ds_0064_graybill_cap_01.mp4

ds_0064_graybill_cap_01.mp4

Process and product

Graybill, Patrick

American Sign Language literature

Poetry Authorship

Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.)

Deaf Poetry

Deaf, Writings of the, American

ASL poetry

In this presentation, Patrick Graybill focuses on the importance of the artistic process in the creation of an ASL literary product. He stresses the need for play-- for the creative freedom absent of rules. He mentions how the inspiration of a poem at the feeling level rises to become an image which is then communicated through space in ASL. The poem resulting sparks a familiar shared experience for Deaf audience members. He mentions the play techniques he uses in creating ASL poems such as sign choices, moving signs in space, balancing left and right hand use and the speed of signs. He closes his presentation encouraging teachers and others to foster language play in their students.

National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Libraries - RIT Archive Collections

American Sign Language Literature Conference (2nd 1996 National Technical Institute for the Deaf)

1996

2018

moving image

mp4

VHS

33 minutes

American Sign Language

English

RITDSA.0064

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

Karen Christie ASL Literature 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

THIS MORNING, I WANT TO SHARE
WITH YOU AN ANALYSIS,

NOT OF THE POEM THAT I PERFORMED
LAST NIGHT,

BUT I WANT TO FOCUS ON
THE CONCEPT OF PLAY.

AND, HOPEFULLY, AT
THE CONCLUSION OF MY TALK,

IT'LL BE SO THOUGHT-PROVOKING
THAT YOU WILL SEE

THE CONCEPT OF PLAY
IN A NEW LIGHT.

FOR EXAMPLE,
WHEN YOU TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH

ON AN OLD POLAROID CAMERA,
THE PHOTO POPS OUT

AND YOU WAIT FOR THE PICTURE
TO FORM.

HOWEVER, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT
ABOUT THE PROCESS,

HOW THE PHOTO GETS DEVELOPED
WHILE IT'S STILL IN THE CAMERA?

I'M NOT A CHEMIST,

SO I DON'T KNOW
THE CHEMISTRY OF PHOTOGRAPHY,

BUT WE SEE THE PHOTO POP OUT
OF THE CAMERA,

AND THEN WE ENJOY
THE FINAL PRODUCT.

HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED
TO THINK ABOUT THE PROCESS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE PAINTING
THE "MONA LISA" HAS

A QUIRKY SMILE, AND WE ENJOY
THAT PAINTING,

BUT HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT
HOW THE ARTISTS USE

THE PROCESS OF PAINTING IT

AND COMING UP WITH
A FINAL PRODUCT?

YOU SEE THE PRODUCT.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PROCESS OF
GETTING THERE?

OFTENTIMES,
WE DON'T CONSIDER THAT.

I LEARNED MY LESSON SOMETIME AGO

ABOUT CONSIDERING
PROCESS AND PRODUCT.

LET ME SHARE WITH YOU BACK WHEN
I WAS--I WASN'T TOO YOUNG.

I WAS A MEMBER OF THE NTD, THE
NATIONAL THEATRE OF THE DEAF.

AND I HAD A CHANCE TO GO
TO SYRACUSE,

A CITY NOT TOO FAR AWAY.

I WENT TO AN ART MUSEUM WITH
A FRIEND OF MINE.

HE WAS STUDYING POTTERY AT
THE UNIVERSITY.

SO TOGETHER, WE WENT TO
THE MUSEUM.

MY FRIEND WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT
SEEING THIS ONE ARTIST'S WORK,

LOUISE NEVELSON.

I HAD NEVER HEARD OF LOUISE,
SO I SAID,

"OH, I WOULDN'T MIND
ACCOMPANYING YOU."

SO WE WENT TO THE MUSEUM.

AND WE SAW THE ARTWORK.
IT WAS VERY DARK.

THERE WAS SOME
BLACKS AND WHITES,

DIFFERENT SIZES OF THE PIECES.

THE ARTIST HAD USED
RAILROAD TRACK,

SOME OF THE WOOD TIES TO FORM
THIS PIECE.

THEY HAD TAKEN THE BITS
AND PIECES OF THE TRACK

AND PLACED THEM ON THE WALL
IN AN ARRANGEMENT.

THEY PAINTED SOME PIECES WHITE,

TOOK OTHER PIECES AND PAINTED
THEM BLACK,

AND SET THIS ARRANGEMENT,
THIS ARTWORK.

