOMEWHERE. YUP. UH-HUH."

AND THEN THE MEAN GUY PICKS UP
THE LITTLE GUY,

WHO'S HUNG UP IN THE AIR,

LETS HIM GO, AND HE FALLS DOWN
TO THE GROUND AGAIN.

NOTICE THE EYE GAZE
TOP TO BOTTOM,

THE BIG GUY LOOKING DOWN,
THE LITTLE GUY LOOKING UP.

OR SIDE TO SIDE, NOT EVEN USING
THE EYE GAZE

BUT JUST PICKING HIM UP BY
THE TOP OF THE HEAD...

"HELLO." "HELLO."

AND THEN DROPPING HIM
TO THE GROUND.

AGAIN, THAT EYE GAZE IS
REALLY IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE

THE SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP
AND THE POWER RELATIONSHIP.

SOMEBODY ON A MOTORCYCLE.

YOU HAVE A PASSENGER
ON THE BACK.

HOW DO THEY COMMUNICATE?

THEY DRIVER SAYS, "HEY."
THE RIDER SAYS, "WHAT?"

"DO I TURN LEFT?"
"NO, YOU TURN RIGHT."

"I THINK WE GO LEFT."
"I THINK WE TURN RIGHT."

SO HE TURNS LEFT,
AND SHE GOES RIGHT.

SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE
BODY LANGUAGE.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT CLASSIFIERS,
FACES, BODIES,

ALL THESE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES.

HANDSHAPES. HANDSHAPE RHYME
SPECIFICALLY.

YOU KNOW, WHEN SPOKEN LANGUAGE
POETS WRITE,

THEY HAVE THE LAST WORD OF
EACH SENTENCE RHYME

OR HAVE DIFFERENT SORTS OF
RHYME SCHEMES.

AND WE CAN DO THE SAME THING.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE "B" HANDSHAPE.

I'M WALKING. I APPROACH A HOUSE,

OPEN THE DOOR, ENTER A CORRIDOR.

AS I WALK DOWN THE HALL,
MY HEART IS BEATING.

A BAT FLIES BY.

IT SCARES ME, AND MY HEART BEATS
EVEN FASTER.

THERE'S A PORTRAIT OF NAPOLEON
LOOKING DOWN AT ME ON THE WALL.

I KEEP WALKING, AND THEN
THE FLOOR STARTS SHAKING.

A TRAP DOOR OPENS.
I FALL DOWN A CHUTE,

DOWN INTO WATER.

I GO DOWN BELOW THE SURFACE
OF THE WATER. I BLOW BUBBLES.

AND I'M SWIMMING
WITH THE FISHES.

THAT'S ALL A "B" HANDSHAPE.

THAT IS A HANDSHAPE RHYME.

DID YOU NOTICE IN THE "EINSTEIN"
POEM JUST NOW THAT I CREATED

THAT THERE WERE
SOME HANDSHAPE RHYMES?

DID YOU NOTICE SOME OF THEM?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

OH, THAT'S INTERESTING! I
HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.

EINSTEIN'S HAIR AND HIS EYEBROWS
AND HIS MUSTACHE--

THEY WERE ALL
A BENT 4 HANDSHAPE.

WHAT OTHERS DID YOU NOTICE?
ANYTHING ELSE YOU NOTICE?

THE HALLWAY, CORRIDOR.

OH, NO. THAT WAS WHAT I JUST
SHOWED YOU.

I'M TALKING ABOUT

THE "EINSTEIN UNDER THE APPLE
TREE" POEM THAT I PERFORMED

A FEW MINUTES AGO.

WHAT ELSE DID YOU SEE?

OH, THE STARS COMING OUT,
THE STARS SHINING

OR THE STARS FLYING OUT?

OH, OK. I SEE THAT YOU SAW
SOME SUBTLE THINGS,

BUT I'M LOOKING FOR THE MORE
OVERT EXAMPLES.

THOSE WERE VERY SUBTLE,
BUT THE ONES THAT WERE

REALLY, REALLY CLEAR EXAMPLES.

"APPLE ON HIS HEAD"? NO.

