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Friday, April 23, 2004
Life Signs
Everyday ASL for Everyday People
The editors of Gallaudet University Press have written and edited more than 35 titles
featuring signed languages during the past 23 years. They’ve used this vast experience
to create 1,000 Signs
of Life: Basic ASL for Everyday Conversation. This concise handbook will allow
everyone to enjoy the beauty and functionality of American Sign Language (ASL).
1,000 Signs of Life offers new signers essential vocabulary for
conversing in ASL. It is a great way to start learning ASL on one’s own; it’s
also a perfect supplement for beginning sign language classes because it allows
students to build their signing vocabularies while learning the structure of ASL.
The editors arranged this handy guide by 17 different topic areas, with
signs organized in English alphabetical order. This format allows you to find a sign
easily within a specific category. Interspersed throughout the text are
tips for signing, rules of signing etiquette, and engaging anecdotes about Deaf
culture, Deaf people, and the Deaf community. 1,000 Signs of Life
provides a fun, fast way to learn basic ASL signs and also offers easy-to-follow
instructions and hints on how to use them in a variety of everyday situations.
In addition to the signs, the book includes the American Manual Alphabet, the
manual numbers, and an index of all the English words that correspond to the
signs in the book.
Learning ASL is similar to learning a spoken language—you have to use the
language often before you can become fluent. 1,000 Signs of Life can
provide a good start on signing vocabulary, and you can
order
today to receive your exclusive subscriber discount of 20% off.
 Deaf
History International (DHI) Newsletter published deserving praise of Eleanor C. Dunai’s
Surviving in Silence in its recent
issue: “[It] is one of the few published memoirs of a Deaf Jewish Holocaust survivor,
and perhaps the first by a major press in any language. As such, it makes a significant
contribution to Deaf History and Holocaust History. Surviving in Silence is
the story of Izrael Zachariah Deutsch, who was born in Komjata, Czechoslovakia, in
1934, and later changed his name to Harry Imre Dunai. In fascist Hungary during World War II,
nine-year-old Izrael found himself doubly at risk for being deaf and Jewish.
Speaking through his daughter Eleanor, Harry Dunai recounts his remarkable
ingenuity in surviving the Holocaust and eventually finding his way to America.
DHI further endorses this amazing account with “It has been said
that the story of any Jew who survived the Holocaust is by definition not
typical. But Harry Dunai’s story is a truly remarkable tale of perseverance,
survival and success. Moving as well as informative, it is particularly welcome
for its glimpse into the life of the Jewish Deaf in Central Europe during the
terrible upheavals of the mid-twentieth century.” The full review
is available online. Read chapter eight
of Surviving in Silence, and place your order
here.
 In
July 2002, more than 9,700 people from around the world attended Deaf Way II,
the international conference and festival, held in Washington, D.C. and
sponsored by Gallaudet University, to celebrate the successes of deaf people
everywhere.
Deaf Way II: An International Celebration, edited by Harvey Goodstein and Laura Brown,
offers 250 full-color photographs, introductory essays, and captions to capture
again the excitement of this historical event. During the course of the six-day
event, a host of photographers took more than 11,000 pictures, the best of which are
displayed in this beautifully illustrated pictorial. As I. King Jordan,
president of Gallaudet University, expresses in his foreword: “It is an honor to
introduce you to Deaf Way II: An International Celebration, a richly
colorful chronicle of an extraordinary event that brought nearly 10,000 deaf,
hard of hearing, and hearing people together in Washington, D.C., in July 2002. The
book’s remarkable photographs and accompanying text will provide those who were
unable to attend Deaf Way II with a true sense of its depth and breadth. For
those of us fortunate enough to have participated in this historic event, the
book will generate welcome and vivid memories. I urge you to immerse yourself in
the pages of this thoroughly entertaining and informative book.” Read more about
this book here.
Also available are the Deaf
Way II Videotapes and DVD. The first videotape, Deaf Way II: Opening Celebration -
“Believe,” begins the festivities with greetings from President Jordan. Dazzling
stage acts performed by Deaf professionals follow, including Chinese dancers, Cubans
dancing salsa, a storyteller from Australia, and many others. Part two, the Deaf
Way II: A Visual Anthology videotape, takes viewers on a brief tour of the
festival. Along the way, the magnificent art exhibited at Gallaudet University,
the Millennium Arts Center, and the Kennedy Center is showcased. You also can obtain both
the Opening Ceremony and the Visual Anthology as a single DVD.
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