As we enter the crazy season of commercialized holidays, too much traffic, too many commitments, I wish everyone some serentiy. Pause and enjoy what is, especially your children or the people close to you. Every child and every person is just another packaged bit of life. See and appreciate what is special in them.
For example, if a deaf child has eyes, learn how to see better from him or her. Expose visual children to visual language. Learn from a difference rather than shun it. Pausing, listening, observing and appreciating are the ways to slow down the craziness of this busy season.
If you are a parent or relative of a deaf child or student, books and DVDs are 1/2 price. Find and print the order form at www.susanschaller.com and just send a check for 1/2 of what is stated. I will send you a book and/or DVD (signed if you would like - tell me) the day I receive it.
Yours for all children,
susan schaller (more about me at conversations.org - Spring issue)
Thursday
Deaf parents/students - Free DVDs/ Books-$10
Warning - not the usual BLOG - please check back, for a less practical entry, soon.
I just read a book review and at the end it sent you - parents of Deaf children to my blog to order books for only $10 - whoooops!
So, if you landed here after following that advice - go to www.susanschaller.com and find the right page for ordering books.
[or, send $10 to me at 1442A Walnut St. #139, Berkeley, CA. 94709]
If you are a parent of a D/deaf child, tell me on the order form, and send in only $10, and, of course, your address.
If you would like to help me continue to buy and give away the book, and are able to pay more, please feel free ot pay anything above 10 dollars.
Students of education, medicine or _____ (make a good case), write me at susan@susanschaller.com and request a discount.
DVDs for those who will use and share it with others, and parents or families of D/deaf children are free, plus $5 for shipping and handling. Write me for more information, if you want them for a class or a workshop.
I just read a book review and at the end it sent you - parents of Deaf children to my blog to order books for only $10 - whoooops!
So, if you landed here after following that advice - go to www.susanschaller.com and find the right page for ordering books.
[or, send $10 to me at 1442A Walnut St. #139, Berkeley, CA. 94709]
If you are a parent of a D/deaf child, tell me on the order form, and send in only $10, and, of course, your address.
If you would like to help me continue to buy and give away the book, and are able to pay more, please feel free ot pay anything above 10 dollars.
Students of education, medicine or _____ (make a good case), write me at susan@susanschaller.com and request a discount.
DVDs for those who will use and share it with others, and parents or families of D/deaf children are free, plus $5 for shipping and handling. Write me for more information, if you want them for a class or a workshop.
Friday
Panning for Gold in Murphys
Dear Faithful Readers,
Murphys' friendly residents welcomed me, warmed me and launched me into new creative spheres. My Little Yellow Cottage writing retreat helped me to incubate and hatch lively new creatures for the book in progress.
By the by, for those who have read the interview of my work (/conversations.org/) wherein it was announced my book would be published by the University of Gallaudet Press, I have an update:
I couldn't sign the contract they sent me. It came with censorship: I was told I could not write anything strongly against oralism.
Hmmmm? If oralism includes forbidding signing, and not being exposed to signing is the leading cause of raising children without language, how do I not say something negative about oralism?
The good news is that the censorship led me to review my manuscript with new eyes and heart. I have, once again, begun to rewrite my book. I do not want to argue with oralism or against oralists, and continue a war. I want to encourage parents to love their deaf babies, recognizing what tremendous visual creatures they are; to sign with them and learn how to see from these experts on seeing.
Any and all opinions, comments and suggestions are welcome. We need to be the change we want to see: Happy Birthday Gandhi.
Yours for non-violence and ending wars,
susan of www.susanschaller.com
Murphys' friendly residents welcomed me, warmed me and launched me into new creative spheres. My Little Yellow Cottage writing retreat helped me to incubate and hatch lively new creatures for the book in progress.
By the by, for those who have read the interview of my work (/conversations.org/) wherein it was announced my book would be published by the University of Gallaudet Press, I have an update:
I couldn't sign the contract they sent me. It came with censorship: I was told I could not write anything strongly against oralism.
Hmmmm? If oralism includes forbidding signing, and not being exposed to signing is the leading cause of raising children without language, how do I not say something negative about oralism?
The good news is that the censorship led me to review my manuscript with new eyes and heart. I have, once again, begun to rewrite my book. I do not want to argue with oralism or against oralists, and continue a war. I want to encourage parents to love their deaf babies, recognizing what tremendous visual creatures they are; to sign with them and learn how to see from these experts on seeing.