I MEAN, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY
IT WAS A "C," THE APPLE FALLS,

AND THEN HE TAKES A BITE OUT
OF IT. THAT'S Cs.

BUT I WANT SOMETHING EVEN
MORE, MORE OBVIOUS.

YOU GOT IT! As. SHOW ME WHAT
THEY WERE. RIGHT.

THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT PERSON GOT IT--As.

HERE WAS A RHYME.

REMEMBER THE FLAG? SO THE ARMIES
ARE CHARGING.

THEY'RE BOTH HOLDING As.

SOMEBODY IS HITTING A DRUM.
THOSE ARE WITH As.

THE HORSE'S HOOVES ARE As.
THE SABERS SLASHING ARE As.

THE FISTS FLYING ARE As.

AND THEN THE CANNONBALLS FLYING.

THE HORSE IS GOING UP
IN THE AIR.

REMEMBER? SABERS SLASHING?
FISTS FLYING? THOSE ARE ALL As.

SO THAT'S HANDSHAPE RHYME.

POETRY MEANS THAT THERE'S
HIDDEN TECHNIQUE

THAT YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE
UPON THE FIRST GLANCE.

YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT
SEVERAL TIMES.

SOMETIMES YOU'LL WATCH SOMETHING
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

YOU'LL ALWAYS CATCH MORE.

IT'S A BIG HEADACHE FOR
LINGUISTS, RIGHT,

BECAUSE THEY'RE STUDYING
THESE THINGS.

AND THEY WATCH IT AND THINK
THEY'VE NOTATED EVERYTHING,

AND THEN THEY WATCH IT AGAIN
AND FIND EVEN MORE

TO ADD TO THEIR LIST.

THEN UPON A THIRD, A FOURTH,
A FIFTH TIME,

THEY STILL ARE FINDING THINGS

THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE
THE FIRST TIME.

WHERE IS CLAYTON VALLI?

I THINK HE'LL CORROBORATE
WHAT I'M SAYING.

IS THAT RIGHT, VALLI? RIGHT?

HE SAYS, "YUP." RIGHT?

YOU WATCH IT OVER
AND OVER AGAIN.

"YUP, ALWAYS, FOREVER."

THAT'S A GOOD THING, RIGHT?

I'D ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT
TRANSFORMATION.

SO YOU HAVE TWO PLACES--ONE ON
MY RIGHT AND ONE ON MY LEFT.

SO I COULD TELL
A STORY OVER HERE.

AND THEN I CAN GO OVER
TO THE OTHER AREA

AND TELL A DIFFERENT STORY.

BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.

MAYBE I WANT BOTH THESE STORIES
TO BE IN THE SAME PLACE

AND TAKE PLACE AT THE SAME TIME,
NOT AT SEPARATE TIMES.

AND THE WAY I CAN GO ABOUT
DOING THIS IS

BY SHOWING THE EXAMPLE OF
4 DIFFERENT ELEMENTS--

MAYBE THE SUN, A BIRD,
A BUTTERFLY, AND A FARMER.

WATCH HOW THIS HAPPENS.

THIS IS A BIRD FLYING UP TOWARDS
THE SUN, SWOOPING DOWN.

NOW THE SIGN FOR "BIRD"
BECOMES "BUTTERFLY."

THE BUTTERFLY IS FLYING THROUGH
GRAIN, OVER TO A FARMER,

WHO'S DIGGING IN HIS PATCH.

AND THEN THE BUTTERFLY LANDS
IN HIS HAIR.

AND HE BATS IT AWAY,
WIPES THE SWEAT FROM HIS BROW.

OK? DID YOU NOTICE THAT?

THERE WAS ONE MOVEMENT DOWN FROM
ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.

IT TAKES PLACE IN A CERTAIN
TIME SCHEME.

NOW, MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE THING
TO SHOW YOU IS

GONNA COME NEXT.

NOW, I DON'T LIKE FOOTBALL. LET
ME PREFACE IT BY SAYING THAT.

AND HERE'S A FOOTBALL PLAYER,
A QUARTERBACK HUNCHED.

"HIKE, HIKE, HIKE."

