KF
KISS-FIST MAGAZINE
TWO
KISS-FIST SECOND ISSUE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Frank Gallimore PRODUCTION DESIGN Rosa Lee Gallimore CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Baldi Wayne Betts Jr Carla Del Pizzo Abby Drake Peggy Faulker Craig Flannagan Carmel Flores Darren Frazier Frank Gallimore Tasha Goodrich Jennifer Henry Matt T. Hochkeppel Monique Holt Paul Hostovsky Melissa Huber Queen Jade Christine Kim Scott Mohan Norma MorĂĽn Alberto Sifuentes Chad Taylor Tate Tullier Andrew Washington Philip James Wolfe WEB DESIGN Rosa Lee Gallimore
info@kiss-fist.com
www.kiss-fist.com
Correction: First Issue KF made two publishing errors on the first issue. 1) Sheila DeLao, the deaf snowboarder, did not receive a bronze medal: it was a silver medal. Also, her snowboarding lessons are not limited only to California area but are in Colorado as well. 2) The first two pictures of Dana Lenz’s jewelry were not made by her but by her friend, Daisy Forster at xanga.com/dazzlingbeads KF team apologizes for the error.
On this issue, KF is featuring a photo series taken by Tate Tullier, a deaf photographer from Louisiana along with deaf model Christine Kim, an artist from New York City. The focus on these photo series is on ASL as a product of our lives.
ABOUT THE COVER: Model: Christine Kim Photographer: Tate Tullier
From the Editor Dear Readers,
Thanks for joining us on our second issue of Kiss-Fist! Thank you also for the overwhelming response to issue number one. We're delighted to see how quickly word of hand has spread about our not-so-little family project. One of the challenges of a magazine like this is that it must be at once personal and provocative. That we have captivated the interests of a diverse crowd of readers has demonstrated just that. Some of you have asked for subscriptions and copies of Kiss-Fist in print. At the moment, Kiss-Fist is slowly making its transition from a solely online journal to something that can be experienced in a range of media. For example, we're excited about the spotlight page on our website, www.kiss-fist.com, showing wonderful videos of performance art, poetry, music, and whatever else happens to catch our attention. In putting it all together, we've seen traditional dance forms and painting, and also fresh ideas in jewelry-making and fashion. With a bit of the old and a bit of the new, Kiss-Fist is becoming its own creature. In time, if it is to have any life at all, the magazine must pave its own path, and we hope that path will prove dynamic. In this issue, we've brought you more of what you enjoyed last time: some great fashion tips on where to shop and what to keep in (and out) of your closet as the weather changes; an article on Korean cuisine we're sure will wet your chops enough to try something new; and, of course plenty of the best photography around. We're also bringing you occasional words of wisdom, poetic meditations, bold statements, and a chance to glimpse a few moments in the lives of some very unique and talented individuals. For some of you, Kiss-Fist will seem like an amusement park, a diversity of rides, some of which you'll love and perhaps some of which you'll disagree with or even dismiss altogether. Some of you may see it more as a buffet and some may see it as a twelve course meal! Whatever you take from reading Kiss-Fist, we hope it's clear that this is not a special-interest magazine designed to cater to a niche audience. This is a family project meant to showcase all the things we kiss-fist, whether it happens to agree with our particular philosophies or not, whether it comes straight out of our world or not. Above all else, we are striving to expand what we know and want to see. To do this, we hold fast to our commitment to shed light on the provocative, the spectacular, and the moving. Enjoy!
Editor-In-Chief
Contents HOME POETRY FASHION SHORT STORY FOOD ESSAY JOURNAL SOAP BOX
ARTWORK AVAILABLE AT FRANKGALLIMORE.COM
14 22 32 42 50 54 62 68
Photographers
Darren Frazier FINLAND
Scott Mohan NEW MEXICO
12
24
30
58
Wayne Betts Jr CALIFORNIA
Carmel Flores INDIANA
KISS-FIST MAGAZINE
From KISS-FIST readers: WOW! Beautiful online magazine! Wonderful creative people with so much passion in their dreams! On the last page, the wonderful illustrated comic strip got my eye! Wishing you the best! --Matt
I turned each page, wanting more. I thought 54 pages was going to be "too" long.. but was disappointed when I turned to the last page. More more! --Jenny
I have to say I am impressed with the launch of Kiss-Fist magazine. The magazine itself has a feel of artistic/ cultural substance and a display of our collective creativity and authenticity. It's about time we have something to show off. --Richie
Impressive layout of the pages on the kissfist website! Is there any information present for me to purchase the kiss-fist subscription?
Word of hand- especially finger strokes on a keyboard-get around fast! Love this magazine! I am especially one who doesn't surf much on the internet, but this definitely gives me something to do that I will enjoy! Read through kiss-fist twice in one sitting! Subscribe me?? --Raya
Absolutely stunning! I truly enjoyed reading your mag. It's simply fabulous to see artists collaborate and make something our own! --Karina
Best of well wishes of future issues. ---Lori
TATE TULLIER KF first issue readers’ answer to this question:
What Do You Hope For? Happiness by being content in my own skin; with my career and with my life.
I hope to never be afraid of the space between reality and my dreams.
June Park from Florida
Rob Rice from Washington, DC
COMMENTS
KISS-FIST COMMENTS
from MSSD students
Model Secondary School for the Deaf Washington, DC Submitted by Mary Seremth High School Teacher
This magazine makes me want to be in it so bad. I want to show them how I kissfist sports and can’t live without it. I love sports so much just like these characters in the magazine. If I was really in it, I would say I kiss-fist baseball and that is my reason why I wanted to be in college studying to become a P.E teacher. I hope I can make it. ---Jason
This magazine is very interesting and has proven that deaf people can express well. Those photos, they were great captures!! ... it is amazing to see a lot of skills and their expression about their experiences. Also, now I get to see more DIFFERENT deaf people out there who are very new to me. It is great to be updated about new deaf people. ---Angelina
The kiss-fist magazine is a little confusing but it described some stories about deaf people. It's interesting. ---Drew
Issuu is a good program to use.. I would not mind using this type of software to do different projects such as putting my expressions in there or about my life in there. It is nice because it's all technical instead of hand made, it wouldn't be destroyed or anything like that.
Wow! This magazine is truly awesome. When I first opened this email--I thought to myself, ah! another DeafNation sort of newsletter but no, it is a true and an original deaf magazine just like the regular ones that sells on the newsstands. I hope someday in the future, we will be able to see Kiss-Fist Magazine in almost every newsstand.
Mssd should have this website so that we can actually do many things with it instead of writing it and wasting our time. ---Jacinda
I like the story about the guy and the old lady concerning cochlear implants. I only wish he could say it to the doctors so they could stop implanting deaf children. ---Esther
My favorite part is about Christopher Smith because he is interesting. I wonder how he got to be a good dancer as an african-american from Dayton, Ohio. ---Cedrick
TATE TULLIER
“You experience different feelings when you look at their eyes -- a sense of exposure... vulnerability... threat... love... energy... hope.” DARREN FRAZIER
Nikon D200
Waste Not Want Not
KISS-FIST HOME
Words by Jennifer Henry
I
Photo by Jennifer Henry
used to hear that phrase a lot when I was a kid and never really understood the meaning behind it. If you ever looked into your Grandma's "junk drawer" and saw bits of string, old screws, bolts and nails, half a bar of soap, a broken watch and old candles, chances are, she was part of the 'waste not, want not' generation. I came from a family like that. You would find old safety glasses from the days when my mother worked at the factory assembling appliance parts. You'd find half of a leather shoelace from my dad's work-boots. Open the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink and you'd see countless food containers, everything from coffee cans to glass spaghetti jars. Getting a place of my own, I, too, had a junk drawer. I kept lost buttons and rubberbands, a screwdriver and spare change. You never knew when you might need one of those things. How many times have you tossed something, only to discover you needed it a few days later? I even kept those packets of soy sauce and ketchup and the little container of garlic sauce from the pizza delivery chain. We never ate the garlic sauce, but I couldn't see throwing it away. Then one night, I wanted garlic bread with dinner, but I didn't have any garlic. I finally found a use for the garlic sauce from the pizza. It made delicious bread when you poured it on top of uncooked rolls, then baked it. When I told my mom what I did with the sauce, she replied; "Waste not, Want not." Suddenly it all became clear to me, what that phrase meant, what the exact purpose of a junk drawer was. All those little bits and pieces still have use left in them and they were simply too good to go to waste.