SO I STUDIED THAT PIECE,
AND I TOLD MY FRIEND, I SAID,

"ANYONE CAN DO THIS!
WHY IS THIS WOMAN SO FAMOUS?"

WELL, MY FRIEND, WHO'S AN
ARTIST, LOOKED AT ME AND SAYS,

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT
THE ARTIST'S PROCESS.

"YOU HAVE QUITE AN ATTITUDE.

"YOU THINK YOU KNOW
EVERYTHING ABOUT ARTWORK.

WHY DON'T YOU DO IT?"

AND I STOOD THERE AND LEARNED
THAT I

MUST CONSIDER THE PROCESS
AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.

SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT
FOR YOU TO PONDER.

THINK ABOUT THE PROCESS
AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.

CERTAINLY, THE FINAL PRODUCT
IS THERE.

AND SOMETIMES YOU'RE MORE
SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHER TIMES,

BUT IT'S SO CRITICAL TO CONSIDER
THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING ART.

AND WHY AM I SO FASCINATED
BY THE PROCESS AND THE PRODUCT?

WELL, LET ME SHARE.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WAS
A PROFESSOR

TEACHING AT
THE WESTERN MARYLAND COLLEGE.

I WAS TEACHING A GRADUATE CLASS,

STUDENTS WHO WERE STUDYING TO
BECOME TEACHERS OF THE DEAF.

AND SO I HAD THEM READ A BOOK,
AND HERE IT IS--THIS BOOK

ENTITLED "CREATIVE DRAMA IN
THE CLASSROOM,"

WRITTEN BY NELLIE McCASLIN.

NOW, NELLIE'S HEARING.

AND THE STUDENTS WHO I WAS
TEACHING HAD WISHED

THAT I HAD REWRITTEN THAT BOOK

FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATING
DEAF CHILDREN.

AND WHILE I WAS ENCOURAGED TO
MAYBE CONSIDER THAT ENDEAVOR

AND HAD BEEN ASKED
OVER AND OVER AGAIN,

I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO ENGAGE
IN SUCH AN ACTIVITY.

MAYBE SOMEDAY DOWN THE ROAD,
I MIGHT BE ABLE TO,

BUT THERE IS ONE CHAPTER IN
THIS BOOK THAT PRESENTS

THE CONCEPT OF HOW IMPORTANT
THE PROCESS IS.

ALLOW ME TO TEST YOU GUYS
ON A CERTAIN IDEA.

GETTING BACK TO THE CONCEPT
OF PLAY.

YOU SEE IT UP HERE ON
THE OVERHEAD? YES?

IS THAT VISIBLE? IS THAT PLAY?

WOULD YOU AGREE THAT PLAY IS
PART OF PLAYING GAMES? OK. NEXT.

IS PLAY INVOLVED WITH THIS--

SPORTS?

I'M SEEING SOME HEADS NOD.

AND I'LL DISCUSS THIS
MORE IN DEPTH SOON.

NOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
THEATER,

YOU SEE THE IDEA OF MOVEMENT,
DANCE ON THE STAGE.

IS THAT PLAY?

OR PANTOMIME IN THE THEATER?
IS THAT PLAY?

NEXT, WHAT ABOUT CREATIVE DRAMA
AND SKITS?

AND, LASTLY, FORMAL DRAMA?

THE BASIS OF ALL OF THESE--

NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPORTS,
GAMES, DRAMA, THEATER--

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE IDEA
OF PLAY.

THERE'S NO RULES, PURE FREEDOM
TO DO WHAT ONE WANTS.

YOU THINK ABOUT THE IDEA OF
CHILDREN'S PLAY.

THINK BACK TO A TIME WHEN YOU
WERE LITTLE

AND WHEN YOU ENGAGED IN PLAY.

YOUR PARENTS MAY HAVE
BEEN THERE.

YOU PLAYED COWBOYS
AND ROBBERS...

YOU PLAYED
TEA PARTIES WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG.

SALLY OR OTHERS IN THE AUDIENCE,
PARENTS,

WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHILDREN TODAY
AND THEY PLAY, WHAT DO YOU SEE?

VIDEO GAMES. WHAT?

"POWER RANGERS"?

OK, "POWER RANGERS IS AN IDEA
OF PLAY IN THIS DAY AND AGE.

NOW THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU
WERE YOUNG

AND YOU PLAYED AND PLAYED.

DID YOU FEEL ANY PRESSURE FROM
THOSE ACTIVITIES?