Any and all opinions, comments and suggestions are welcome. We need to be the change we want to see: Happy Birthday Gandhi.
Yours for non-violence and ending wars,
susan of www.susanschaller.com
We are the Change We Wish to See- SIGN!
Signing in as September signs out.
The message for the month is SIGN, SIGN, SIGN. Write me after you read: (susan@susanschaller.com)
If Deaf babies signed from the crib, they would be equal to all other babies, learning language, relating and communicating to their families, accessing education and cognitive stimulation (bed time stories, counting games, linguistic play,...) and community.
Please help me spread the word to your local doctor, PTA, EVERYONE: "visual language for visual babies" regardless of what else the parents and doctors are deciding. Sign and mime and visually communicate to that little baby while it is being tested and prodded by the medical experts.
All babies need and want language. [To all of you who have nothing to do with serving the Deaf community, I know this seems obvious, but were you to consider a career in deafness, your common sense would be washed out of your brain. Please tell your neighbors, friends and doctors that the medical world usually tells new parents of deaf babies NOT to sign to the baby as it interferes with speech learning (WRONG/error - please correct when opportunity arises)].
Keep on telling good stories about bilingual Deaf kids (who have a signed and spoken language).
Thank you, ahead of time, for any help, suggestions, and comraderie that you can send me;
susan schaller at susanschaller.com
The message for the month is SIGN, SIGN, SIGN. Write me after you read: (susan@susanschaller.com)
If Deaf babies signed from the crib, they would be equal to all other babies, learning language, relating and communicating to their families, accessing education and cognitive stimulation (bed time stories, counting games, linguistic play,...) and community.
Please help me spread the word to your local doctor, PTA, EVERYONE: "visual language for visual babies" regardless of what else the parents and doctors are deciding. Sign and mime and visually communicate to that little baby while it is being tested and prodded by the medical experts.
All babies need and want language. [To all of you who have nothing to do with serving the Deaf community, I know this seems obvious, but were you to consider a career in deafness, your common sense would be washed out of your brain. Please tell your neighbors, friends and doctors that the medical world usually tells new parents of deaf babies NOT to sign to the baby as it interferes with speech learning (WRONG/error - please correct when opportunity arises)].
Keep on telling good stories about bilingual Deaf kids (who have a signed and spoken language).
Thank you, ahead of time, for any help, suggestions, and comraderie that you can send me;
susan schaller at susanschaller.com
Thursday
June Rose
As June roses bloomed larger than ever in Berkeley, I planted new chapter ideas for my new book.
A publisher continues to negotiate a new contract, and the old (second) book is evolving into a new (third) book.
I will tell you all the news and events as they unfold, in detail, another time.
Today, I must write a book.
Yours for language rights, bilingualism, visual language for visual babies, and smelling the roses,
susan schaller of www.susanschaller.com
A publisher continues to negotiate a new contract, and the old (second) book is evolving into a new (third) book.
I will tell you all the news and events as they unfold, in detail, another time.
Today, I must write a book.
Yours for language rights, bilingualism, visual language for visual babies, and smelling the roses,
susan schaller of www.susanschaller.com
Saturday
May travels and transition
Greetings from rural England, then Oxford, then Heathrow, then over the North Pole and Canada and back on land in San Francisco.
Works and Conversations published an interview about me and my work. Send me your address and I'll send you a copy.
The ASL Festival is on next week - I'll see you there, in San Francisco, just outside of the Embarcadero BART station. Exit and head for the bay - look for clever faces and hands - you can't miss it.
be happy
susan
www.susanschaller.com
Works and Conversations published an interview about me and my work. Send me your address and I'll send you a copy.
The ASL Festival is on next week - I'll see you there, in San Francisco, just outside of the Embarcadero BART station. Exit and head for the bay - look for clever faces and hands - you can't miss it.
be happy
susan
www.susanschaller.com
Wednesday
Equality Comes for Deaf People
Today marks a terrific triumph:
Universal declaration announced today that Deaf babies are first HUMAN babies and must be allowed equal access to language. From now on, all governments on the planet mandate that visual babies be exposed to a visual language - the signed language of the respective country, and all new parents of deaf babies learn that visual language.