SENDS IT DOWN THE FIELD.

THERE'S THE RUNNING BACK.
CATCHES IT.

HE HAS LOTS OF OTHER
FOOTBALL PLAYERS

THAT ARE FALLING OVER HIM,
BUT HE MAKES IT TO THE END ZONE,

AND HE SPIKES IT AND THEN GOES
INTO HIS VICTORY DANCE.

NOW, I HAVE ANOTHER THING I WANT
TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT,

BUT MAYBE YOU CAN FIGURE OUT
WHAT TO CALL IT,

BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A WORD
FOR IT YET.

MAYBE THAT'LL BE PART OF
THE CHALLENGE

IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION.

HERE'S A LITTLE SNIPPET OF
A POEM.

A BOY IS READING A NEWSPAPER.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT IS
HE'S LOOKING AT.

NOW, THIS IS AT NIGHTTIME,
I WANT TO SAY.

AND HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ASLEEP,
HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN BED,

BUT HE'S READING UNDER
THE COVERS WITH A FLASHLIGHT

SO HIS PARENTS DON'T KNOW.

SO HE OPENS UP THE NEWSPAPER,
TURNS ON HIS FLASHLIGHT.

AND IN THE BEAM OF
THE FLASHLIGHT,

HE SEES A PICTURE.

AND THEN WE SEE THE PICTURE,
AND HE'S IN THE PICTURE.

AND IT'S NIXON DOING
THE VICTORY SIGN.

THEN HE SHOWS THAT PICTURE GOING
BACK ONTO THE PAGE,

AND HE TURNS OFF THE FLASHLIGHT

AND REACTS TO THE PICTURE
HE JUST SAW.

OK? SO IT'S SORT OF A BACKWARDS
AND FORWARDS MOVEMENT

OF SHOWING IT,

GOING INTO HIS MIND AND BECOMING
PART OF THE PICTURE,

AND THEN PUTTING IT BACK INTO
ITS ORIGINAL PLACE

ON THE NEWSPAPER.

SO WE DO THAT QUITE OFTEN.

AND THE CHALLENGE
IS, WHAT DO WE CALL IT?

NOW, OUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE,
FAVORITE, FAVORITE.

HOW DO OTHER PEOPLE SIGN
"FAVORITE"?

"FAVORITE." THERE'S ANOTHER ONE.
HOW DO YOU SIGN "FAVORITE"?

WHAT'S THAT? "F" TO "V"? OH!
I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE.

OH! INSTEAD OF SPELLING OUT
"FAVORITE," IT'S F-A-V,

BUT IT KIND OF TRUNCATES
THE WORD. OH, THAT'S COOL.

SO SEE? EVERYBODY'S TALKING
ABOUT LANGUAGE, RIGHT?

ALL I HAD TO DO WAS
ASK YOU ONE QUESTION,

AND THERE WE ARE OFF
TO THE RACES.

BUT, ANYWAY,
CINEMATIC TECHNIQUES.

YOU KNOW HOW THERE ARE DIFFERENT
WAYS THAT YOU CAN SHOW

FRAMES AND SPACES AND MOVEMENT
IN FILMS?

KENNY AND I LOVE GOING TO
THE MOVIES.

WE GO TO THE MOVIES,
AND WE EAT OUR POPCORN,

AND THEN AFTER A WHILE, WE JUST
THROW THE POPCORN AWAY,

AND WE START LOOKING AT
THE TECHNIQUES, THE ANGLES,

DIFFERENT WAYS THAT
FILM LANGUAGE SPEAKS TO US

AND WHETHER WE COULD REPLICATE
IT OR NOT.

SUPPOSE YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE.

YOU COULD JUST HAVE A ONE SHOT,
BACK AND FORTH,

SHOWING EACH PERSON TALKING.

IF AN ARMY CADET IS TRAINING
A DOG FOR DUTY IN THE WAR

AND HE'S TRAINING HIM TO ATTACK
A PADDED ARM SO THAT SOMEDAY,

HE'LL ATTACK AN UNPADDED ARM.