THERE WAS SOME PRESSURE.

MAYBE IF YOU WERE PLAYING A GAME
WHERE YOU PRETENDED

THAT SOMEONE WAS SHOOTING YOU

AND YOU WERE SUPPOSEDLY
SUPPOSED TO DIE

AND YOU WERE
SAYING, "NO, I WAS LIVING."

AND, "NO." THE OTHER
PERSON SAID, "I SHOT YOU.

YOU DIED."
SO THERE WAS SOME PRESSURE.

BUT IN GENERAL, IT WAS JUST PLAY
WITH NO LIMITS

UNTIL YOUR PARENTS CALLED YOU IN
FOR DINNER.

BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS...

DO YOU RECALL THAT
TO KEEP OURSELVES HEALTHY,

WE NEED TO PLAY REGARDLESS OF
ONE'S AGE?

BUT, SADLY, IF YOU LOOK AT
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS,

FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE ATHLETES HAVE
FORGOT THE CONCEPT OF PLAY,

AND THEY'RE LED BY GREED, MONEY,

OR THEY WANT TO KNOW
ALL THE RULES OF THE PLAY.

THEY ARE LIMITED BY THE RULES,

AND THEY HAVE SQUEEZED OUT
THE IDEA OF PLAY

TO THE POINT WHERE PLAY IS DEAD.

WOW.

AND THEY NEED TO GET BACK TO
THE CONCEPT OF PLAY.

LAST NIGHT, I SAT IN
THE AUDIENCE WATCHING

JULIANNA FJELD.

JULIANNA? REMEMBER HER?

AND SHE ALLOWED THAT LITTLE
CHILD TO COME OUT OF HER

IN HER PERFORMANCE.

AND ALL OF US HAVE
A LITTLE CHILD WITHIN US.

HOWEVER, WE'VE FORGOTTEN
ABOUT THAT.

AND WE'VE STIFLED IT.

BUT THE CHILD IS HERE:
"HEY, I'M LONELY.

I NEED YOUR ATTENTION,"

THEY'RE CALLING OUT
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

BUT WE'RE SO BUSY.

THE BUSINESS WORLD
KEEPS US GOING.

BUT THE IDEA OF PLAY,
WE FORGOT WHAT THAT MEANS

BECAUSE WE'RE SO ENGAGED IN
THE BUSINESS WORLD.

WE'VE LOST THE MEANING OF PLAY

BECAUSE WE THINK ABOUT,
"OH, WE'RE PROFESSIONALS.

"THIS IS ALL ABOUT BEING

A PROFESSIONAL--
PROFESSIONALISM."

BUT THE IDEA OF PLAY IS
SO FREEING,

IT'S A TREMENDOUS VALUE TO US.

I MUST ADMIT THAT I AM
SOMETIMES A LITTLE FEARFUL

ABOUT ASL LIT
AND THE CONFERENCES

AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.

MANY OF US KNOW THAT WITH
ASL LIT,

IT IS SO NEW AND EXCITING.

HOWEVER, WE BRING IT TO
A CONFERENCE AND LEARN ABOUT IT,

THEN GO BACK HOME AND TEACH IT,

OR AT THE DEAF CLUB AND PROVIDE
WORKSHOPS AS LEADERS.

HOWEVER, WE FORGET ABOUT
THE IDEA OF PLAY.

WE FORCE THESE ARTIFICIAL RULES
AND RESULTS--

"YOU MUST BE JUST LIKE PATRICK."
"YOU MUST BE JUST LIKE ELLA."

"YOU MUST BE JUST LIKE
CLAYTON VALLI," AND OTHERS.

AND SO PEOPLE SAY, "OH, OK.
I MUST ACCEPT THAT."

WHY DO YOU HATE POEMS
IN ENGLISH? DO YOU KNOW WHY?

BECAUSE THEY EMPHASIZE
THE RESULTS.

THEY DON'T FOCUS ON THE PROCESS
AT ALL--

THE FUN, THE PLAYING AROUND,

THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE PROCESS.

JUST LIKE THE POLAROID PICTURE.

THINK ABOUT THE PROCESS
AND THE CHEMISTRY

WHERE YOU FINALLY COME UP WITH
A FINAL PRODUCT.

THAT PROCESS IS SO IMPORTANT,
SUCH A VALUE.

AND I KNOW I CAN EVEN LOOK AT
MY OWN POETRY OVER TIME.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED
BACK IN 1984,

THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I
TRIED TO COME UP WITH POETRY,

AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

I HAD A LOT OF FUN.

AND THERE WERE TIMES IN
THE PROCESS I WAS ASKED,

YOU KNOW, "GIVE A WORKSHOP.
HELP US LEARN."

OR, "GIVE US A PERFORMANCE."

SO I WOULD TAKE
THIS FINAL PRODUCT

AND SHARE MY PERFORMANCES
AND MY POETRY.

HOWEVER, THE IDEA OF PLAY WAS
BEING STIFLED THROUGH THAT.

WELL, OF COURSE, I WAS MAKING
MONEY, AND THAT WAS REALLY COOL.

YOU KNOW, YOU SUCKERS,
YOU PAY ME, RIGHT?

BUT THE SPIRIT OF PLAY
WAS NOT THERE.

AND I WOULD
GET TREMENDOUS APPLAUSE,

BUT WHERE'S THE PLAY?

I WANT TO GO BACK
TO THE IDEA OF PLAY

AND NOT MAKE IT SO MUCH WORK,
ARDUOUS WORK.

WHAT PURPOSE DOES THAT SERVE?

WORK CAN BE PLEASURABLE IF YOU
INCLUDE PLAY.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE IDEA OF GOING
TO CHURCH

OR GOING--LET'S SEE--TO
TRADITIONAL FAMILY CELEBRATIONS,

HOLIDAYS, CHRISTMASTIME,
THE SEDER, PASSOVER

AS A FEW EXAMPLES--

THOSE ARE RITUALS.

BUT, HOWEVER, THINK ABOUT
WHERE THEY ORIGINATED.

THERE WAS TREMENDOUS PLAY AS
PART OF IT.

BUT WHEN YOU START DOING THINGS
OVER AND OVER AGAIN

ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, IT BECOMES
HABITUAL,

AND YOU DO THE SAME THING
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

WHEN YOU GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY,
YOU KNOW, OK--

I GREW UP CATHOLIC,

AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE
TO DO THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

WITH THE HOLY WATER, GENUFLECT,
TAKE MY SEAT IN THE PEWS.

I DID THAT EVERY WEEK--
WEEK IN, WEEK OUT.

AND THAT'S NOT WHAT GOD MEANS
FOR US.

WHAT GOD MEANS IS FOR YOU
TO ENJOY THE SPIRIT OF PLAY...

TO BE IN AWE OF LIFE.

"MY GOSH! THAT'S GREAT."

AND THINK ABOUT ART

AND HOW WE CAN INCLUDE PLAY

AND INTERMINGLE WITHIN
THE FIELD OF ART

AND COME UP
WITH A BEAUTIFUL PIECE,

BUT THE PIECE IS ONLY ONE SMALL
PART OF IT.

AND SO ALLOW ME TO SHARE
AN OLD VIDEO OF MINE,

BACK IN 19--LET'S SEE. I MUST
HAVE BEEN--YEAH, YEAH, 1984.

AND YOU KNOW I LOVE SHARING
STORIES, RIGHT?

BACK IN '84, I WAS A PROFESSOR
HERE ON CAMPUS,

AND I TAUGHT A CLASS.

IT WAS CALLED
CREATIVE TRANSLATION.

AND WE WOULD READ CERTAIN PIECES
IN ENGLISH,

AND THEN WE'D WORK ON HOW
TO TRANSLATE THEM

INTO AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF
THE CLASS,

BUT BACK AT THAT TIME, I WAS
ASKED OVER AND OVER AGAIN

BY THE STUDENTS
IF I COULD CREATE

STORIES OR POETRY
THAT ORIGINATED FROM ASL

AND THEN WOULD BE TRANSLATED
INTO ENGLISH.

I WASN'T PLANNING TO TEACH THAT
PROCESS,

BUT I THOUGHT, "LET'S GIVE IT
A TRY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS

"THIS SEMESTER.

LET'S EXPERIMENT FOR A BIT."

SO I SENT THE STUDENTS HOME,

AND I GAVE THEM
A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

TO COME UP WITH A POEM
OR A STORY.

AND THEN AS A PROFESSOR,
I HAD NEVER TRIED THAT MYSELF.

SO I HAD MY OWN HOMEWORK.

AND SO I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

I THOUGHT, HOW DO I BROACH
THIS TOPIC?

YOU KNOW, I TRIED TO KEEP
THE IDEA OF BEING A STUDENT

AS I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS WORK.

AND I HAD A CHANCE TO--
SEE, WHERE AM I AT NOW?

I'M OUT OF PRACTICE. AND, SEE,
WHICH DIRECTION AM I LOOKING AT?

OH, IT'S THE STUDENT UNION--

THE "S",
STUDENT--

WHAT'S THE "A"?
OH!--ALUMNI UNION.

OK, THAT BUILDING, I WAS OVER
THERE IN THE CAFETERIA ONE DAY.

AND AS I WAS LEAVING
AFTER EATING,

I WAS LOOKING UP AT THE CEILING,
AND I NOTICE THERE WAS

THIS BALLOON STUCK IN THE CORNER
OF THE CEILING,

AND I LOOKED AT IT FOR
A LITTLE WHILE,

AND I FELT LIKE I WAS LOOKING AT
A PIECE OF ART.

AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT--THE IDEA
OF BLOWING UP THIS BALLOON

AND HOLDING IT,
AND MAYBE IT WAS A PURPLE--

YOU COULD PLAY
WITH THE BALLOON--

AND THAT STARTED THE SEED
OF THINKING ABOUT THIS.

SO LOOK AT THIS PIECE, WHICH
ORIGINATED FROM THAT EXPERIENCE,

AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK,
WHAT YOU SEE.

LET ME TELL YOU,
I AM A PROFESSOR,

BUT I AM NOT A TECHNICIAN.

SO LET'S HOPE THIS WORKS.
WATCH ME.

A LITTLE GIRL, SO CUTE,

HAS A BALLOON.

IT'S A PURPLE BALLOON,

AND SHE SQUEEZES IT,

AND THE BALLOON RISES,

BUT IT STOPS

BECAUSE IT'S HELD ON BY

A STRING TO HER LITTLE PINKIE.

AND SHE PULLS THE BALLOON

UP AND DOWN, UP AND DOWN,

AND THEN LETS IT GO,

AND SAYS, "BYE-BYE, BALLOON."

AND SO THAT
PURPLE BALLOON RISES,

AND THE STRING FOLLOWS
THE BALLOON

AS IT RISES HIGHER AND HIGHER

TO THE POINT WHERE
THE BALLOON IS NO LONGER SEEN.

OK, SO TELL ME,
WHAT DID YOU SEE THERE?

DO SHARE.

A LITTLE GIRL?
YEAH, A GIRL LOOKING UP.

BUT WHAT I'M ASKING YOU IS

NOT SO MUCH WHAT THE POEM
WAS ABOUT,

BUT HOW WAS I SIGNING IT?

YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT
PATRICK GRAYBILL.

YES, WHAT DID YOU SEE?

MY SIGNS WERE ELEVATED? RIGHT.

OH, WE HAVE A COPY SIGNER.
EXCELLENT.

OVER HERE. RIGHT.

I WAS LOOKING UP IN
THE CORNER OF A CEILING.

AND HOW ABOUT OVER HERE?
WHAT DID YOU SEE?

USING YOUR IMAGINATION, AND
THE IDEA OF USING CLASSIFIERS.

THAT'S TRUE. BUT...

YOU SAW THE FINAL PRODUCT,
BUT YOU DIDN'T SEE THE PROCESS.

LET ME TALK ABOUT THAT.

I LOOKED VERY STIFF.

AND I SIGNED IT IN A VERY SMALL
SIGNING SPACE

BECAUSE I WAS RESTRICTED
BY THE WORDS--

NOT THE WORDS BUT BY THE FORM.

I WAS FROZEN BY THAT FORM,

AND SO I SIGNED IT
IN A VERY SMALL SPACE--

ABOUT THIS WIDE AND HIGH.

IT WASN'T FREE-FLOWING,
LIKE WATER,

AND USING PLENTY OF THE SPACE.

THAT WAS NOT THE CASE THERE
AT ALL.

AND I FELT LIKE I WAS SIGNING
ENGLISH.

OH, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE,

STILL, I WAS CONSTRAINED
IN MY SPACE.

REMEMBER, TED SAID THAT I'M

IN THE FIFTH GENERATION OF
SIGNERS OF ASL.

IT ALL STARTED WITH
LAURENT CLERC.

HE WAS THE FIRST GENERATION.

I'M PART OF
THE FIFTH GENERATION,

AND MANY OF YOU ARE PART
OF THE SIXTH GENERATION.

