ds_0027_durrchristie_cap_01.mp4

ds_0027_durrchristie_cap_01.mp4

Interviews

Durr, Patti, 1963-

Durr, Patti, 1963- Interviews

Christie, Karen, 1954- Interviews

American Sign Language literature

Deaf, Writings of the, American

Deaf artists

Deaf Poetry

American poetry 20th century

ASL poetry

Part of a collection of interviews made for a film on ASL poetry, "The Heart of the Hydrogen Jukebox." In this interview, Patti Durr and Karen Christie discuss their work at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, including their work with Deaf poets such as Ella Mae Lentz.

National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Libraries - RIT Archive Collections

Christie, Karen, 1954-

Lerner, Miriam Nathan

2007

2018

moving image

mp4

DVD

79 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

DURR:
HELLO, MY NAME IS PATTY DURR.

I'M A PROFESSOR AT NTID

IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL
AND CREATIVE STUDIES.

-I AM, TOO.
-WELL, TELL THEM YOUR NAME.

CHRISTIE: OK, I'LL DO THAT.
HELLO.

I'M KAREN CHRISTIE.

KC.

I'M ALSO A PROFESSOR HERE
AT NTID

IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL
AND CREATIVE STUDIES.

DURR: OK. I CAN GIVE YOU
SOME BACKGROUND FIRST.

MANY DISENFRANCHISED OR
OPPRESSED CULTURES

HAVE A DOMINANT CULTURE
WHO DEFINES THEM.

AND THAT OPPRESSION PERSISTS
UNTIL THEY DECIDE

TO BECOME INDEPENDENT OF THAT
DEFINITION

THAT'S FOISTED UPON THEM,

AND THEN THEY START TO EXPRESS
THAT THROUGH ART,

THROUGH VISUAL ART.

FOR EXAMPLE,

THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE,
THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE.

IN NEW YORK CITY, THAT REALLY
SPREAD INTO

A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS,

AND IT WAS EVIDENCED
IN POETRY, STORIES, PLAYS,

AND A LOT OF VISUAL ART

THAT REPRESENTED
THE BLACK EXPERIENCE.

SO EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE
STILL OPPRESSED,

THEY SHOWED THROUGH
ENTERTAINMENT AND ART

THAT THEY WERE TRYING
TO BECOME INDEPENDENT

OF THAT DOMINANT CULTURE

AND THAT CO-OPTION OF
THEIR IDENTITY.

NOW, WITH DEAF PEOPLE, THEY HAVE
A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT LATER
COMPARED TO OTHER GROUPS.

FEMINIST ART IS A LOT EARLIER.

THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE,
OF COURSE, WAS A LOT EARLIER

WITH BLACK PEOPLE.

CHICANO, LATINO, ALL THOSE
DIFFERENT GROUPS,

GAY AND LESBIANS,
HAVE THE SAME SORT OF WAY

OF EXPRESSING THEMSELVES,
BUT IT OCCURRED EARLIER
THAN DEAF PEOPLE.

THE DEAF PEOPLE DIDN'T
GET TOGETHER AND COIN THIS TERM

UNTIL 1989.

THERE HAD BEEN DE'VIA ART
PREVIOUS TO THAT,

BUT NOT REALLY MUCH KNOWN.

THE FIRST RECOGNIZED DEAF ARTIST
IN THE DE'VIA FRAMEWORK

WAS BETTY G. MILLER.

VERY BRAVE.
SHE DID A LOT OF ARTWORK,

CREATED IT FOR YEARS.

AND THEN IN 1972,

SHE HAD A ONE-WOMAN SHOW
AT GALLAUDET

WHERE SHE SHOWED ALL HER WORK.

AUDIENCES CAME, AND IT'S
REALLY INTERESTING.

A LOT OF PEOPLE FELT
THEY GOT IT,

AND OTHER PEOPLE SAID, "WHY ARE
YOU SHOWING THIS WORK?

"IT'S SO OFFENSIVE
TO HEARING PEOPLE.

IT'S NOT NICE."

PEOPLE WHO WORK IN
DIFFERENT FIELDS,

LIKE DEAF EDUCATION, WHATEVER,

WERE LIKE, "HEY, YOU'RE MAKING
FUN OF US,

"BUT WE'RE HELPING YOU.

YOU'RE INSULTING US."

BUT HEARING PEOPLE OUTSIDE
OF THE DEAF WORLD

WHO WERE ARTISTS SAW IT AND THEY
GOT IT IMMEDIATELY

AND THOUGHT IT WAS AMAZING,

BECAUSE THEY COULD SEE OTHER
CULTURAL GROUPS

WHO HAD BEEN OPPRESSED DOING
THE SAME SORT OF THING.

THE RESPONSE TO HER WORK
WAS SO OVERWHELMING

AND OFF PUTTING THAT SHE
DECIDED NOT TO SHOW IT ANYMORE.

NO MORE EXHIBITS.

SHE DID KEEP CREATING IT,
BUT SHE DIDN'T EXHIBIT IT.

SO SHE STILL WANTED TO KEEP
PRODUCING IT,

AND IT STILL SEEMS IMPORTANT
TO SHOW

OUR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE
TOGETHER THROUGH ART.

THERE WAS AN ARTISTS' COLONY
IN TEXAS DURING THE 1970s.

IT WAS CALLED SPECTRUM.

AND ARTISTS GOT TOGETHER
FROM ALL OVER THE U.S.

POETS AND ACTORS, DANCERS,
VISUAL ARTISTS

ALL CAME TOGETHER
AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

AND THEN THE SEED MONEY THAT
THEY HAD RAN OUT.

1989 BEFORE DEAF [INDISTINCT],

9 DIFFERENT ARTISTS
GOT TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT

LIKE WHAT ART BY DEAF PEOPLE
SHOULD BE CALLED.

IT'S OUR DEAF-THEMED ARTWORK,

BUT WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT IT

THAN JUST ARTWORK
MADE BY DEAF PEOPLE?

YOU SEE DEAF ART ALL THE TIME.

YOU SEE VISUAL ART
THAT PEOPLE CREATE,

AND DEAF PEOPLE USUALLY
COPY IT

OR COPY THOSE STYLES AND NOT
DOING ANYTHING DEAF THEMED,

AND THAT'S FINE,
BUT WHERE'S THE ART

CREATED BY DEAF PEOPLE
WHERE THEY'RE TALKING

ABOUT THE DEAF EXPERIENCE?

THAT SEEMS TO BE HIDDEN.

SO THIS GROUP WAS
BECOMING AWARE OF IT

AND SHOWING THAT AS GROUPS
BECOME AWARE OF WHO THEY ARE,

THEY EVIDENCE THAT.

THEY DECIDED THEY NEEDED TO
COME UP WITH A CERTAIN TERM

TO DENOTE THIS, AND THEY CAME UP
WITH THE IDEA

OF DEAF VIEW/IMAGE ART--

THE WAY THEY SHOW THEIR
EXPERIENCES ON THIS CANVAS,

AND THAT'S THE EXPERIENCE THAT
THEY'RE SHOWING TO THE WORLD.

IT'S CALLED DE'VIA.
D-E-V-I-A.

DEAF VIEW IMAGE ART.

SOME OF THE OTHER ARTISTS
SIGN IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY,

BUT IT MEANS THE SAME THING.

BETTY HERSELF SIGNS IT
THIS WAY.

DEAF VIEW IMAGE ART.

SO DE'VIA CHUGGED ALONG,

AND IT'S BEEN GOING
SINCE AROUND 1989

AS THE NAME OF IT.

IN THE DEAF ART WORLD
SOME PEOPLE SAID,

"NAH, WE DON'T BUY IT."

YOU KNOW, "I DON'T FEEL
OPPRESSED.

I DON'T FEEL I'M EXPRESSING
MYSELF THAT WAY."

AND THAT'S FINE.
THAT'S FINE.

BUT THERE IS A GOOD COHORT
OF PEOPLE

WHO BELIEVE REALLY
IT DOES EXIST.

THEY WANT TO DOCUMENT IT.
THEY WANT TO SHARE IT.

THEY WANT TO ANALYZE IT.

THEY THINK THAT IT'S GOT
A POLITICAL MESSAGE

OF KIND OF SHIRKING OFF
THE OPPRESSION

AND THE COMMUNICATION
DIFFICULTIES.

I MEAN, IT'S VERY CLEAR WORKS

TO TRY TO WAKE UP THE WORLD
IN A SENSE.

DEAF STUDIES HAS LOOKED AT IT
AT LENGTH.

FOR EXAMPLE,
SUSAN DUPOR'S WORK.

SHE'S GOT ONE PIECE THAT'S
A FAMOUS PIECE

THAT SHOWS IT VERY CLEARLY.

IT'S CALLED "THE FAMILY DOG."

IT'S GOT THE DEAF GIRL
UNDERNEATH A TABLE LIKE A DOG.

THE FAMILY MEMBERS ARE
SITTING ON A COUCH,

AND THEIR MOUTHS
ARE BLANKED OUT

LIKE THE STATIC ON AN OLD
TV SCREEN.

AND THAT'S TO SHOW THAT SHE
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND

WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.

THEIR ARMS ARE CROSSED
IN FRONT OF THEM

BECAUSE, OF COURSE,
THEY'RE NOT SIGNING.

AND SHE'S IN THE POSITION
OF A DOG

BECAUSE SHE'S BEING TREATED
LIKE A BELOVED PET.

A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT
AND UNDERSTOOD IT RIGHT AWAY

BECAUSE THEY'RE TREATED LIKE
THAT BY THEIR HEARING FAMILIES.

SO THIS WORK STARTED
TO GROW AND SPREAD.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE FELT,

WOW, THIS VALIDATES
MY EXPERIENCE.

THIS REALLY SHOWS WHAT IT MEANS
TO BE A DEAF PERSON

IN A HEARING WORLD.

WHAT IT'S LIKE.
THERE'S SORROW,

THERE'S ANGUISH,
THERE ARE CHALLENGES,

THERE ARE STRUGGLES,

BUT THERE'S ALSO JOY AND
CELEBRATION AS WELL.

BOTH OF THOSE COEXIST.

THE STRUGGLING KIND OF ARTWORK
IS CALLED RESISTANCE

AND THE MORE CELEBRATORY
IS CALLED AFFIRMATION ARTWORK.

SO WE HAVE BOTH OF THOSE
CATEGORIES.