AND SO HE GOES BACK AND FORTH
BETWEEN SHOWING

THE SOLDIER AND THE DOG.

BACK AND FORTH FROM
THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

OF SHOWING EACH PLAYER IN
THAT SCENE.

KENNY, I NEED YOU UP HERE
TO HELP ME WITH THIS PART.

OK, WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU
A LITTLE BIT OF BASEBALL.

KENNY'S THE RADIO.

HE'S HAD A BIG INFLUENCE ON ME

ABOUT FALLING IN LOVE
WITH BASEBALL.

MOVE BACK. MOVE BACK. MOVE BACK.
MOVE BACK.

BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK, BACK,
BACK. OK, GOOD. RIGHT THERE.

NO. RIGHT THERE. OVER. THERE.
RIGHT.

BEAUTIFUL!

OK, YOU'RE GONNA THROW TO ME,
RIGHT?

I'M THE BATTER.
YOU'RE THE PITCHER.

WHOA! STRIKE. OK.
THAT'S PRETTY NORMAL, RIGHT?

AND NOW WE'RE GONNA CHANGE
THE POINT OF VIEW OF THIS SCENE.

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK STRAIGHT OUT
TO THE AUDIENCE, RIGHT?

LET'S TRY THIS.

I'M THE CATCHER. OH, NO. WAIT.
YOU'RE THE CATCHER.

I'M THE PITCHER.

NO. YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED
TO TALK DIRTY. BE CAREFUL.

THIS BALL'S DIRTY.
I WANT ANOTHER ONE.

SO YOU SEE THAT WE BROKE
THE RULES,

BUT RULES ARE FOR BREAKING,
RIGHT?

BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN EVEN BE
MORE CREATIVE

IF YOU KNOW THE RULE AND THEN
YOU BREAK IT.

THANK YOU, KENNY.

OOPS. SORRY. I DO NEED YOU
BACK UP HERE AGAIN.

OH, ALWAYS TORTURING HIM.

SERGE AND JOHANNA, COULD YOU
COME UP HERE, TOO, PLEASE?

>> YOU DON'T NEED ME.

>> OH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
SORRY. GO BACK. OOPS.

YEAH. DO YOU REMEMBER THE PART
ABOUT THE TRAIN

AND THE SMOKESTACK OF THE TRAIN
AND THE TRAIN MOVING?

>> HOLD ON ONE SECOND.

I THINK I NEED SERGE TO
INTERPRET FOR ME SO I UNDERSTAND

WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING.

AND SERGE SAYS, "REMEMBER
LAST NIGHT?

IT'S THE TRAIN SCENE."

>> OH, YOU MEAN
WHEN IT'S MOVING?

>> YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND THE SMOKE
FROM THE SMOKESTACK ON THE TRAIN

AND ALL THAT.

>> OK, I GOT IT.
I THINK I GOT IT.

WITH THE TREES AND THE
TELEPHONE POLES AND ALL THAT?

>> RIGHT.

>> SO LET ME EXPLAIN TO THEM
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE.

SO YOU KNOW HOW THERE'S
A PANNING SHOT IN A FILM.

IT SHOWS A LONG SCENE FROM
FAR AWAY.

SO THIS IS A TRAIN ON
THE TRACKS TRAVELING AT NIGHT,

AND TWO PEOPLE IN ONE OF
THE CARS.

THAT'S THE TRAIN MOVING PAST
A FOREST.

THERE'S THE SMOKESTACK.

THERE'S THE TRAIN TRACKS
MOVING BELOW,

AND THE PEOPLE IN THE CAR AGAIN.

TO SHOW THE IDEA OF TIME MOVING,
THE SUN HAS GONE DOWN.

THE MOON HAS GONE DOWN.
IT'S GETTING DARK.

THE TRACKS, THE POLES OF WIRES
MOVING BACK,

AND THE TWO PEOPLE IN THE CAR,
EXHAUSTED, AGAIN.

THE TRAIN STOPS,
AND EVERYBODY REACTS.

OK, THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE]

HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE LEFT?

UGH! FIVE MINUTES.
I HATE CONFERENCES.