AND SO WE'RE IN A TRANSITION
FROM SIGNING POETRY IN ENGLISH

TO A POINT WHERE NOW
IT'S ORIGINATING IN ASL

WITHOUT THE ENGLISH FORM.

LAST NIGHT,
WHEN I PERFORMED HERE,

I WAS IN THE MIDST OF THAT
TRANSITION.

FOR EXAMPLE--WHAT WAS THE TITLE?

IT WAS "WOODS"? "FOREST"?
YEAH, "WOODS."

IN THE PAST, I WOULDN'T
HAVE BEEN SO FREE-FLOWING.

NO VOICE, PLEASE.

"TREES...HAVE...WALKING..."

NOT YET BECAUSE I WAS STILL,

SO MY SIGNING SPACE WAS SMALL.

YOU DIDN'T GET THAT BACK
THEN, RIGHT?

ASL IS A FREE-FLOWING LANGUAGE
JUST LIKE WATER.

I COMPARE THAT WITH THE IDEA
OF THE BIBLE

AND HOW IT TALKS
ABOUT THE RIVER JORDAN FLOWING--

FREE-FLOWING DOWN UNTIL
IT ENTERS THE DEAD SEA,

AND IT'S BECOME STAGNANT.

ASL IS THAT FREE-FLOWING WATER--

TO ENJOY ONE'S OWN PROCESS
ON HOW YOU CAN TAKE

THE WATER FROM THE DEAD SEA
AND MAKE IT ALIVE AGAIN.

AND HAVING BODY SHIFTING--

USING THE FULL BODY, MOVEMENT.

FREE-FLOWING.

AND BEING IN TOUCH WITH ONE'S
LITTLE CHILD, YOUR INNER CHILD,

AND PLAYING WITH
YOUR LITTLE CHILD--

THE BABY INSIDE OF YOU--

AND FEELING ALIVE AGAIN

AND ENJOYING THAT.

SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

AND AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
POETRY.

ARE THERE RULES?

WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO APPLAUD
CLAYTON VALLI

AND HIS WORK IN LOOKING
AT LINGUISTICS.

HE IS A LINGUIST.

AND SO THAT'S HOW HE SEES
THE WORLD.

HE DESCRIBES THE LANGUAGE
AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

BUT WE CAN'T HAVE THAT CONSTRAIN
US AT ALL. NO.

IF YOU CONSTRAIN IT, YOU COME UP
WITH THE RULES,

AND YOU FEEL STAGNANT,
YOU'RE STUCK,

AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT TO DO
IT THAT WAY.

"THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY."

AND IF YOU BREAK THAT PARADIGM,
YOU FEEL GUILTY,

YOU'RE DOING THINGS INCORRECTLY.

THEREFORE, IF THAT HAPPENS,
THE IDEA OF PLAY IS GONE.

SO WHEN YOU GO HOME,
TAKE WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED HERE,

PLEASE, AND TAKE SOME TIME
TO ENCOURAGE YOUR STUDENTS,

TO ENCOURAGE THEM
TO PLAY.

AND YOU'LL SEE THINGS
DIFFERENTLY

THAN WHAT YOU SEE IN HERE.

FOR EXAMPLE, LAST NIGHT,
THAT YOUNG PERSON CAME FORWARD

AND GAVE A PERFORMANCE,

AND I DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND IT FULLY AT ALL.

IT WAS A DIFFERENT GENERATION.

AND IS IT MY DUTY TO BE
A CRITIC AND CRITICIZE THEM? NO.

I USED TO BE THAT WAY.
THAT WAS MY MIND-SET.

I WAS TAUGHT THAT WAY,

THAT MY TEACHERS WOULD BE
CRITICAL OF ME.

AND SO I CARRIED

THAT CRITICISM PARADIGM FORWARD.

BUT THEN PLAY GETS DIMINISHED.

AND I USED TO BE SOMEONE

WHO WOULD LOOK AT STUDENTS
SIGNING TOGETHER,

AND THEY'D USE THEIR RIGHT HAND.

AND SOME WOULD USE THEIR
LEFT HAND,

I WOULD SAY, "NO, YOU MUST USE
YOUR RIGHT HAND.

WE HAVE THAT AS A RULE."

AND THAT PERSON USING
THE LEFT HAND, SAID,

"OH, I DID IT WRONG?
I'LL USE MY RIGHT HAND."

BUT I WAS KILLING THE CHILD
INSIDE THEM.