AND WITHIN THIS AFFIRMATION
ARTWORK,

SOMETIMES THERE'S SOMETHING
CALLED LIBERATION ART.

VISUAL ART IS DIFFICULT TO SEE.
IT'S A FROZEN FORM

BECAUSE ONCE IT'S ON THE PAGE
OR THE CANVAS, WHATEVER,

IT'S STATIC.
IT'S NOT MOVING.

OFTEN THEY'LL SHOW THE STRUGGLES
ON THE BOTTOM PART

OF THE CANVAS OR THE ARTWORK,

AND THEN THINGS GET LIGHTER
AND MORE CELEBRATORY

AS IT MOVES ON THE HIGHER
PARTS OF IT.

THINGS CAN BE,
IN THE ART WORLD,

EITHER AFFIRMATION
OR RESISTANCE

OR A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
OR LIBERATION.

CHRISTIE: OR IT COULD MOVE FROM
ONE TO THE OTHER.

DURR: RIGHT. AND WHAT KAREN
IS REFERRING TO

IS CHUCK BARRETT'S ARTWORK.

HE HAS A HUGE MURAL THAT'S
AT GALLAUDET IN THE CAFETERIA.

AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF
DEAF PEOPLE

THAT ARE REPRESENTED AS ALIENS

BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO HAIR.

AND A LOT OF ARTISTS
USE THAT IMAGE.

THE WORD "ALIEN"
HAS TWO MEANINGS.

SOMETIMES IT MEANS PEOPLE WHO
ARE FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY

AND SOMETIMES IT MEANS PEOPLE
FROM ANOTHER PLANET.

AND SO IT SEEMS THAT THAT
SYMBOL'S USED AS A METAPHOR

BECAUSE QUITE OFTEN DEAF PEOPLE
DON'T FEEL

THEY'RE TREATED AS AMERICANS.

THEY'RE SHUNTED ASIDE.

THEY ARE AMERICANS,
BUT THEY'RE TREATED
LIKE THEY'RE FOREIGNERS.

THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE

AND THEY'RE TREATED
DIFFERENTLY.

SO ON THIS MURAL THERE'S
PEOPLE WITHOUT HAIR,

AND THERE'S A REAL MIXTURE
OF FOLKS DEPICTED IN IT.

THERE'S SOME PEOPLE VERY PROUD
OF THEIR DEAFNESS.

THEY'RE SAYING, "YES, CAN.
DEAF POWER."

THEY'RE SIGNING THOSE KINDS
OF THINGS.

SOME ARE IN POSITIONS
OF SUPPLICATIONS, PRAYING,

OR SOME ARE STRUGGLING.

THERE'S ONE MAN SHOWN WITH
A LITTLE BOY,

AND THE LITTLE BOY'S SIGNING
"DEAF" QUESTIONINGLY

AND THE ADULT IS SAYING
"SAME,"

THAT WE'RE BOTH THE SAME.

IN ONE CORNER THERE ARE
GLOWING HANDS

AS IF THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE'S
BEING BLESSED BY GOD.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT
THINGS DEPICTED IN THIS

FROM AFFIRMATION, RESISTANCE,
LIBERATION

ALL ACROSS THE BOARD
IN THIS ONE MURAL.

IN 1989,

THERE WAS THIS GROUP OF
DEAF ARTISTS THAT GOT TOGETHER

TO DECIDE WHAT IS DIFFERENT
ABOUT OUR ARTWORK.

AND THAT'S WHEN THEY CAME UP
WITH THE TERM DE'VIA,

AND THEY COINED IT.

THEY CREATED A MANIFESTO,

AND THEY ALL SIGNED IT.

SO THERE ARE 9 SIGNATORIES
OF THAT.

AND IN THIS MANIFESTO THEY
DESCRIBE WHAT ELEMENTS

THE WORK HAS TO HAVE,
THE CRITERIA TO SATISFY

TO BE CONSIDERED DE'VIA.

IT COULD BE CREATED
BY A HEARING PERSON,

BUT IT HAS TO BE
DEAF THEMED.

AND THE ARTIST MUST APPROACH
THE WORK

WITH THE INTENTION OF DEPICTING
THE DEAF EXPERIENCE.

SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT CONCEPT
OF INTENTION.

THE INTENTIONALITY NEEDS
TO BE OBVIOUS.

SOMETIMES THERE'S
ABSTRACT WORK.

YOU LOOK AT IT AND THERE'S JUST
NO WAY YOU'LL BE ABLE

TO FIGURE IT OUT.

YOU ASK THE ARTIST,
AND THEN THEY EXPLAIN.

YOU REALIZE THAT THEY DID
HAVE THAT INTENTION.

SOMETIMES IN DEAF STUDIES
YOU'LL SEE PIECES OF ARTWORK

WHERE THE ARTIST WAS DEAF,

AND YOU TRY TO READ INTO
THEIR WORK

AND PEOPLE INTERPRET IT
AND GO, "OH, YES,

"YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS A LOT
OF DEAF STUFF THERE.

THE CHILDREN HAVE EYES THAT
LOOK LIKE DEAF EYES"

OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

AND YOU CAN ASK THE PERSON.
THEY'LL SAY THAT'S NOT TRUE.

OR YOU HAVE TO REALIZE WAS THAT
THEIR INTENTION OR NOT,

OR ARE WE SUPERIMPOSING OUR
ASSUMPTIONS ON THAT?

I DON'T KNOW.

BUT IN 1989, THIS GROUP
GOT TOGETHER

AND SAID INTENTIONALITY
IS IMPORTANT.

IT COULD BE CONSCIOUS.
IT COULD BE SUBCONSCIOUS.

BUT THAT'S ONE IMPORTANT
ELEMENT.

DE'VIA TENDS TO USE LOUD,
BOLD COLORS.

IT TENDS TO HAVE A CENTRAL
FOCUS IN THE CANVAS

AND SOMETIMES EXAGGERATED
FEATURES,

ESPECIALLY CERTAIN MOTIFS
THAT RECUR.

ONE IS THE USE OF
DIFFERENT BODY PARTS.

THE MOUTH CAN BE OVERLY
EXAGGERATED

OR IT CAN BE PRESENTED LIKE
A MARIONETTE MOUTH,

AND THAT'S TO REPRESENT
ALL THE SPEECH TRAINING
PEOPLE UNDERGO.

SOMETIMES THERE'S NO MOUTHS
TO SHOW THEY CAN'T TALK.

SOMETIMES THEY'RE TAPED SHUT
OR GLUED SHUT.

SOMETIMES THERE'S BIG EYES TO
SHOW THAT WE'RE VISUAL PEOPLE.

SOMETIMES THERE'S NO EYES
TO SHOW THAT COMMUNICATION

IS BLOCKED AND THERE'S
NO STIMULATION VISUALLY.

EARS CAN BE PART OF IT, TOO.

SOMETIMES EARS CAN BE
REALLY BIG

OR OUT OF A FRAME
OR FRAMED IN A PARTICULAR WAY

TO SHOW THAT DEAF PEOPLE
ARE FRAMED A CERTAIN WAY.

IT MEANS WE'RE BIFURCATED
AND PEOPLE ONLY LOOK

AT OUR MOUTHS OR OUR EARS

AND NOT THE REST OF US.

HANDS, OF COURSE, ARE USED
QUITE OFTEN.

SO IT'S THAT KIND OF THING.

CHRISTIE: YEAH, I THINK
THIS RELATES

TO POETRY ALSO.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE IDEA
OF COLONIALISM

AND POST-COLONIALIST THEORY,

IT FITS VERY WELL IN
THE REALM OF ART.

ALL OF OUR EXPERIENCES
WERE CO-OPTED

BY AN IMPERIALISM,
A COLONIALISM OF SORTS.

IT'S A THEORY THAT YOU CAN USE
TO ANALYZING

PAINTING, ARTWORK,
AND POETRY AS WELL.

SO THAT'S A DIFFERENT WAY
TO APPROACH THE WHOLE SUBJECT.

DURR: ONE COMMON THEME
THAT RECURS IN DE'VIA ART

AND THE RESISTANCE ART IS
THAT OF LANGUAGE RIGHTS.

IT'S TIED TO THE
POST-COLONIALIST IDEA.

COLONIALISM MEANS THAT
AN OPPRESSOR TAKES OVER A GROUP,

AND QUITE OFTEN THEY DO THAT BY
ATTACKING THEIR LANGUAGE FIRST.

THEY TELL THEM THEIR
LANGUAGE IS NO GOOD,

IT'S INFERIOR, IT'S DIRTY,
IT'S SUBHUMAN, WHAT HAVE YOU,

AND THE DOMINANT CULTURE IS
WHAT THE NORM SHOULD BE.

THAT'S THE WORST KIND
OF OPPRESSION

BECAUSE LANGUAGE ITSELF
IS NEVER FULLY ACCESSIBLE

FOR DEAF PEOPLE.

SO WHEN THIS DOMINANT
CULTURE TAKES OVER--

SUPPOSE YOU LOOK AT
SOUTH AMERICA.

OH, THAT'S REALLY STRONG THERE.

THE IDEA IS WE WANT THEM
TO LEARN ENGLISH.

SO PEOPLE LEARN ENGLISH,

THEN THEY'LL TAKE ON THE WAYS
OF THE OPPRESSOR.

AND THE MORE ENGLISH
THEY KNOW,

THEN THEY THINK THAT THEY
RAISED AN ESTIMATION

OF THEIR OPPRESSOR.

THEY'RE BRAINWASHED
IN A SENSE.

BUT THEY'VE LOST
THEIR MOTHER TONGUE.

THEY'VE LOST THAT
CULTURAL ELEMENT.

IN VISUAL ART, QUITE OFTEN
WE SEE THAT DEAF PEOPLE

ARE TRYING TO SHOW RESISTANCE
THROUGH LOVING

AND ADORING THEIR
SIGN LANGUAGE.

DE'VIA WORK, ESPECIALLY
BETTY G. MILLER'S EARLY WORK,

AMESLAN PROHIBITED.

AMESLAN WAS THE OLD WORD
FOR AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
BACK IN THE DAY.

A-M-E WAS AMERICA
AND SLAN WAS SIGN LANGUAGE.

BUT IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE
PENCIL DRAWING

OF A PAIR OF HANDS THAT ARE
BROKEN AND CHAINED TOGETHER.

