American Sign Language literature
Encyclopedia
American Sign Language literature (or ASL literature) refers to stories
, poetry
, dramatic productions, folk tales, and even songs in American Sign Language
. ASL literature can denote works translated from other literatures into ASL, like Patrick Graybill's translation of the poem "Not Waving, but Drowning", or more often, works composed originally in ASL itself. Other notable performers of ASL literature include Peter Cook
, Clayton Valli
, and Sam Supalla.
used today originated in a pre-written, or oral, form. Because no widely accepted method has yet developed for recording American Sign Language in writing, it persists, maybe uniquely, as a purely oral language. Only with the advent of film
technology in the early 20th century could ASL be recorded, preserved, and distributed. The earliest example of recorded signing is a National Association of the Deaf
compilation from between 1910 and 1920 containing various types of ASL discourse, including lectures, poems, stories, and songs.
Since the first films of ASL lectures in the early twentieth century, more ASL performances were gradually recorded, which has affected the tradition. Today, we have a wide variety of ASL works on video. Deaf performers also of course continue to perform ASL stories, poems, and other works live to enthusiastic audiences at festivals, university events, clubs, and social gatherings. Each year, Gallaudet University
, Deaf West Theater, and other deaf groups mount theatrical productions in ASL. Furthermore, many talented storytellers and poets perform works that unfortunately are never recorded; we should remember that video captures only a small percentage of ASL literature. The prevalence of digital video technology has allowed more signers to record their own ASL productions more easily and share them with more people than ever before. YouTube
, Facebook
, and Apple's Photo Booth
have all contributed to wider exposure of original ASL creations.
One common type of ASL literature is the "ABC" poem, performed by young children and adult ASL poets alike. This type of poem is characterized by the use of a series of handshapes that follows the order of the manual alphabet. There are a huge variety of signs that use each handshape in the alphabet, but poems will frequently use ASL classifiers (see American Sign Language grammar
) that provide the poet much more room to exercise his own creativity. A closely related form of poetry is the handshape poem, in which an ASL poet performs a poem or narrative using a limited variety of handshapes. This constricts the poet in form, much as rhyme or meter does in written poetry, and requires a precise use of motion and non-manual expression.
The most prevalent type of ASL literature, however, is ASL storytelling. Storytelling transcends basic communication, incorporating techniques such as the "visual vernacular", as well as a feel for theatrical performance that Ben Bahan refers to as "smooth signing". Storytelling has served as a method of historical preservation, a mark of cultural identity
, and most importantly, a common form of entertainment. Just as novelists perfect the art of storytelling through the medium of the written word, Deaf storytellers develop their own distinctive styles and techniques. In a culture that has not always been able to access the same forms of entertainment as hearing culture, such as movies or music, the Deaf have become fiercely proud of their storytellers.
Stories
Stories may refer to:* Height of more than one Storey * Stories , a greatest hits compilation album by Randy Stonehill...
, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, dramatic productions, folk tales, and even songs in American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
. ASL literature can denote works translated from other literatures into ASL, like Patrick Graybill's translation of the poem "Not Waving, but Drowning", or more often, works composed originally in ASL itself. Other notable performers of ASL literature include Peter Cook
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
, Clayton Valli
Clayton Valli
Clayton Valli was a prominent deaf linguist and American Sign Language poet whose work helped further to legitimize ASL and introduce people to the richness of American Sign Language literature....
, and Sam Supalla.
History
Every languageLanguage
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
used today originated in a pre-written, or oral, form. Because no widely accepted method has yet developed for recording American Sign Language in writing, it persists, maybe uniquely, as a purely oral language. Only with the advent of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
technology in the early 20th century could ASL be recorded, preserved, and distributed. The earliest example of recorded signing is a National Association of the Deaf
National Association of the Deaf
National Associations of the Deaf are national bodies that represent Deaf people and the Deaf community in their respective countries. They are usually members of the World Federation of the Deaf and advocate for sign language.-See also:...
compilation from between 1910 and 1920 containing various types of ASL discourse, including lectures, poems, stories, and songs.
Since the first films of ASL lectures in the early twentieth century, more ASL performances were gradually recorded, which has affected the tradition. Today, we have a wide variety of ASL works on video. Deaf performers also of course continue to perform ASL stories, poems, and other works live to enthusiastic audiences at festivals, university events, clubs, and social gatherings. Each year, Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S...
, Deaf West Theater, and other deaf groups mount theatrical productions in ASL. Furthermore, many talented storytellers and poets perform works that unfortunately are never recorded; we should remember that video captures only a small percentage of ASL literature. The prevalence of digital video technology has allowed more signers to record their own ASL productions more easily and share them with more people than ever before. YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, and Apple's Photo Booth
Photo Booth
Photo Booth is a small software application for taking photos and videos with an iSight camera by Apple Inc. for Mac OS X and iOS .-Photo Booth:...
have all contributed to wider exposure of original ASL creations.
Features and Form
ASL literary works often feature creative uses of signs, handshapes, classifiers, and facial expressions. Different performers have developed recognizably different styles and themes.One common type of ASL literature is the "ABC" poem, performed by young children and adult ASL poets alike. This type of poem is characterized by the use of a series of handshapes that follows the order of the manual alphabet. There are a huge variety of signs that use each handshape in the alphabet, but poems will frequently use ASL classifiers (see American Sign Language grammar
American Sign Language grammar
The grammar of American Sign Language is the best studied of any sign language, though research is still in its infancy, dating back only to William Stokoe in the 1960s. Stokoe was the first linguist to approach any sign language as a full natural language with its own grammar, an approach which...
) that provide the poet much more room to exercise his own creativity. A closely related form of poetry is the handshape poem, in which an ASL poet performs a poem or narrative using a limited variety of handshapes. This constricts the poet in form, much as rhyme or meter does in written poetry, and requires a precise use of motion and non-manual expression.
The most prevalent type of ASL literature, however, is ASL storytelling. Storytelling transcends basic communication, incorporating techniques such as the "visual vernacular", as well as a feel for theatrical performance that Ben Bahan refers to as "smooth signing". Storytelling has served as a method of historical preservation, a mark of cultural identity
Deaf culture
Deaf culture describes the social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values and shared institutions of communities that are affected by deafness and which use sign languages as the main means of communication. When used as a cultural label, the word deaf is often written with a...
, and most importantly, a common form of entertainment. Just as novelists perfect the art of storytelling through the medium of the written word, Deaf storytellers develop their own distinctive styles and techniques. In a culture that has not always been able to access the same forms of entertainment as hearing culture, such as movies or music, the Deaf have become fiercely proud of their storytellers.
ASL Theatre
The National Theatre for the Deaf originated in 1967, performing mainstream plays in American Sign Language.Further reading
- Bauman, H.-Dirksen L., Jennifer L. Nelson and Heidi Rose. (2006). Signing the Body Poetic: Essays in American Sign Language Literature. University of California Press.
- Peters, Cynthia L. Deaf American Literature: From Carnival to the Canon. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet UP, 2000.
- Rutherford, Susan. A Study of Deaf American Folklore. Burtonsville, MD: Linstock, 1993.