AND THEY WOULD STRUGGLE.

THAT WAS ABUSE, ABUSIVE.

SO WHEN YOU GO HOME,
ENCOURAGE YOUR STUDENTS TO PLAY.

SO HERE I PRESENT
SOME INFORMATION THAT'S

NOT MY IDEA, BUT IT APPLIES
TO POETRY IN GENERAL--

THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED
OVER TIME, THAT I'VE ADOPTED.

THESE ARE NOT MY RULES,
BUT THESE ARE JUST SOME IDEAS,

A THEORY THAT I HAVE FROM WHAT
I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW,

AS A PERFORMER.

I'M NOT A LINGUIST.

WE NEED LINGUISTS TO ASSIST US
IN ENSURING

THAT WE ARE ABIDING BY
THE RULES.

BUT WE ARE A TEAM.

AND THEN WE'LL EVOLVE AND GROW
AND IMPROVE

AND CONSIDER THE PROCESS,
NOT JUST THE PRODUCT.

POETRY TYPICALLY STARTS
WITH A DEAF-CENTRIC VISION.

YOU HAVE AN IDEA,
LIKE A MOVIE IN YOUR HEAD.

AND WITH THAT VISION...

YOU LOOK AT CERTAIN SELECTIONS,
CERTAIN DECISIONS,

BECAUSE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
RELIES TREMENDOUSLY ON SPACE.

IT'S NOT A WRITTEN LANGUAGE.
IT'S NOT A SPOKEN LANGUAGE.

SO YOU HAVE TO VISUALIZE SPACE,
COME UP WITH A PICTURE,

COME UP
WITH A MOVIE,

AND THEN EDIT THAT, CHANGE IT,

ARRANGE IT TO COME UP
WITH A FINAL PRODUCT.

SO THAT'S FIRST.

SO IT STARTS WITH A FEELING.

YOU TAKE YOUR FEELING, AND YOU
CONVEY IT THROUGH THAT.

AND, HOPEFULLY,

YOUR AUDIENCE WILL CONNECT

BECAUSE MY EXPERIENCES,

MY FEELINGS

AND YOUR EXPERIENCES,
YOUR FEELINGS

CAN BE SIMILAR, AND YOU REACT,
YOU RESPOND TO MY ARTWORK.

AND WITH ENGLISH, YOU KNOW,
BETWEEN HEARING PEOPLE--

THERE IS A CONNECTION JUST LIKE

BETWEEN A DEAF PERFORMER
AND THE DEAF AUDIENCE,

THERE IS A CONNECTION.

YOU DON'T GET EVERYTHING.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.

BUT THERE'S ENOUGH SIMILARITY

FROM HAVING SIMILAR
DEAF EXPERIENCES THAT, YOU KNOW,

WE SHARE A BACKGROUND--

ONE BEING THAT WE ARE FLUENT
IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE,

SECONDLY THAT WE ARE DEAF.

AGAIN, YOU DON'T CATCH IT ALL

BECAUSE ARTISTS, POETS--THEY
HAVE THEIR OWN PRIVATE MEANINGS

THAT THEY KEEP TO THEMSELVES,

SO YOU DON'T CONNECT WITH THAT
AT 100%.

HOWEVER, THERE'S ENOUGH THERE
THAT DOES CONNECT.

MAYBE YOUR INTERPRETATION
CAN BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU

DO HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES

IN YOUR EXPERIENCES.

FOR EXAMPLE, ELLA--
ELLA MAE LENTZ LAST NIGHT,

SHE SIGNED THAT PERFORMANCE
WITH AN ARGUMENT,

AND THEN THERE WAS
SUDDEN SILENCE,

AND MANY OF US IN THE AUDIENCE
SAT THERE, WATCHED THAT.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO SHE WAS
ARGUING WITH.

AND THEN SHE BECAME SILENT.

SO WE HAD NO IDEA WHO THIS
OTHER PERSON IN HER PIECE WAS.

SO IN POEMS, WITHIN POETRY,
THERE ARE SOME CERTAIN THINGS

THAT YOU MUST CONSIDER.

ONE IS SIGN SELECTION

JUST LIKE A MOVIE EDITOR.

THEY CHOOSE CERTAIN THINGS.

THEY LEAVE OUT CERTAIN THINGS,

AND THEN THEY PUT THEM IN
AN ORDER

THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY FOLLOW
A LOGICAL SEQUENCE.