LOT OF DEAF PEOPLE,
WHEN THEY SAW THAT

IDENTIFIED WITH IT RIGHT AWAY

BECAUSE OF THE IDEA OF HAVING
THEIR HANDS SLAPPED

WITH RULERS DURING SPEECH
THERAPY ALL THE TIME.

THEY COULDN'T EXPRESS
THEMSELVES.

THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO SIGN.

ANOTHER FAMOUS PIECE
OF ARTWORK

IS "MILAN, 1880."

IT WAS DERIVED FROM
A GOYA COMPOSITION,

"THE THIRD OF MAY 1808,"

WHICH SHOWS SPANISH SOLDIERS
KILLING CIVILIANS.

IT'S COMPOSED,
THIS NEWER PAINTING,

THE SAME WAY THE OLDER ONE WAS.

WHERE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
BEING KILLED WERE STANDING,

INSTEAD THEY HAVE
THE LETTERS A-S-L.

SO THIS IS PAINTED TO SHARE
AND DEPICT

THE COMMON EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE.

THIS ARTWORK
IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL

BECAUSE THE "L,"
THE LAST LETTER, IS YELLOW.

THE FIRST TWO LETTERS,
"A" AND "S,"

SHOW HUGE CRACKS AND FRACTURES,

BUT THE "L" IS YELLOW
AND WHOLE WITHOUT CRACKS

TO SHOW THAT ASL WILL PREVAIL
NO MATTER WHAT,

THROUGH MILAN, THROUGH 1880,
THROUGH SPEECH

BEING DECLARED THE PREDOMINANT
THEORY OF EDUCATION

FOR DEAF PEOPLE
AND WHAT HAVE YOU.

IT'S GOING TO PERSIST.
IT'S GOING TO PREVAIL.

AND SO SOMETIMES
RESISTANCE ART

HAS LIBERATION
ELEMENTS WITHIN IT,

AND THAT RELATES TO
THE IDEA OF POST-COLONIALISM.

CELEBRATION FOR ME IS UNDER THE
LABEL OF AFFIRMATION ART.

AND RESISTANCE...

LOOKS AT THE PAIN,
THE SUFFERING.

LIBERATION ART--
WE'RE NOT SURE IS IT REALLY
A SEPARATE CATEGORY?

IT'S REALLY UNDERNEATH
AFFIRMATION.

CHRISTIE: AND I THINK
AFFIRMATION--

LIBERATION IS
A KIND OF AFFIRMATION ART,

WHETHER IT WAS A POEM
OR A PIECE OF ART.

RESISTANCE AND CELEBRATION
ARE SEPARATE,

BUT IN THE END, CELEBRATION
BECOMES AFFIRMATION

OR AFFIRMATION BECOMES
CELEBRATION.

IT IS A TRANSITION FROM THAT
RESISTANCE,

FROM BEING OPPRESSED TO FINALLY
CELEBRATING IN THE END.

IT SHOWS HOPE.

DURR: IT'S A DISCOURSE STYLE.

IT'S A WAY OF TELLING
A STORY

AND A WAY OF SHOWING
THAT TRAJECTORY

FROM BEING OPPRESSED
TO NOT BEING OPPRESSED ANYMORE.

SHOULD I GET DOWN?
SHOULD I STAY?

WELL, PATTY'S WORK RELATED
TO DE'VIA ARTWORK

AND THOSE TWO CATEGORIES--

AFFIRMATION AND RESISTANCE.

WHEN I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED
TO THEM...

IT SEEMED THAT IT FELT FAMILIAR
TO ME,

AND THEN I REALIZED THAT YOU CAN
FIND THIS IN POETRY AS WELL.

SO IT JUST STARTED ME THINKING
ABOUT THESE CATEGORIES

UNDER DE'VIA ARTWORK,

BUT IT JUST SEEMED LIKE
IT MIGHT APPLY

TO ASL POETRY, TOO.

IT SET MY MIND WANDERING
ABOUT THAT.

THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, AS SHE
WAS MENTIONING BEFORE,

THAT WAS ART, BUT THERE WAS
A LOT OF POETRY

INVOLVED IN THAT AS WELL.

SO I STARTED THINKING ABOUT HOW
THE IDEAS IN DE'VIA ARTWORK

MIGHT APPLY TO POETRY AND HOW
PEOPLE WRITE

ABOUT THE DIFFERENT THINGS
IN THEIR LIVES

THAT SHOW THOSE CATEGORIES
AS WELL.

I STARTED WATCHING A LOT
OF DIFFERENT TAPES

OF PERFORMANCES,

ALL THESE DIFFERENT POEMS,
A WHOLE CANON OF POETRY.

SOME OF THEM WERE VERY STRONGLY
ABOUT THE DEAF EXPERIENCE.

AND THERE WERE OTHERS THAT
WERE REALLY COOL,

BUT THEY WEREN'T ABOUT
THE DEAF EXPERIENCE.

I DECIDED TO FOCUS MY ENERGIES
ON THE ONES

THAT WERE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT
THE DEAF EXPERIENCE

AND DETERMINE WHETHER THEY
FIT INTO THE CATEGORIES

OF AFFIRMATION OR RESISTANCE.

AND I FOUND THAT
SURE ENOUGH,

THE WHOLE THEORY FIT
BEAUTIFULLY.

THERE ARE THESE TWO CATEGORIES.

THERE'S AFFIRMATION.

YOU COULD FIND A LOT
OF POEMS.

THERE WAS RESISTANCE.

THE RESISTANCE POETRY
WAS REALLY OBVIOUS.

"THE DOOR" BY ELLA MAE LENTZ,

IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY
BEAUTIFUL POEM.

VERY, VERY CLEAR.

AND IT TELLS OUR HISTORY,

OUR DEAFHOOD,

WHAT HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY
OVER THE COURSE OF TIME,

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS
FOR THE DEAF

AND THEN MAINSTREAMING,

ALL IN ONE POEM.

BUT IT'S PRIMARILY
A RESISTANCE POEM.

SOMETIMES A PERSON CAN'T GET OUT
INTO THE DEAF COMMUNITY,

AND MAINSTREAMING
STIFLES THEM.

HEARING PEOPLE HAVE FORCED US.

YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN SEEING US
IN THIS PARTICULAR WAY,

AND THEN WITH MAINSTREAMING,
WE BECOME MORE ISOLATED.

SO THERE'S A STRONG RESISTANCE
TO HEARING CULTURE

IN THIS POEM BY TAKING OFF
THESE SHACKLES

OF THE EDUCATIONAL PARADIGMS

AND STICKING WITH DEAF CULTURE.

SO "THE DOOR" IS A GOOD
EXAMPLE OF THAT

AND ANOTHER EXAMPLE, MAYBE,
OF CELEBRATION.

I THINK MY FAVORITE ONE--

IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY
BEAUTIFUL POEM

BY CLAYTON VALLI,

AND IT'S CALLED "HANDS."

"THE HANDS."

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
CELEBRATION POEMS

I'VE EVER SEEN.

IT WORKS CYCLES.

HE TALKS ABOUT THE SEASONS.

SO HE USES THE 4 SEASONS
AS A METAPHOR.

IT'S PERFECT BECAUSE IT RELATES
TO THE THINGS

THAT WE HOLD DEAR MOST
IN OUR LIVES

AS DEAF PEOPLE.

IT CONNECTS TO THE IDEA
OF SIGNING AND ASL...

AND THAT WE'RE NATURAL BEINGS.

ASL's A NATURAL LANGUAGE.
IT NEEDS TO PERSIST.

IT KEEPS GOING AND GOING
JUST LIKE THE SEASONS DO.

IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL,
THE WHOLE THING.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL METAPHOR,
BUT IT'S ENCAPSULATED

IN A VERY SHORT POEM,
IN A REALLY SUCCINCT EXPRESSION.

AND I THINK THAT ASL
FOR DEAF PEOPLE

IS A PERFECT TOOL FOR THIS
KIND OF EXPRESSION

BECAUSE IT CAN INCORPORATE
SO MANY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS

TO SHOW THE WHOLE IDEA.

WHILE I WAS DOING
ALL MY ANALYSIS

OF RESISTANCE POEMS
AND CELEBRATION POETRY AND ASL,

I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT IN
THE CELEBRATION POETRY,

THERE WERE SOME ELEMENTS
OF RESISTANCE

THAT WERE EMBEDDED WITHIN IT.

SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH CATEGORY
ACTUALLY TO PUT IT IN

SINCE IT SEEMED TO BE BOTH.

SOME OF THE POEMS HAVE
RESISTANCE,

BUT THEN THEY WOULD TRANSITION
TO CELEBRATION IN THE END.

BUT IT NEVER WENT
THE OTHER WAY.

IT NEVER WAS A CELEBRATORY
POEM THAT THEN

DEGRADED INTO RESISTANCE.

SO WE CALLED THAT CELEBRATION

BECAUSE IT WAS A PROCESS.
IT WAS A JOURNEY OF DEAFHOOD.

THE WHOLE IDEA OF DEAF IDENTITY

AND THE DEAF SELF
WAS EVIDENCED IN THEM.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE BEST
EXAMPLES OF THAT,

OF A DEAFHOOD POEM,
IS BY DEBBIE RENNIE.

IT'S CALLED "BLACK HOLE:
THE COLORS OF ASL."

AND THAT REALLY DOES
SHOW THE JOURNEY,

THAT SOMEBODY'S WALKING ALONG,
LITERALLY ON A JOURNEY,

AND THEN THEY START TO
CLIMB TO THIS LADDER,

AND THEN THEY DISCOVER WHO
THEY ARE AS A DEAF PERSON.

THEY START TO SIGN.

THEY LEARN ASL.

AND THEN THE COLORS EMERGE,
AND THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S RICH, IT'S VIBRANT,
IT'S GORGEOUS.

AND THEN SOMEBODY STARTS
SHAKING THE LADDER.

IT'S AS IF SOMEBODY'S SAYING,
"NOPE. COME BACK DOWN."

BUT THE RESISTANCE TO THAT
BLACK HOLE

IS THAT I WON'T COME DOWN.

IF YOU'RE IN A BLACK HOLE,
YOU CAN'T SEE

AND THERE'S NO COLORS.

AND THAT'S THE HEARING WORLD.

THAT'S THE METAPHOR THAT'S
UTILIZED IN THAT POEM.

IT'S REALLY GREAT.

SO IF YOU'RE ON THAT LADDER

AND YOU'RE FINDING
YOUR IDENTITY,

YOU'RE OPENING
YOURSELF UP,

YOU'RE READY TO FIND OUT
WHO YOU ARE AS A DEAF PERSON.

AND WHAT HAPPENS?

YOU FIND THIS NEW POWER.

YOU FIND A SPIRITUAL POWER

THAT HELPS YOU RISE ABOVE

AND ASCEND TO THE HEAVENS
IN A SENSE.

SO THAT POEM REALLY SHOWS
THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

AND ENLIGHTENMENT,
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT

THE DEAFHOOD JOURNEY'S
ALL ABOUT.

IT STARTS WITH THIS WANDERING

AND INNOCENCE...

AND NOT REALLY KNOWING
WHERE ONE'S GOING,

AND THEN ENTERING THIS
DEAF WORLD

AND BECOMING LIBERATED.

SO THE JOURNEY STARTS WITH
OPPRESSION, IN A SENSE,

AND THEN IT ENDS WITH
A CELEBRATION.

YEAH, IT'S LIKE CLAYTON VALLI'S
POEM CALLED "COCOON."

VERY SIMILAR IDEA.

IT STARTS WITH A JOURNEY.

WE DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.

AND THEN I HAVE TO ENCLOSE
MYSELF AND ENCAPSULATE MYSELF

INTO A COCOON AND UNDERGO
THAT PROCESS

OF LOOKING AT MYSELF,
THE SELF DISCOVERY.

I NEED THAT HELP.

AND THEN UNDERGO A BIRTH
AND BECOME A BUTTERFLY

AND HAVE THAT SPIRITUAL
ASCENDENCY.

SAME IDEA.
VERY, VERY NICE METAPHOR

AND A NICE WAY TO DEPICT IT.

THERE'S ONE EXAMPLE I SAW.

LET'S SEE.

IT'S HOW RESISTANCE OCCURS
IN POETRY,

HOW IT WORKS,

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE.

THERE'S A LOT OF SYMBOLS
THAT ARE UTILIZED.

SO FOR EXAMPLE,

AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEOPLE
HAVE KINKY HAIR, FOR INSTANCE.

AND SO THE DOMINANT
WHITE CULTURE,

ESPECIALLY IN THE EDUCATION
SYSTEM,

TRIES TO TEACH THEM, WELL, YOU
NEED TO STRAIGHTEN YOUR HAIR.

YOU NEED TO USE A LOT
OF CHEMICALS.

YOU NEED TO FUSS WITH
YOURSELF AND NOT BE
WHO YOU ARE CULTURALLY.

CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES.
CHANGE YOUR PRESENTATION.

CHANGE YOUR WAY OF BEING
IN THE WORLD.

SO YOU CAN SHOW THAT
IN SYMBOLS,

LIKE IN THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.

DIFFERENT WAYS OF BLACKNESS
CAN BE CHOSEN

TO SHOW THAT THEY DON'T WANT
TO JETTISON THOSE.

THEY WANT TO SHOW WHO THEY ARE.

AND WITH DEAF PEOPLE, IT'S
THE SAME KIND OF THING.

THERE'S SYMBOLS TO SHOW
WHO WE ARE.

BUT WE'RE TOLD TO GET RID
OF SIGN LANGUAGE.

WE'RE TOLD TO CHANGE OUR WAY
OF EXPRESSING OUR FACES.

WE'RE TOLD TO KEEP OUR MOUTHS
STILL,

PUT OUR HANDS IN OUR LAPS.

THAT'S PARALLEL TO THE
EXPERIENCE OF BLACK PEOPLE

BEING CO-OPTED BY THE DOMINANT
CULTURE AS WELL.

I THINK THAT RESISTANT POEMS...

GOOD EXAMPLE IS LANGSTON HUGHES'
"A DREAM DEFERRED."

"WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM
DEFERRED?"

IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF
A RESISTANCE POEM.

ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE...

LET'S SEE.

OOH, TRYING TO PICK
MY BRAIN HERE.

I THINK "THE DOOR" DEFINITELY,

SHOWING THINGS DRIED UP,

SHOWING THAT PEOPLE ARE
HOLDING THINGS IN.

THE LANGSTON HUGHES ONE,
THAT YOU CAN'T DREAM

IF YOU HAVE TO SWALLOW
YOUR DREAMS,

IF YOU HAVE TO HOLD THEM IN.

WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM
DEFERRED?

I THINK THAT'S PARALLEL
TO THE DEAF EXPERIENCE,

BEING TOLD YOU CAN'T
ALL THE TIME.

YEAH, THAT'S REALLY...

IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST
A DREAM REALLY, RIGHT?

IT'S YOUR WHOLE LIFE,

THE WHOLE LIFE OF
A DEAF PERSON.

AND IT'S LIKE
THE DANDELION POEM.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TRYING TO
DESTROY YOU.

OR THE CHILDREN'S GARDEN,
THINGS BEING DESTROYED,

YOUR ROOTS BEING TAKEN
AND DESTROYED.

DEAF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN HAVE
A RIGHT TO EXIST.

IT'S AS IF PEOPLE ARE
SAYING THAT.

WE QUESTION THIS.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT
TO SIGN.

WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?

OH.

LET'S SEE, THERE WAS
ANOTHER ONE.

ONE ABOUT BEING IN SEARCH
OF A HOME.

SO PARALLEL TO THE IDEA
OF POST-COLONIALISM...

THE IDEA OF PEOPLE BEING
IN EXILE.

PEOPLE OFTEN ARE LOOKING FOR
WHERE THEIR HOME IS.

DEAF PEOPLE OFTEN ARE THINKING,
"WHERE IS MY HOME?"

IT'S BEEN CHANGED.
IT'S BEEN DESTROYED.

I'VE HAD TO LEAVE.
IT'S LIKE A DIASPORA,
IN A SENSE.

AND SO THAT'S
LIKE DEAF PEOPLE.

DEAF PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS
LOOKING FOR THEIR HOME.

WE DON'T AUTOMATICALLY
HAVE ONE.

WE HAVE TO FIND A HOME.

AND THAT'S PART OF OUR
LIFE STORY.

THERE'S ALWAYS THIS QUEST
TO FIND A HOME.

IF WE DON'T COME FROM
A DEAF FAMILY,

THEN HOW DO WE FIND OUR HOME?

TRADITIONALLY, THAT WAS ALWAYS
IN THE SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF.

THAT WAS THE ANSWER.

SO QUITE OFTEN IN ASL POETRY,

DEAF PEOPLE WILL TALK ABOUT
THE QUEST

AND THE SEARCH FOR A HOME,

BEING ON THAT JOURNEY,

LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO BELONG.

"BLACK HOLE: THE COLORS OF ASL"
WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT,

AND ALSO "COCOON."

THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE.

SEARCHING FOR A HOME,

MEANING THAT YOU HAVE TO FIND
THE HOME,

AND THEN YOU'LL FIND
YOUR IDENTITY.

AND YOU MUST HAVE BOTH OF THOSE
CONCURRENTLY.

AND PART OF THAT ANSWER
IS SIGN LANGUAGE.

'CAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE
THAT LANGUAGE,

THEN YOU HAVE A FREEDOM.

YOU HAVE A FREEDOM TO TRAVEL
THE WORLD, IN A SENSE.

YOU HAVE THAT HOME BASE,
AND THAT'S YOUR FOUNDATION,

AND FROM THERE, YOU'RE ABLE
TO TRAVEL AND EXPLORE MORE.

SO THAT'S TRUE LIBERATION.

BUT WITHOUT THAT
OR BEFORE THAT,

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.

THE WAY YOU GET INTO
THE DEAF COMMUNITY
OR THE DEAF WORLD,

THROUGH FRIENDS, THROUGH
SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF,

THROUGH COLLEGE,
HIGH SCHOOL.

THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS
FOR PEOPLE TO ENTER THAT PORTAL.

YEAH, WELL, I THINK...

I THINK TO GET INTO
THE DEAF COMMUNITY,

FIND WHO I AM,
AND FIND SIGN LANGUAGE.

FINDING A LANGUAGE
BOY, THAT MEANS YOU CAN

PLAY WITH LANGUAGE,
YOU CAN CREATE WITH LANGUAGE.

YOU'RE NOT JUST USING IT FOR
SIMPLE, BASIC COMMUNICATION

AND JUST GETTING BY.

YOU'RE EXPRESSING YOURSELF
AND YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE EXPRESS.

IT'S ALWAYS SUCH A STRUGGLE.

AND WHEN THAT STRUGGLE'S
NO LONGER GONE,

YOU CAN BE SO MUCH MORE
CREATIVE

NOW THAT YOU HAVE THIS
INCREDIBLE LANGUAGE.

THAT'S NOT A COMMON EXPERIENCE
FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

IT'S VERY UNIQUE TO DEAF FOLKS.

YEAH, IT'S IRONIC BECAUSE
NTID HERE IN ROCHESTER,

IT'S A TECHNICAL COLLEGE,
RIGHT?

BUT IRONICALLY, THERE'S
SO MUCH ART

THAT HAS BEEN SPAWNED FROM IT,

MAYBE BECAUSE THE TECHNICAL
PART IS SO EMPHASIZED

IT FREES UP OTHER ASPECTS
OF PEOPLE TO CREATE

ART AND POETRY
AND SATISFY THAT HUNGER

BECAUSE ALL THEIR OTHER
ENERGIES ARE TAKEN UP

WITH THE TECHNICAL ASPECT.
I DON'T KNOW.

BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE
A THIRST FOR THAT,

A HUNGER FOR CREATIVITY.

PATTY'S RIGHT.

I THINK HERE IN ROCHESTER,

WE HAD DEAF ARTISTS OF AMERICA
FOR A WHILE.

WE HAD DEAF THEATER COMPANY.

WE HAD DEAF FILM FESTIVAL,

THE DEAF POETRY CONFERENCE.

WE HAD THE NATIONAL
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
LITERATURE CONFERENCE.

SO THAT ALL CAME TO FRUITION
HERE IN ROCHESTER.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE GROUND
WAS FERTILE

FOR THE ART WORLD HERE.

AND IT COULD BE A RESPONSE
TO ALL THAT TECHNOLOGY

IN THAT IT'S A TECHNOLOGICAL
COLLEGE, I DON'T KNOW.

WELL, I CAN SEE THE OPPOSITE
AS WELL.

