Hearing Loss

Books

     Bragg, Bernard. (1989). Lessons in laughter: The autobiography of a deaf actor (as signed to Eugene Bergman). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. Bragg, a deaf child born to deaf parents, is Deaf, not deaf, where the capitalized letter denotes a linguistic and cultural minority. The author is an accomplished actor in deaf drama.

     Cohen, Leah H. (1994). Train go sorry: Inside a deaf world. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. The author relates personal experience of deafness, focusing especially on the Lexington School during its attempt to assimilate signing into a historically oral educational tradition.

     Gibson, William. (1960). The miracle workerNew York: Bantam Books. This play is based on the story of Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan.

     Groce, Nora E. (1985). Everyone here spoke sign language. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. For over 200 years, Martha's Vineyard had a high incidence of people with hereditary deafness. Thus, nearly all the residents, both hearing and deaf, learned sign language. This book shares the oral history gathered from about 50 witnesses.

     Keller, Helen. (1961). The story of my life: The autobiography of Helen Keller New York: Dell Books. Keller writes her own story.

     Lane, Harlan. (1984). When the mind hears: A history of the deaf New York: Random House. This book tells about the history and culture of the deaf. American Sign Language is sponsored.

     Lane, Harlan. (1992). The mask of benevolence: Disabling the deaf Community. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Lane offers a historical review of attitudes toward deaf people in Europe and America. He argues against the use of cochlear implants in children.

     Merker, Hannah. (1994). Listening. New York: Harper Collins. The author who experienced a trauma induced severe hearing loss at the age of 39 discusses the various difficulties of her hearing loss, and the stigma attached to it.

     Sacks, Oliver. (1991). Seeing voices: A journey into the world of the deaf. London: Pan Books. Sacks, a neurologist, turns his writing talents to understanding deaf society. He reviews the education of the deaf in America, considers American Sign Language, and Gallaudet College. He argues for ASL as the preferred language for the deaf.

     Sidransky, Ruth. (1990). In silence: Growing up hearing in a deaf world. New York: St Martin's. A hearing child of deaf parents shares personal and intense feelings of straddling two worlds.

     Spradley, Thomas, & Spradley, James. (1978). Deaf like me (reprint). Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press. The focus of this book is the family endeavor to bring Lynn into the world of oral communication, eventually becoming disenchanted with oralism and recognizing the importance of sign as the means to Lynn's communicative life.

     Walker, Lou Ann. (1986). A loss for words: The story of deafness in a family. New York: Harper and Row. Walker shares her experiences as the hearing child of deaf parents.

Movies
Amy Bridge to Silence Dead Silence (HBO TV-movie) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter In the Land of the Deaf The Miracle Worker - Original with Patty Duke The Miracle Worker - Melissa Gilbert remake Dummy (TV) Looking for Mr. Goodbar Story of Alexander Graham Bell	Beethoven - Days in a life Children of A Lesser God For A Deaf Son (PBS) Mr. Holland's Opus Johnny Belinda A Summer to Remember Deliverance Hear no evil See what I say Tin man

Go on to Resource List
or
Go back to Critic's Corner - Two Ears Up

E-mail J'Anne Ellsworth at Janne.Ellsworth@nau.edu

Course developed by J'Anne & Martha Ellsworth

Copyright © 1999 Northern Arizona University
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED