Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture

"Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture," by Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, is a well-written, consistently interesting look at Deaf lives and communities. The introduction notes that both authors are deaf, so this book is very much written from the perspective of insiders. The copyright page notes that the book has a copyright date of 1988 and was in its 12th printing in 2000.Although relatively short (134 + vii pages), this book is packed full of information. Among the topics covered: the difference between being "deaf" (lowercase) and "Deaf" (capitalized), the origins of American Sign Language, Deaf theater and poetry, the work of Deaf filmmaker Charles Krauel, controversies within the Deaf world, and more.The authors maintain that Deaf people have an authentic language and culture. The book is lively and intelligent. I recommend that readers of this book also view the fascinating documentary film "Sound and Fury."

This book has opened my eyes to the rich culture of deaf people. Padden and Humphries are masters at explaining the difference between deaf and Deaf and the way Deaf people relate to the world. A must-read for everyone, especially those who want to be free of stereotypes.

OK, I think by now I've figured out why I'm such a Carol Padden/Tom Humphries fan- they're two of the wittiest, most eloquent, most accessible, and most informative authors in their field. They bring their respective backgrounds in Linguistics and Communications, as well as their own experiences as Deaf adults and the folklore and history of the Deaf community, to another excellent book. It's a quick read, but well worth reading again and again.

Deaf In America tells the story of the Deaf from their own perspective. It opens the eyes of the hearing to understand thier language and culture and in a time when the medical community is pushing a "cure" for deafness. It is important for hearing people to understand why the Deaf don't want to be "fixed." This book reveals through storytelling, poetry and observation the experience of being Deaf and the differences of opinion within the culture. A real eye-opener. Glad I read it.

When I first started to take the ASL class last fall of '98, 'Deaf in America' was required reading. This book was both a shock and an eye opener. Shoched, because I couldn't beleave how cruel one human could be to another human because of an abnoramality. The thing teachers did to Deaf students to make them use words instead of signed language, or jestures. The Deaf community has come a long way to get the things the need to be able to communicate not only among themselves but with the would. I learned a lot.