IN MARTHA'S VINEYARD,

NOW THEY HAD DEAF AND HEARING
PEOPLE

WHO WERE ALL IN MIXED
COMMUNITIES,

AND THEY DIDN'T NEED WHAT YOU
WOULD CALL A DEAF COMMUNITY.

BUT ON THE MAINLAND,

THEY HAD A STRONG
DEAF COMMUNITY,

AND THAT WAS NECESSARY
FOR THEM.

SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE IT WAS
THE OPPOSITE

IN THE DIFFERENT PLACES.

SO HERE WE HAVE THIS COLLEGE,

AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES,

SO MAYBE THAT NEED ISN'T
AS HARD THERE

BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT
AS OPPRESSED

AND THEY HAVE EACH OTHER MORE
THAN IN OTHER PLACES, PERHAPS.

I DON'T KNOW.

YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

HERE IN ROCHESTER, YEAH.

YEAH, THE COMMUNITY'S HERE,

AND...

THEY COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF HAVING THE EQUIPMENT HERE

AND UTILIZE THE RESOURCES
THAT ARE RIGHT HERE.

YEAH, THE CLASSED HANDS
OR THE MANACLED HANDS.

YEAH, THERE'S ONE POEM
BY VALLI

CALLED "HANDS FOLDED."

I SAW HIM PERFORM IT
YEARS AGO.

MEL CARTER. MEL CARTER
ACTUALLY PERFORMED IT.

I SAW HIM DO IT.

IT GOES LIKE THIS--
"THE HANDS ARE FOLDED,

"WHY AM I SITTING HERE?

LOOK, MY HANDS ARE FOLDED."

AND IT GOES ON TO EXPLAIN HOW
IN THE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF,

ALL THE KIDS WERE AT
THE TABLE IN THE CAFETERIA,

AND BEFORE THEY ATE, THEY
WEREN'T ALLOWED TO TALK.

THEY HAD TO BE QUIET

'CAUSE THEY WERE TOLD TO SIT
WITH THEIR HANDS FOLDED.

SO EVERY CHILD WAS ADMONISHED
TO FOLD THEIR HANDS

IN THEIR LAPS IN FRONT
OF THEM.

AND THEN THERE'S THIS
GREAT PART

WHERE THEY SHOW THIS MOUTH
MOVEMENT

THAT'S SORT OF, "UGH! I WISH
I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS."

THEY COULDN'T TALK.
THEY COULDN'T COMMUNICATE.

AND THEN WHEN THEY GRADUATE
COLLEGE,

THIS PERSON'S OUT WITH
THEIR FRIENDS,

AND THEY SIT AND THEY FOLD
THEIR HANDS AGAIN

BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ALL AROUND,

THEY'RE JUST USED
TO KEEPING QUIET

AND HAVING THEIR HANDS FOLDED.

AND THE SIGN "HABIT"
IS LIKE TAKING YOUR HANDS

AND FOLDING THEM IN FRONT
OF YOU ON YOUR LAP

WITH THAT SAME EXPRESSION
OF LIKE, "GRR,

I WISH DIDN'T HAVE TO
DO THAT."

WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT SILENCE

HAS BEEN INTERNALIZED.

THEY'VE BEEN TOLD TO SHUT UP,

FOLD YOUR HANDS, BE QUIET.

SO FOR DEAF PEOPLE,

IT'S A PHYSICAL WAY OF
SHUTTING THEM UP.

THEY DON'T TALK, BUT IT'S A WAY
OF KEEPING THEIR HANDS

IN THEIR LAP AND EMBODIED
BEING TOLD TO BE QUIET.

IT'S A VERY STRONG IMAGE
OF HAVING YOUR HANDS
SHACKLED TOGETHER

OR HANDCUFFED TOGETHER
THAT SHOWS UP QUITE OFTEN,

TAKING OFF THOSE CHAINS
AND GETTING RID OF THOSE BONDS

SHOWS UP QUITE OFTEN
IN POETRY.

PATRICK GRAYBILL USES IT.

MEMORIES OF SPEECHREADING CLASS.

THIS OTHER POEM,
ONE CALLED "LIBERATION,"

THAT PATRICK CREATED THAT'S
ALSO ABOUT HANDS

THAT ARE MANACLED AS WELL.

BETTY G. MILLER IN
"AMESLAN PROHIBITED"

ALSO HAS THAT IMAGE.

SO IT COMES UP QUITE OFTEN.

LOTS OF POEMS HAVE THAT IDEA
OF HANDS HANDCUFFED TOGETHER

OR BOUND TOGETHER.

SO "THE TREASURE"...

THERE WERE SEVERAL POEMS
IN THAT.

IT'S A PERFECT METAPHOR.

YOU THINK ABOUT THE TREASURE,

SOMETHING VALUED,

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL...

SOMETHING OF IMPORT.

QUITE OFTEN IT'S SOMETHING
THAT'S BURIED

AND HIDDEN UNDERGROUND.

SO FLYING WORDS CULTURE,

THEIR POEM "LOST AND FOUND"

AND ELLA MAE LENTZ, HER POEM
CALLED "THE TREASURE,"

BOTH OF THEM USE THAT IMAGE

AS A METAPHOR FOR ASL.

FOR ELLA'S POEM "THE DOOR,"

THERE'S THIS SEARCH,
AND THEN IT'S UNEARTHED,

AND THEN IT'S CELEBRATED.

AND IT'S PUT IN PEOPLE'S
VISUAL PATHS

SO THEY CAN SEE IT.

SHE'S SAYING, "LOOK AT THIS.

"IT'S BEEN HIDDEN FOR
SO MANY YEARS.

"THIS BEAUTIFUL LEGACY'S
BEEN HIDDEN.

"LET'S BRING IT FORTH.
LET'S ELEVATE IT

"AND CELEBRATE IT.

"AND IT'S STILL THERE,
THIS BEAUTIFUL THING.

"IT HASN'T BEEN PUT DOWN.
FOR YEARS IT LAY FALLOW.

IT WAS HIDDEN.
BUT THANK GOODNESS
IT'S STILL HERE."

THAT EXPERIENCE OF SHOWING
THE STRENGTH

AND THE RESILIENCY
OF DEAF PEOPLE

THAT THEY COULD--

YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN TOLD
THAT ASL's A BAD LANGUAGE.

THEY'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S
JUST TRUNCATED ENGLISH,

AND IT'S NO GOOD.

SIGNED ENGLISH IS BETTER.

BUT SHE'S SAYING, LOOK,
LOOK AT THIS OPPRESSED LANGUAGE.

HOW SAD.

LET'S UNEARTH IT AND SHOW IT.

IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE

OF THAT IDEA OF TREASURE.

AND INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION IS
SO OBVIOUS IN THIS PIECE, TOO.

LET'S TAKE THIS OUT.
LET'S OPEN IT UP

AND SHOW PEOPLE WHAT IT IS,
PRESENT IT.

IT'S SOMETHING TO SHARE.

IT'S WONDERFUL.
I LOVE THAT.

IT MAKES YOUR LIFE MORE RICH

IF YOU HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL
TREASURE, THIS SIGN LANGUAGE.

LOST CULTURE...

THAT PARTICULAR TREASURE

SHOULD ALWAYS BE GUARDED,
ALWAYS PROTECTED.

THAT'S THE MESSAGE OF
THAT POEM.

AND IT HAS TO BE PROTECTED
FOR LIFE,

YOUR WHOLE LIFE.

AND I REALLY LIKE THAT.

IT'S SOMETHING SO PRECIOUS.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT
SHOULD BE PUT AWAY.

IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING
THAT'S TAKEN,

AND IT'S ENDANGERED.

IT HAS TO BE GUARDED.

IT'S IN THIS BOX.

IN THE BOX ARE
DIFFERENT SYMBOLS--

A CANDLE AND A BOOK.

THESE ARE RELATED TO LANGUAGE
AND TO SEEING.

ALL THOSE ARE INCORPORATED
INTO THAT ONE POEM.

WOW.

IT'S ENDANGERED.

IT'S THIS BEAUTIFUL,
RICH THING

THAT WE'RE IN DANGER
OF LOSING.

AND IT CAN BE CO-OPTED.
IT COULD BE TAKEN

FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS
BY OTHER PEOPLE,

BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL
AND GUARD IT.

I'M TRYING TO THINK OF OTHERS.

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER
GOOD ONES?

WHAT OTHER THINGS ARE VALUED?

WELL, THE TREASURE.

WE TREASURE OUR LANGUAGE,

BUT DEAF PEOPLE AREN'T
NECESSARILY TREASURED

BY THOSE WHO LOOK AT US,
WHO SEE US.

OH, YEAH, VERY STRONG.

ONE OF THE STRONGEST IMAGES
THAT I SEE IN MANY POEMS

IN ASL ABOUT
THE DEAF EXPERIENCE

SHOWS DEAF PEOPLE AS PEOPLE
OF THE NATURAL WORLD

OR NATURAL ELEMENTS
OF THE EARTH,

LIKE WE'RE A GIFT THAT GOD
HAS GIVEN TO THE EARTH.

FLOWERS, TREES.

ALL DIFFERENT PARTS

OF THE SCENERY OF THINGS
ON EARTH.

IT'S INTERESTING.

CLAYTON VALLI HAS ONE POEM
CALLED "DEAF WORLD,"

AND IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE
BECAUSE IT'S NATURE
IMAGES PRIMARILY

THAT SHOW DEAF CULTURE.

IT'S PEOPLE WALKING
NEAR A RIVER.

AND THEN OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE
THERE'S A HILL.

THERE'S ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS
AND MUSIC

AND THINGS THAT ARE BLARING
OVER IN THIS OTHER AREA,

VERY ELECTRIFIED.

THINGS THAT ARE GLARING.

AND THAT SHOWS THAT
THE DOMINANT CULTURE

IS, YOU KNOW, ENDANGERING
THE ONES ON THE OTHER SIDE

OF THE SIGNING SPACE
WHO ARE NATURAL

AND WALKING THAT PATH
NEAR THE RIVER.

AND THOSE ARE THE DEAF PEOPLE.

ELLA...

ELLA MAE LENTZ USES TREES
QUITE OFTEN.

THERE'S ONE ABOUT A DEAF BOY.

I'LL START IT AGAIN.

ELLA USES TREES TO
A HEARING MOTHER.

SO THE TREE IS A METAPHOR
FOR THIS DEAF BOY.

AND IT'S REALLY GOOD
BECAUSE IT SHOWS

THE GROWTH OF THE TREE AND
PEOPLE TRYING TO CUT IT DOWN.

DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN
TO THIS TREE.

AND THIS DEAF BOY'S FROM
A HEARING FAMILY,

SO THE SUGGESTION FROM ELLA
OR THE PERSON TELLING THE POEM

IS THAT WE DEAF PEOPLE NEED
TO WORK WITH THE HEARING PARENTS

TO BECOME THE FERTILE GROUND
FOR THIS BOY

TO BE ABLE TO GROW.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL IMAGE,

THIS METAPHOR OF THE TREE.

YEAH, THAT TREE, TOO.
MM-HMM.

THERE'S ANOTHER ONE.

YEAH, SOMETIMES THE TREE IS
A SYMBOL OF NATURE,

BUT SOMETIMES IT SHOWS SOMETHING
THAT'S MORE RESILIENT

AND TOUGH.

"LONE, STURDY TREE."

THAT'S A POEM THAT I THINK
SHOWS THE RESILIENCE.

THAT TREE IS ALWAYS
GOING TO BE THERE.

IT'S ALWAYS GONNA SURVIVE.

IT SHOWS THE DEAF EXPERIENCE

OF SOMEBODY IN
THE HEARING WORLD

WHO JUST HAS TO TAKE IT
AND TAKE IT.

HAVE TO WORK SO HARD
JUST TO SURVIVE

AND GET THROUGH THIS LIFE

AND FINALLY GET TO
THE OTHER SIDE

AS A DEAF PERSON

ALONE IN THE WORLD.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENS,
HOW DIFFICULT IT IS,

IF IT'S COLD WEATHER,

WHATEVER, THE WIND,

THIS TREE STANDS RESILIENT
IN THE FACE OF IT ALL.

IT MEANS THAT INTERNALLY YOU
HAVE TO BE INCREDIBLY TENACIOUS.

YOU HAVE TO BE STRONG
AND BE RESISTANT.

YEAH, SIGNING LIKE--

SIGN IS LIKE A TREE.

I THINK THAT IT'S LIKE TRYING
TO SHOW PROGRESS.

SO HERE'S THE HEARING WORLD.

TECHNOLOGY OFTEN CO-OPTS US.

SO THERE'S ALL THIS
TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT

THAT'S TRYING TO INFILTRATE US
AND FIX US.

IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE
TO HEARING PEOPLE.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME,

I THINK ELLA'S POEM,
"THE TREE,"

IT'S NOT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY,

BUT IT'S ABOUT PROGRESS,
YOU COULD SAY.

IT STARTS OUT ONE WAY
AND YOU NEED TO IMPROVE THINGS.

YOU SEE A NATURAL TREE.
IT'S VERY BEAUTIFUL.

BUT IT'S BETTER TO HAVE
EVERYTHING IN ROWS

BEAUTIFULLY SET AND CONTROLLED

AND AN UNNATURAL ENVIRONMENT,
IN A SENSE.

SO IT'S TRYING TO SET UP THINGS
IN TERMS OF COMPARING IT

TO COCHLEAR IMPLANTS,

TRYING TO MAKE EVERYTHING
STANDARDIZED AND HOMOGENIZED.

"THE CAVE" IS ALSO A REALLY
GREAT EXAMPLE.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NATURE
AND DEAF PEOPLE,

SOMETIMES THOSE SYMBOLS
ARE REALLY STRONG.

DEAF PEOPLE ARE
NATURAL BEINGS.

THE POEM "THE CAVE"

SHOWS SOMEBODY ENTERING
A CAVE

AND IMMEDIATELY TRYING TO
FIX IT AND CHANGE IT.

THEY PUT UP THESE ROPE FENCES.

THEY PAVE IT.

THEY PUT FANCY LIGHTS
ON THE CEILING,

SET UP CHAIRS FOR AN AUDIENCE
TO COME IN AND SIT,

MIRROR BALLS ON THE CEILING
TWINKLING.

SO WHAT IS ALL OF THIS
REALLY IN THE CAVE FOR?

WHY DO THEY DO THAT?

THERE'S A PERSON THERE
GIVING AN EXPOSITION

ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMEBODY SAYING,
"AND ON YOUR RIGHT...

"AND ON YOUR LEFT, PLEASE
LOOK AT THIS.

PLEASE LOOK AT THAT.
ENJOY IT."

THE AUDIENCE IS BLOWN AWAY.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

BUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS
LOOKING AT

ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES,

AND THEY'RE IGNORING ALL
THE NATURAL BEAUTY

THAT'S ALREADY IN THAT CAVE
BEFORE ALL THIS RENOVATION,

BEFORE ALL THIS INFILTRATION
OF TECHNOLOGY.

AND I REALLY LOVE THAT POEM
BECAUSE RIGHT NEAR THE END,

I THINK PART OF VALLI
KIND OF COMES OUT IN A WAY.

HE'S THE NARRATOR.
HE'S TELLING EVERYTHING.

HE'S VERY OBJECTIVE.
AND AT THE VERY END,

HE STANDS THERE AND SHAKES
HIS HEAD LIKE,

"CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?"

IT'S SUCH A GREAT EXPRESSION.
IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S LIKE WHO HE REALLY IS.

JUST SHAKES HIS HEAD LIKE,

"HOLY COW.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?"

YEAH. AND THEN HE SIGNS
"THIS CAVE IS THE EAR."

YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE
UNTIL THE VERY END,

AND THEN YOU REALIZE THAT THAT
CAVE IS THE PERSON'S EAR.

AND I THINK IT'S TRUE.

IT'S A GREAT ENDING
OF THAT POEM.

"I AM ORDERED NOT TO TALK."
MM-HMM.

TRYING TO THINK OF
SOME OTHER ONES.

I THINK IT'S
A COMMON EXPERIENCE

THAT MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE
ASL POETS

IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES
EXPERIENCED.

A LOT OF THEIR TIME
WAS SPENT IN LIPREADING

AND SPEECH TRAINING.

AND SO THAT ALWAYS
FINDS ITS WAYS

INTO THE DEAF EXPERIENCE

OF SHOWING THAT IN POETRY,

THAT WHOLE IDEA
OF BEING TRAINED

AND HAVING TO UNDERGO SO MANY
HOURS OF SPEECHREADING PRACTICE.

COMES UP QUITE OFTEN.

FOR PATRICK GRAYBILL,

HIS POEM "THE SPEECH LESSON"...

NO, IT WASN'T THAT.

MEMORIZATION, SPEECH CLASS,
I THINK

THAT EXPERIENCE IS LIKE,
"WHAT IS THIS FOR?

WHAT, SPEECH CLASS AGAIN?"

I MEAN, JUST THIS ONE LINE.
EVERYBODY'S BEEN THERE.

YEAH, YOU JUST WANT TO GO,
"RIGHT. AGAIN? HOLY COW.

WHAT A WASTE OF TIME."

DAY AFTER DAY, HOUR AFTER HOUR
OF SPEECH LESSONS.

IT JUST--IT DRIVES YOU CRAZY.

SO IT'S VERY EMOTIONAL.
JUST THAT ONE LINE

HAS A LOT OF RESONANCE IN IT.

YOU COULD TRY TO CHALLENGE IT.

YOU COULD SAY, "BUT I'M FINE.
I SIGN.

WHAT DO I NEED THIS FOR?"

IT'S NOT REALLY RELATED
TO COMMUNICATION FOR HIM.

THIS HAS TO DO WITH SOMETHING
ELSE COMPLETELY.

IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO
WITH TALKING TO PEOPLE.

WHAT'S IT FOR?

IT DOESN'T HELP ME COMMUNICATE.

HE GETS PUNISHED BY PUTTING
HIS HANDS IN MITTS

AND TIED TOGETHER.

AND AGAIN,

THAT WAS THE SILENCE.
SILENCE. SILENT BOND.

STUDENTS WOULD WONDER,
"WHAT'S THAT FOR?

"WHY DO I HAVE THESE MITTS
TIED TOGETHER?

"I COULD BREAK THESE BONDS.
WHY DON'T I?

"WHY DO I KEEP THEM TOGETHER?

I FEEL THAT I HAVE TO.
I FEEL STUCK."

AND ALSO,

EDUCATION SOMETIMES TRIES
TO SOFTEN THIS PROCESS

AND MAKE IT LESS OBVIOUS
THAT IT'S BEING SO MEAN,

THAT IT'S BEING SO CRUEL.

MITTS ARE SOFTER.

WE'RE NOT HITTING YOU
WITH RULERS.

WE'RE JUST DOING SOMETHING
THAT'S MORE GENTLE

TO PUNISH YOU.

AND SILENCING THE BODY
IS A BIG POINT.

IN "THE DOOR,"

THERE'S THIS ARMY THAT
MARCHES IN, RIGHT.

THEY GO INTO THE DEAF SCHOOL.

THEY FORCE ALL THE KIDS
TO SIT IN ROWS,

AND IT'S LIKE A PRISON.

I THINK THAT THEY SILENCE
OUR VOICE.

THEY IMPRISON OUR VOICE.

THEY TAKE AWAY OUR EXPRESSION.
WE HAVE NO POWER.

AND THE HANDS ARE
CHAINED TOGETHER.

AND WHAT SHE'S SAYING WHEN
THEY DO THE SPEECH TRAINING

IS ACTUALLY S-H-I-T.
IT'S SHIT.

IT'S ALMOST--
WHAT WAS IT LIKE?

WHAT DOES SHE DO?
THERE'S THIS WORD

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHE
USES WHEN THE--

BEHIND THE ARMY.

I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER,
WHAT'S THE WORD?

I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER
WHAT SHE WAS USING.

ANYWAY...

SHE SAYS S-H-I-T.

SO SHE'S SORT OF--WHATEVER THAT
WORD IS I'M TRYING TO THINK,

SHE EMBEDS THAT MESSAGE
IN A SURREPTITIOUS WAY.

IT'S A SWEAR WORD,
BUT YOU DON'T SEE IT RIGHT AWAY.

ART CAN INCLUDE THINGS
LIKE THAT,

THE SCATOLOGICAL,

YOU COULD VOICE IT,
YOU KNOW.

I MEAN, SHE'S ANGRY.

SHE'S STICKING IT
TO THE MAN.

IT'S NOT A NICE WORD.

BUT SHE'S GONNA USE IT
ANYWAY.

THIS IS BULLSHIT.

SO WORDS LIKE THAT.