Each country now recognizes their Deaf community's signed language as one of the official languages, allowing Deaf citizens to be active at every level of their society. Full bilingual education and bilingual services are now available for Deaf people all over the globe.
Hurrah! Hurrah! And shout and SIGN "HURRAH!" again.
Truly, this is the best day in world history for Deaf people everywhere.
I can now retire.
susan@susan.schaller.com
www.susanschaller.com
Universal declaration announced today that Deaf babies are first HUMAN babies and must be allowed equal access to language. From now on, all governments on the planet mandate that visual babies be exposed to a visual language - the signed language of the respective country, and all new parents of deaf babies learn that visual language.
Each country now recognizes their Deaf community's signed language as one of the official languages, allowing Deaf citizens to be active at every level of their society. Full bilingual education and bilingual services are now available for Deaf people all over the globe.
Hurrah! Hurrah! And shout and SIGN "HURRAH!" again.
Truly, this is the best day in world history for Deaf people everywhere.
I can now retire.
susan@susan.schaller.com
www.susanschaller.com
Saturday
April Flowers
In April, an interview of me will appear in Works & Conversations, with the announcement that " In Search of the Languageless Tribe" will be published soon. Hurrah!
I just came back from Southern England after interviewing a friend and fellow actor in the National Theater of the Deaf of Dot Miles whom I write about in the new book.
I'm off to Paris and then rural France this week. Back to England, then off the Austria at the end of March. I will be speaking in Salzburg at The English Center.
Then back to Shropshire to continue rewriting the book, adding, subtracting and polishing it for publication.
Thank you, all who have been supporting me and the advocacy for Deaf language rigtht, for these many years.
L'chaim, and equal access to language and life,
susan
www.susanschaller.com
I just came back from Southern England after interviewing a friend and fellow actor in the National Theater of the Deaf of Dot Miles whom I write about in the new book.
I'm off to Paris and then rural France this week. Back to England, then off the Austria at the end of March. I will be speaking in Salzburg at The English Center.
Then back to Shropshire to continue rewriting the book, adding, subtracting and polishing it for publication.
Thank you, all who have been supporting me and the advocacy for Deaf language rigtht, for these many years.
L'chaim, and equal access to language and life,
susan
www.susanschaller.com
Tuesday
The Honesty, Creativity and Confidence of 5-yr.-olds
Dear Readers,
Let's all be 5 again. Just think of everything we could accomplish!
In Chapter Two: Language Wars
... My attraction to languages and their respective cultures stems from both the early love of my father and also from his strange sub-culture. When I was five, I remember the excitement of learning to read. I knew it was a doorway into a much bigger world outside our little house in Wyoming. Only days or weeks after learning to read, I wandered into my father’s office where books stood, wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and lay scattered across his messy desk. I climbed onto his big oak swivel chair to reach the top of his desk. My father always had open books, at least three, in his work space, besides all the papers and closed books circling the writing pad. I pulled the first book closer. Shock, disappointment and excitement all flooded my insides at once, as I stared at a completely different and unreadable alphabet. That ancient Greek book was next to an ancient Hebrew text and next to an English book with the familiar alphabet but few words I could understand. I found more funny words or lettering in Latin and old German Script books, all lying in front of me. For a split second, I felt like I was drowning in an ocean, but with the confidence of a five-year-old, I decided to learn how to read them all.
Let's all be 5 again. Just think of everything we could accomplish!
In Chapter Two: Language Wars
... My attraction to languages and their respective cultures stems from both the early love of my father and also from his strange sub-culture. When I was five, I remember the excitement of learning to read. I knew it was a doorway into a much bigger world outside our little house in Wyoming. Only days or weeks after learning to read, I wandered into my father’s office where books stood, wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and lay scattered across his messy desk. I climbed onto his big oak swivel chair to reach the top of his desk. My father always had open books, at least three, in his work space, besides all the papers and closed books circling the writing pad. I pulled the first book closer. Shock, disappointment and excitement all flooded my insides at once, as I stared at a completely different and unreadable alphabet. That ancient Greek book was next to an ancient Hebrew text and next to an English book with the familiar alphabet but few words I could understand. I found more funny words or lettering in Latin and old German Script books, all lying in front of me. For a split second, I felt like I was drowning in an ocean, but with the confidence of a five-year-old, I decided to learn how to read them all.
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