THEY TWIST AND TURN
CERTAIN EVENTS,

BUT YOU DON'T SEE THE PROCESS.

THE ARTIST, THE POET IS
RESPONSIBLE

FOR MAKING THOSE DECISIONS
THROUGH THE PROCESS.

SECONDLY, YOU THINK ABOUT
THE USE OF YOUR HANDS.

IN EVERYDAY CONVERSATION, WE
TYPICALLY WILL USE, YOU KNOW,

OUR DOMINANT, WHETHER
IT'S RIGHT OR LEFT HAND.

BUT POETRY, YOU USE BOTH,
AND YOU PLAY WITH YOUR HANDS.

THAT'S SECOND.

THIRDLY IS THE FLOW--

HOW THE PERFORMANCE FLOWS.

FOURTHLY IS WE DECIDE

HOW WE PLACE THINGS, LOCATION.

JUST LIKE LOUISE NEVELSON
IN HER PIECE

PLACING THE DIFFERENT ITEMS
ON THE WALL--

THAT WAS A DECISION
THAT SHE MADE--

JUST LIKE A POET WILL DECIDE
WHERE TO PLACE CERTAIN SIGNS.

YOU SAW ME SIGNING THE IDEA OF
A "CHALLENGER" ROCKET SHIP

TAKING OFF.

AND THEN I SIGNED
ONE MINUTE, 49 SECONDS.

AND THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANT--

ONE MINUTE AND 49 SECONDS
LATER.

AND I PLAYED WITH THE SIGN.

THE ROCKET--I KEPT
THAT LOCATION,

AND THEN I SAID "1:49,"

AND I SHOWED
THE ROCKET EXPLODING

AS AN EXAMPLE, OK?

AND THEN, FIFTHLY, TEMPO.

IS THE MOVEMENT FAST?
IS IT SLOW?

HOW YOU CONTROL THE RHYTHM
AND THE TEMPO,

AND THEN WHAT YOU WANT THE
AUDIENCE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THAT.

OK, SO NOW YOU SEE
THE CREATIVE PROCESS.

IMPORTANT THAT YOU GIVE IT TIME,
THAT YOU'RE NOT RUSHED,

THAT YOU ALLOW IT TO EVOLVE.

YOU PLANT THE SEEDS.

FOR EXAMPLE, GROWING FLOWERS.
THAT TAKES TIME.

IF YOU TRY TO RUSH IT,
IT WON'T WORK.

SO THE PROCESS IS
SO, SO CRITICAL,

AND ENJOYING IT AND HAVING FUN.

AND YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE,
WHEN YOU GO BACK HOME,

TO TEACH THESE CONCEPTS.

USE THESE OUTLINES
THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

TRY IT YOURSELF.

YOU SAY, "OH, I CAN'T!

"NO, I CAN'T BE LIKE PATRICK

OR ELLA OR CLAYTON VALLI."

BUT YOU CAN.

AS FRANK TURK SIGNED,
"INSTEAD OF CAN'T, YOU CAN"

IN HIS OWN WAY.

TRY ONE OR TWO LINES.
YOU CAN DO IT.

AND CHILDREN WILL ENJOY

THE PLAY PART.

THEY WILL FEEL FREE,
AND THEY WILL LEARN. THEY WILL.

THE PRESSURE, THE STRESS
WILL NOT HELP THEM LEARN.

YOU GOT TO BE SENSITIVE
AND ALLOW THEM TO PLAY,

TO EXPERIMENT.

I MUST ADMIT THAT MY
INNER CHILD SITS THERE

AS A YOUNGSTER.

AND, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT MYSELF
WITH THE CURLY HAIR.

BACK WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I HAD
CURLY HAIR, BELIEVE IT OR NOT,

AND THE FRECKLED-FACE KID I WAS,
THE HAZEL EYES THAT I HAD,

LOOKING UP AT MYSELF.

I WAS CUTE. BELIEVE ME, I WAS.

BUT I SEE MYSELF AS A CHILD,
AND NOW I'M BALD.

AND WHEN I ENGAGE
MY INNER CHILD,

I BECOME SO PROUD OF MYSELF.

THINK ABOUT CHILDREN.

DEAF CHILDREN NEED THAT SAME
OPPORTUNITY--

TO BUILD YOUR SELF-ESTEEM.

AND ASL LIT WILL, AS A RESULT,

REACH NEW HEIGHTS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, EVERYONE.

"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."