BULLSHIT, WHATEVER,

PUTTING THAT IN THE POEM.
SOMETIMES YOU SEE THAT

BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SHOW
THAT THIS IS CRAZY,

THAT IT MAKES NO SENSE
TO HAVE A PERSON DO THIS.

IT'S NOT REAL LANGUAGE.

AND THEY TREAT SIGN LANGUAGE
AS IF IT'S DEMEANED,

SO THEN THEY PUT IN
THIS CUSS WORD.

SO KENNY LERNER
AND PETER COOK...

"I AM ORDERED NOT TO TALK."

THAT'S PERFORMANCE ART,
I THINK.

THEY'RE SHOWING THE EXPERIENCE
OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

IT'S VERY THEATRICAL.

HERE'S THIS PERSON WHO HAS TO
PERFORM SPEECH.

VALLI HAS ANOTHER POEM--
WHICH ONE WAS IT?

"SNOWFLAKE." THERE'S THIS FATHER
WHO'S SHOWING OFF HIS SON.

"SEE, HE CAN TALK.
LOOK AT HIM.

THERE HE IS TALKING.
SO PROUD."

IT'S LIKE
A VENTRILOQUIST DUMMY.

JUST MOVING HIS MOUTH.

IT DOESN'T MEAN HE CAN SPEAK
BECAUSE HE CAN MOVE HIS MOUTH.

THERE'S NO IMPORTANT WORDS
COMING OUT.

SPEECH IS LOOKED UPON
AS SUCH A COMMODITY.

HE FINALLY SAYS,
"I AM 6 YEARS OLD.

BIG DEAL."

YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SPEECH.

THAT'S NOT REALLY EXPRESSION.

HE CAN'T EXPRESS HIMSELF.

MAYBE...MAYBE RELATED TO...

MANY OF THE POEMS MAY NOT SEEM
TO BE ABOUT THE DEAF EXPERIENCE,

THE THEME DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT,

BUT YOU CAN UPON FURTHER
ANALYSIS SEE THAT IT IS
CELEBRATION.

YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE VISUAL EXPERIENCE

AND HOW DEAR THAT IS.

ELLA MAE LENTZ HAS A POEM
CALLED "EYE MUSIC."

AND THAT DOESN'T DIRECTLY
CALL OUT ANYTHING

ABOUT THE DEAF EXPERIENCE.

BUT IT'S SHOWING THE LOVE
OF VISUAL STIMULATION,

THE VISUAL WORLD THAT
WE INHABIT.

AND THAT SHOWS WHO
DEAF PEOPLE ARE.

WE VALUE SO MUCH
OUR VISUAL INPUT,

AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE
PEOPLE OF THE EYE.

CLAYTON VALLI HAS A POEM ALSO

THAT ELLA PERFORMED, ACTUALLY,
A COUPLE OF TIMES.

THE IMAGES WERE SO BEAUTIFUL,
AND THEY REALLY STICK WITH YOU.

SO BEAUTIFUL...

THE IMAGES THAT THEY
PUT FORTH.

IT'S A PHOTOGRAPH.

SO HE WANTED TO TAKE
A PHOTOGRAPH,

BUT HE DECIDED TO TAKE THE
PHOTOGRAPH IN HIS MIND INSTEAD.

THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO SHOW
IT'S NOT LIKE DEAF PEOPLE,

"OH, THEY CAN'T HEAR.
IT'S SO QUIET.

THEY LIVE IN A SILENT WORLD."

IT'S THAT WE'RE VISUAL AND THAT
WE TAKE IN OUR INFORMATION

THROUGH OUR EYES.

IT'S A VISUAL WORLD.

SO IF POEMS SOMETIMES REPRESENT
THAT VISUAL EXPERIENCE MORE,

THAT'S OUR PERSPECTIVE
ON THE WORLD

IS THROUGH OUR EYES.

I THINK "THE DOOR"
IS A REALLY GREAT POEM.

IT'S AN EXPERIENCE THAT
A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY.

IT MEANS THAT WE LIVE IN
A WORLD THAT OPPRESSES US.

AND THAT CAUSES DIVISION,

AND SOMETIMES WE OPPRESS
EACH OTHER.

THE POEM SIGN IS LIKE A TREE.

SOME TREES ARE ALL IN LINE,

AND THEY'RE NICE AND NEAT,

AND THEY'RE LOOKED AT AS
BETTER THAN SIGNS

THAT ARE GROWING--

THAN TREES THAT ARE GROWING
WILD IN NATURE.

PEOPLE ARE SET IN OPPOSITION
TO EACH OTHER,

WHO'S BETTER THAN WHOM AND WHY

AND WHO FOLLOWS WHICH
CONSTRAINTS AND DOESN'T.

IT SEEMS TO BE THE DOMINANT
CULTURE DETERMINES

WHO'S LAUDED AND LOOKED AT
AS BETTER.

IT'S USUALLY IF YOU CAN SPEAK,
IF YOU CAN DO ALL THE THINGS

THAT HEARING PEOPLE EXPECT
YOU TO DO,

THEN YOU'RE ELEVATED
IN THEIR ESTIMATION.

AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T
AREN'T.

SO I MAY GET CAUGHT IN THAT TRAP
OF SEEING MYSELF

AS BETTER THAN SOMEBODY ELSE,

BUT I'M ACTUALLY CAUGHT.

I'M ENSLAVED AND CHAINED
TO THE DOMINANT CULTURE

BECAUSE THEY PUT ME IN
THIS POSITION.

I'M IN A RELATIONSHIP
WITH THEM,

AND IT'S NOT AN EQUAL
RELATIONSHIP.

IT'S A CONTENTIOUS ONE.

BUT IF THEY WERE TO SOMEHOW
NOT BE THERE,

IF THEY DIDN'T EXIST,

THEN WE WOULD HAVE MORE
COMMONALITY WITH EACH OTHER.

WE'D BE STRONGER.

WE WOULDN'T BE ENTRAPPED
AND ENSLAVED.

SO I THINK THAT POEM SHOWS
THAT WE DO HAVE LINKAGES,

WE DO HAVE CONNECTIONS,
BUT HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE THOSE?

AND HOW DO WE RISK GETTING RID
OF THE OPPRESSORS

TO FIND COMMONALITY WITH
EACH OTHER AT THE SAME TIME?

YEAH, DEFINITELY.

YEAH, THAT'S A STRATEGY
THAT DOMINANT CULTURES EMPLOY

IS TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER
ALL THE WAY.

AND THAT HAPPENS IN ALL GROUPS
THAT ARE DISENFRANCHISED,

THAT ARE BEING OPPRESSED
BY A DOMINANT CULTURE--

NATIVE AMERICANS OR ANYWHERE,
ANYBODY, WOMEN.

THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED
THE QUEEN BEE SYNDROME

THAT OPERATES IN THAT WAY, TOO.

WOW, YOU'VE MEMORIZED THAT.

ASL POETRY AS IT RELATES
TO THE DEAF EXPERIENCE

IS SET OUT IN DIFFERENT
CATEGORIES

THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED,
AND SUB-CATEGORIES.

THERE'S RESISTANCE,

THERE'S CELEBRATION,
AND THERE'S LIBERATION.

AND WITHIN RESISTANCE
AND WITHIN CELEBRATION,

THERE'S DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.

IN RESISTANCE POETRY
AND CELEBRATION POETRY,

YOU CAN IDENTIFY CERTAIN IDEAS
THAT RECUR.

FOR EXAMPLE, IN RESISTANCE
POETRY,

THERE'S LANGUAGE OPPRESSION,

AND THAT MEANS THAT ENGLISH
IS DOMINANT,

SPOKEN, WRITTEN, WHATEVER.

AND THAT OPPRESSION IS
MANIFESTED

BY THE SUPPRESSION OF ASL
AND SIGNING

IN ANY FORM.

"MEMORIES OF SPEECH CLASS"

SHOWS THAT OPPRESSION CHOSE
THE HANDS PUT TOGETHER

AND TIED TOGETHER SO THAT
WE COULDN'T SIGN.

SO THE VOICE, THE BODY
IS STIFLED.

THERE'S A LACK OF FREEDOM
OF MOVEMENT

THAT'S LINGUISTIC.

CELEBRATION RELATED
TO LANGUAGE

WOULD BE ANYTHING THAT
PRIVILEGES THE HANDS,

LIKE VALLI TALKING
ABOUT THE HANDS,

CELEBRATING THE HANDS

AND THE NATURAL ABILITY
OF HANDS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES.

THAT'S CELEBRATORY.

LIBERATION WOULD MEAN
THE JOURNEY.

"BLACK HOLE: THE COLORS
OF ASL"

STARTS OUT WITH A PERSON
JUST ON A JOURNEY,

CLIMBING A LADDER.

AND THEN ONCE THEY
DISCOVER SIGN LANGUAGE

AND THEIR TRUE LANGUAGE,

THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO ASCEND.

SO GOING FROM NO COMMUNICATION
TO SIGN LANGUAGE,

WHICH EQUALS FREEDOM.

LANGUAGE IS ONE CATEGORY
THAT OCCURS

IN EACH OF THE GENRES
OF ASL POETRY.

SOMETIMES IN RESISTANCE POETRY,

IT'S SHOWING WHAT THE VIEW IS
THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE OF US

AND HOW THAT RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE OPPRESSOR'S

GOING TO BE BROKEN ONCE WE
SHOW THEM THAT THEY'RE WRONG.

THE CELEBRATION
OR AFFIRMATION POETRY

IS IDENTIFYING MYSELF
AS A DEAF PERSON

AND CELEBRATING THAT AS
A CREATURE OF THE NATURAL WORLD.

"TO A HEARING MOTHER"

USES THE TREE AS A SYMBOL
OF GROWTH

AND THE BOY

WHO THEY'RE TALKING TO

AND WHO THE HEARING MOTHER
HAS TO DEAL WITH

THE DEAF FOLKS TO HELP,

TO HELP THIS PERSON GROW.

OTHERWISE THAT TREE
WILL BE CUT DOWN

AND WILL BE DESTROYED.

SO THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP GOING

IS TO FIND COMMONALITY
WITH DEAF PEOPLE

FOR THAT DEAF CHILD.

OTHERWISE IT WON'T WORK.

SO THAT CATEGORY OF
RESISTANCE POETRY

IS TO MAINSTREAMING,

IS TO THE CONCEPT OF EDUCATION,
DEAF EDUCATION.

A.G. BELL, OPPRESSION,

TRYING TO SHOW THE VALUE
OF DEAF PEOPLE

AND HOW WE'VE BEEN FORCED
SO LONG

BY HEARING CULTURE
AND HEARING PEOPLE

THROUGH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

TO SILENCE OUR BODY,
TO SILENCE OUR VOICES.

AFFIRMATION POETRY,

HOW EDUCATION IS EVIDENCED
THROUGH THAT

IS SHOWING THAT THE SCHOOLS
FOR THE DEAF

ARE THE PLACE WHERE
CULTURE CAN FLOURISH

AND BE PASSED DOWN
HORIZONTALLY

THROUGH MANY GENERATIONS.

THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
IN THE SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF

IS CELEBRATED

BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF
INFORMAL SITUATIONS

IN THE DORMS AND ON
THE SCHOOL GROUNDS

WHERE THE REAL EDUCATION
HAPPENS FOR STUDENTS
IN DEAF CULTURE

REALLY TAKES OFF IN TERMS OF
LANGUAGE FORMATION AND SHARING.

SO DEAF PEOPLE,

IF THEY'RE TRYING TO
RESIST THAT DOMINANT CULTURE,

SOMETIMES IN THE POETRY
IT WILL SHOW UP

IN TERMS OF THE ISOLATION
OF A SINGLE CHILD

BEING IN A MAINSTREAM
ENVIRONMENT

AND HOW THEY'RE SQUELCHED.

AFFIRMATION AND CELEBRATION

WOULD BE THAT A PERSON
FINDS THEIR IDENTITY.

THEY FIND THEIR BONDS
WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY

AND THEY FIND THEIR COHORT,

THEY FIND THEIR GROUP.

AND WE CAN CELEBRATE OUR SHARED
HISTORY OR SHARED CULTURE

AND THE IDEAS THAT WE'LL TAKE
DOWN THROUGH THE AGES

FOR DEAF PEOPLE.

DID I SAY SOMETHING
ABOUT PATRICK?

IDENTITY.

BIG "D" DEAF.
I THINK I TALKED ABOUT THAT.

DID I SAY "BIG 'D' DEAF" YET?

MY FIRST RESPONSE IS WHEW.

WOW, I SEE SOME POEMS--

I SAW SOME POEMS ON
YOUR SAMPLER

I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

ELLA MAE LENTZ'
"SIGN IS LIKE A TREE."

THAT WAS SUCH A STRONG
DEATH-THEMED POEM

THAT I SAW IN THERE.

AND IT REALLY JUST
CAPTURED MY HEART.

IT'S NICE TO SEE
HER EARLIER WORK,

AND IT'S NICE TO SEE HER NOW
IN HER DEAFHOOD JOURNEY

AND TALKING ABOUT DEAFHOOD.

SO IT'S AMAZING BACK AT THAT
TIME THAT SHE WAS DOING

THE SORTS OF THINGS
SHE WAS DOING.

IT REALLY JUST WARMS MY SOUL.

MANY OF THEM I'D SEEN BEFORE.

WELL, VALLI, YOU KNOW, I CRY
EVERY TIME

I SEE CLAYTON VALLI PERFORM.

I THINK FOR ME--FOR ME
WATCHING VALLI...

ALL WE HAVE IS VIDEOTAPES LEFT
OF HIM NOW.

ALL WE HAVE IS WHAT'S DOCUMENTED
OF HIS PERFORMANCES,

AND THERE'S NOT MANY OF THEM,

SO THAT ONE AT JAZZBERRIES
THAT'S ON THE SAMPLER

WAS JUST, YOU KNOW,
A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.

IT WASN'T A STUDIO.
IT WAS A LIVE PERFORMANCE.

SO THAT WAS PRECIOUS.

IT'S REALLY SPECIAL TO HAVE
THAT DOCUMENTED.

IT REALLY WARMED MY HEART.

WHAT ELSE?

I REALLY LOVED ROBERT PANARA'S
OFFERING ON THAT, HIS POEM.

THAT WAS FASCINATING TO SEE IT.

LOOKING AT HOW HE HAD
TRANSLATED HIS WRITTEN POEM

TO SIGNED RENDITION.

IT WAS AN ENGLISH POEM
THAT HE'D WRITTEN.

"ON HIS DEAFNESS."

THAT WAS THE TITLE, RIGHT?

I HAVE IT RIGHT?
"ON HIS DEAFNESS."

SO HE WROTE THIS FIRST
IN ENGLISH.

BUT HE LOVES TRANSLATING.

AND THERE HE WAS TRANSLATING
HIS OWN WORK

TO EXPRESS IT BEAUTIFULLY
IN SIGN.

IT WAS JUST FASCINATING
HOW HE DID THAT.

I'D LIKE TO SEE HIM
COME UP WITH SOME POEMS IN ASL.

I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE IF
HE'D CREATE THEM IN ASL FIRST.

HE'S 80 YEARS OLD,
SO I DON'T KNOW IF
HE'S GOING TO DO THAT.

HE STARTED THE PROCESS.
HE COULD DO IT,

BUT HE HASN'T.

ELLA AND VALLI BOTH TALK ABOUT
HOW THEY STARTED OUT WRITING

AND THEN THEY HAD TO PUT THAT
ASIDE

BECAUSE IT JUST DIDN'T
WORK FOR THEM

UNTIL THEY FOUND THAT IF
THEY SIGNED THE POETRY,

IT EXPRESSED THEM
MUCH MORE CLEARLY.

AND I THINK PANARA HAS THAT
VOICE, TOO.

HE JUST HASN'T
DISCOVERED IT YET.

IT WAS ONE THING THAT I WAS
PUZZLED BY.

THAT PANEL, THE INTERVIEW,

I WAS REALLY PUZZLED.
I WAS CONFUSED.

THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT
WHO THE POET CREATES

THEIR WORK FOR,
WHO'S THE AUDIENCE.

AND THAT'S A QUESTION FOR
ANY ARTIST.

EVERYBODY FACES THAT--
A POET, AN ARTIST, AN ACTOR,

ANYBODY HAS TO FIGURE
THAT OUT.

BUT WHAT AUDIENCE IS A PERSON
CREATING THEIR WORK FOR?

I MEAN, GINSBURG,
IF YOU ASKED HIM,

WHO DID YOU CREATE YOUR POETRY
FOR?

ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO
SPEAK ENGLISH?

AND DO YOU MEAN THAT YOU'RE
DOING THAT

AND BY NOT CREATING IT
FOR OTHER PEOPLE,

IS IT OPPRESSIVE?

I MEAN, PETER COOK
SAID SOMETHING

AND, YOU KNOW, ASKED A FEW
CREATIVE--

PEOPLE ASKED HIM IF
HE CREATED

FOR HEARING OR DEAF AUDIENCES.

HE SAID, "I CREATE
FOR HUMANS."

AND I THINK THAT HIS POINT WAS

THAT DEAF PEOPLE HAVE
THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE.

AND THEIR EXPERIENCES
CAN BE CONSIDERED UNIVERSAL.

AND THEY CAN BE APPLICABLE
TO ANY OTHER GROUPS AS WELL.

SO WE MAY HAVE OUR OWN
EXPERIENCES,

BUT IT CAN SPEAK TO THE WORLD.

IT CAN BE APPLIED UNIVERSALLY

AND GENERALLY TO OTHER
GROUPS, TOO.

I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE
OR ANNOUNCE

WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE IS
GOING TO BE.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT
THE POINT WAS.

I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS

A REALLY WEIRD COMMENT.
FOR HUMANS.

YEAH. YES.

YEP.

YEP, NATIVE AMERICAN. UH-HUH.

YES.

NO, I JUST HAD THIS BOOK.
I JUST GAVE IT TO A FRIEND.

IT WAS A YOUNG ADULT BOOK,
I GUESS.

AND IT WAS ABOUT A PERSON

WHO'S PART NATIVE AMERICAN,
I THINK.

AND I WAS READING THIS,
AND IT WAS JUST

THE SAME AS THE DEAF
EXPERIENCE.

IT'S AMAZING HOW PARALLEL
IT IS.

SO IT'S INCREDIBLE.

SOMEBODY EXPRESSES THE TRUTH
OF THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE.

SOMETIMES THERE ARE PARALLELS
TO OTHER GROUPS

AND OTHER PEOPLE READ IT
AND THEY TOTALLY GET IT.

THEY RELATE TO IT.
IT RESONATES WITH THEM.

AND THEY CAN SAY
YOUR EXPERIENCE,

THOUGH IT WAS VERY
DIFFERENT THAN MINE,

HAS THESE SIMILARITIES.

SO EVEN SOMEBODY WHO'S HEARING
CAN SAY SOMETHING

THAT DEAF PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND.

I MEAN, THE BACKGROUND CAN BE
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT,

BUT I CAN READ ABOUT
YOUR EXPERIENCE

AND IT CAN TOUCH ME AS WELL.

IT'S FUNNY, MOST POEMS
BY DEAF PEOPLE,

THE ONES I'VE SEEN,

MOST OF THEM REALLY DON'T
HAVE A DEAF THEME.

NOT FOR THE MOST PART.

JUST A FEW.

BUT DE'VIA ART SEEMS TO BE MUCH
MORE PROLIFIC IN THAT WAY.

SOME PEOPLE WANT TO BE KNOWN
AS A DEAF PERSON

WHO CREATES ART RATHER
THAN DE'VIA ARTISTS.

SO A POEM BY A DEAF PERSON
IS STILL A DEAF POEM,

OR IS IT DEAF POETRY
OR IS IT ASL POETRY?

THAT'S A QUESTION.

YEAH, I'D LIKE TO ADD
ONE MORE THING.

LITTLE BIT CONFUSING.

GOT TO DO WITH THEORIES
OF POST-COLONIALISM

AND OUR USE OF THE TERM
"RESISTANCE."

IT RELATES TO THE CULTURE
OF ART AND EXPRESSION.

MANY POST-COLONIAL SOCIETIES...

IF THEY HAVE MINORITIES CULTURES
THAT ARE BEING OPPRESSED...

THEY ACTIVELY CREATE ART

THAT THEY CALL RESISTANCE ART

AGAINST THEIR OPPRESSOR.

THEY DO.

JUST BY DOING IT, IT'S CALLED
AN ACT OF RESISTANCE.

JUST BY CREATING THE ART.

"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

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