OK, LET ME TRY TO WRAP UP
AS FAST AS I CAN.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THE CONCEPT OF SPEED.

BECAUSE SPEED CAN REALLY
HEIGHTEN EMOTION

IF YOU SPEED THINGS UP
OR SLOW THEM DOWN.

FOR EXAMPLE...

THIS IS NORMAL SPEED. KNOCK,
KNOCK, KNOCK. THE DOOR OPENS.

"FBI. AGAINST THE WALL."

TURNS THE GUY AGAINST THE WALL

AND APPREHENDS HIM.

OK, BUT YOU COULD CHANGE IT
TO BE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.
THE DOOR OPENS.

"FBI.

AGAINST...THE...WALL."

THE GUY IS DRAGGED AND THEN
QUICKLY PUT AGAINST THE WALL,

BUT THEN IN SLOW MOTION,
HE REACTS

AS HE BASHES AGAINST THE WALL.

HE'S SLOWLY TURNED AROUND,
AND THEN IN NORMAL MOTION,

HIS HANDS ARE PUT BEHIND HIM.

IN SLOW MOTION,

HE REACTS TO HIS HANDS
BEING PUT BEHIND HIM.

IN SLOW MOTION, HE BASHES
AGAINST THE WALL.

SO IT ALTERNATES.

I THINK I HAVE TO STOP AT
THIS POINT FOR SOME QUESTIONS

BECAUSE TIME IS A-WASTIN'.

I'M SO SORRY WE DON'T HAVE A LOT
MORE TIME,

BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS,
I'M READY.

QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE?

YES. SOMETHING BACK THERE.

>> SO DID YOU THINK OF ALL
THESE TECHNIQUES?

DID THEY COME UP BY ACCIDENT,
OR HOW DO YOU USE THEM?

AND HOW DO THEY COME ABOUT?

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

WE DO CHALLENGE OURSELVES
TO COME UP

WITH DIFFERENT TOOLS
AND TECHNIQUES,

BUT SUPPOSE WE HAVE SOME GREAT,

VERY COOL TECHNIQUE
THAT WE WANT TO USE.

IF WE TRY TO FORCE IT INTO
AN IDEA THAT WE HAVE,

GENERALLY, IT DOESN'T WORK
THAT WAY.

IT'S NO GOOD TO COME UP WITH
AN IDEA

TO TRY TO FORCE IT INTO
A TECHNIQUE.

SOMETIMES IT CAN WORK,
BUT NOT QUITE OFTEN.

USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS WE COME
UP WITH THESE IDEAS,

AND WE JUST SORT OF PUT THEM
ASIDE.

IT'S AS IF WE HAVE
A FILING CABINET FULL OF THEM.

THEN WE HAVE SOME SORT OF IDEA
THAT WE'RE WORKING ON,

AND THEN WE TAKE SOMETHING THAT
WE HAVE

THAT WE THINK MIGHT BE A GOOD
TECHNIQUE THAT MAKES IT WORK.

AND WE TRY SEVERAL
DIFFERENT ONES

UNTIL THE RIGHT ONE WORKS.

KENNY AND I MIGHT THINK OF
SOME SUPER COOL THING THAT WE

REALLY WANT TO USE, BUT WE'LL
HAVE THAT,

AND THEN WE'LL BOOKEND IT
WITH SOME IDEAS,

BUT THE IDEAS WORK BETTER
TOGETHER

WITHOUT SOME SUPER COOL THING
HANGING THEM TOGETHER.

BUT IT'S GREAT TO WORK IN THIS
PARTICULAR WAY.

WE JUST NEVER GIVE UP.
WE KEEP DOING IT ALL THE TIME.

SOMEBODY IN THE BACK?

YES.

YEAH. LET'S HEAR IT. YUP, YUP.
WHAT IS IT? YOU'VE GOT ONE?

THAT'S THE NAME? THAT'S
THE NAME OF THE TECHNIQUE

THAT I WAS SHOWING BEFORE THAT
I DIDN'T HAVE A NAME FOR? NO?

NO? WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN
I WAS LOOKING AT THE NEWSPAPER,

AND THEN I HAD IT IN FRONT
OF ME.

I'D SORT OF GO INTO IT, AND
THEN I PUT IT BACK DOWN AGAIN.

WHAT DID YOU THINK?

VV? UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S VV.

VV. WELL...

CAN YOU COPY THAT, PLEASE?

SO VV. VISUAL--WHAT'S THAT
SECOND WORD? VERNACULAR.

VISUAL VERNACULAR. RIGHT.

OK. THAT'S WHEN YOU CREATE
DIFFERENT CHARACTERS,

AND YOU'RE STANDING IN ONE
PARTICULAR PLACE.

YOU JUST STAY ROOTED
TO THE SPOT.

YOU DON'T MOVE FROM ONE PLACE
TO ANOTHER

AND BECOME THOSE DIFFERENT
CHARACTERS.

YOU'RE JUST IN ONE PLACE.

SO VV WOULD BE--LET'S SEE--

I GUESS I COULD SAY--
MAYBE IT'S VV.

I'D OPEN THE NEWSPAPER.
I'D LOOK IN.

AND THEN I SEE THE PICTURE,
AND THEN I BECOME NIXON.

INSTEAD OF SHOWING THE PICTURE,
I BECOME HIM.

BUT I'D HAVE TO SPIN AROUND.

I MEAN, THAT COULD BE VV,
I GUESS. I'M NOT SURE.

I'M NOT SURE. THAT'S GOOD.
IT'S A GOOD CHALLENGE.

I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

OK. WELL, QUITE OFTEN, KENNY
AND I WILL JUST BE UP ALL NIGHT,

YOU KNOW?

AND ONE OF US WILL GET AN IDEA
AND EXPLAIN IT TO THE OTHER.

AND THE OTHER ONE WILL LISTEN
AND THEN EITHER GO AHEAD WITH IT

OR COME UP WITH ANOTHER IDEA.

AND WE GO BACK AND FORTH UNTIL
IT BECOMES A PICTURE.

I MEAN, A PICTURE'S
THE EASIEST WAY FOR ME TO THINK

IN TERMS OF OUR IDEAS,
AND THEN WE COME UP

WITH A SEQUENCE
OF DIFFERENT PICTURES

TILL THEY ALL SORT OF COME
TOGETHER

AND WE HAVE THIS
UNIFIED CONCEPT.

AND THEN WE SPRINKLE IN DOSES
OF OUR DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES

THAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED OR
CREATED, AND THEN WE PRACTICE,

PRACTICE UNTIL IT'S READY.

AND THEN TWO DAYS BEFORE
THE PERFORMANCE, KENNY SAYS,

"I NEED SOME ENGLISH WORDS."
"OH, RATS."

SO THEN WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT
THE WORDS.

NOW, BACK IN THE DAY
WHEN WE FIRST STARTED,

I WOULD GIVE KENNY
THIS LONG TOME FULL OF WORDS

I WANTED TO USE, AND THEN HE
JUST VERY JUDICIOUSLY PICKED OUT

DIFFERENT WORDS TO USE.

YOU SHOULD EXPLAIN
THE VOCAL TECHNIQUE, KENNY.

COME ON. YOU SHOULD COME UP HERE
AND DO THAT.

OH, THERE'S NO TIME! OK.

WELL, KENNY DOESN'T SAY
EVERY SINGLE WORD THAT I SIGN.

WHAT HE DOES IS MORE LIKE ASL.

LIKE, FOR A GUN THAT'S SHOOTING,

HE'LL JUST MAKE
THE SOUND EFFECT.

OR IF THE HELICOPTER BLADES
ARE GOING,

THEN HE'LL MAKE
THE HELICOPTER SOUND.

BUT HE WANTS THE ATTENTION
TO BE ON THE ASL

AND ON THE DEAF PERFORMER
AND NOT ON HIS WORDS.

OH, I'M SORRY. TIME'S RUN OUT.

BUT PLEASE FEEL FREE TO MEET ME
OUT IN THE LOBBY

SO WE CAN CONTINUE
THIS DISCUSSION.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH!

"This project is supported by a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation."

Title supplied by cataloger