Photo by Rosa Lee
Photo by Jennifer Henry
Waste not, want not. If you don't waste it, you'll have it for when you need it. That old telephone wire you still have? Still good, but useless in today's wireless society? Turn it into a clothes line. Bought a new blanket and it came tied with a ribbon around it? Cut it up and use it to tie up your tomato plants in the garden. That large yogurt or sour cream container makes a great container for leftovers to send home with family and friends. Odd, mismatched pillowcase? Makes a cute skirt! Our generation is being labeled the 'throw-away' generation. Everything is disposable or has a quick one-time use. I like to think that times are changing and more and more people are finding ways to re-use things. Reducing our trash is easy when you put more thought and effort into what you hold in your hands. Recycling is great and it's even better if you can re-use it a few times before you recycle it. Drink wine? Save the bottles and try making your own homemade wine, or decoupage it and turn it into a unique, one-of-a-kind lamp. Old sheets starting to get thread-bare? Tear or cut it into strips and make a rag rug out of it. Spray paint an old dresser, replace the knobs and give it a second life. Turn an old picnic basket into a perfect place to store magazines or your latest rag rug project. Old drawers with wheels added to the bottom make great under-the-bed storage. Let's turn ourselves into the next 'Waste Not, Want Not' generation. Jenny is a deaf blogger from West Virginia
TATE TULLIER
TATE TULLIER
“Life is meaningless if it doesn’t have love in it.”
KISS-FIST ROCK CLIMBING
PEGGY FAULKER
Peggy Faulker
I
discovered my passion in rock climbing by accident. My left forearm was cut by a piece of broken glass while I was working at a veterinarian's office. I lost a lot of blood and I ended up in an emergency room. My doctor informed me that I have severe nerve damage and that he couldn't operate on my arm because the cut was too deep. At that moment, I realized that my life could be short and have since changed my perspective about life and death. I said, "I am not going to sit and feel sorry for myself. I must make my left arm work because my left arm is essential in using American Sign Language." After learning that rock climbing could help build strength back up in my left forearm I decided to give it a shot and fell madly in love with it! Since then, I joined the Phoenix Rock Gym and became a member. Rock climbing gives me personal growth and an opportunity to explore self awareness, self understanding and insight. When I do, I feel better. I feel more balanced and healthier. Life is meaningless if it does not have love in it, so set the schedule aside and let some hours slip away doing what you love. Peggy is a deaf rock climber from Arizona
KISS-FIST POETRY
PAUL HOSTOVSKY
[Published Poet and an ASL interpreter from Boston]
My country isn't my country because I'm not myself. I haven't been myself since I don't know when. My mother said just be yourself. My father was himself all his life and everyone loved him. But I loved the smell of the rain before the rain more than the rain itself. And I lived in the country of myself all my life. The food was bad. The language odd. The peace unsteady. So I moved to the country of I'm not myself. To the country of I don't know who and I don't know what I am. And I am finally home. There always was that side of me. That is the side that I am on. I love my country. I will die for my country. But my country isn't my country and I am not myself.
MY COUNTRY ISN’T
“When I would see something that is beautiful or unique, I'd take a picture but often times I'd look for something that is conflicted or ironic.� WAYNE BETTS JR
Nikon D200 with 28mm f2.8
TATE TULLIER
KISSFIST SUBMISSIONS AND ADVERTISING PLEASE EMAIL US AT SUBMISSIONS@KISS-FIST.COM
WWW.KISS-FIST.COM
TWO YOU
“I love taking pictures of ordinary moments that we humans experience on daily basis.� SCOTT MOHAN
Canon 40D
Ramblings of a Self-Confessed Shopaholic Words by Melissa Huber
DID YOU KNOW... ...that at Sephora, you can get make up AND perfume samples for FREE? There are countless of Sephoras in Manhattan! I must admit I'm guilty of stopping by as often as I can to grab free perfume samples. I have been complimented about my latest obsession -- Burberry Brit often times and I don't even own a bottle! The perfume samples actually come in nice travel-sized spray mini-bottles suitable for traveling.
A
One tip: when you come in to get sample make-up, especially bronzers and blushers, bring your own make-up brush in your purse. You'll be free of worrying about germs and you can see what really works for your skin with the brushes you actually use.
KISS-FIST FASHION
Sephora has a very up-to-date make-up line that's just as good as any other expensive brands. Check out their makeup brands such as Sparkly eyeliners, waterproof eyeshadow, bright nail polish and many more. Sephora carries it all! The best part? It's much cheaper than the more expensive brands!
Sephora also has an awesome return policy. You can buy anything and if you are not satisfied, you can simply return it with the receipt, even if the product has been used. I know a girlfriend who once broke a perfume bottle, even after using it for a good while, and she went back to Sephora, bringing her receipt -- and got a brand new bottle in exchange. No problem! SEPHORA ROCKS!
i
A
t's hard to believe that we're right in the middle of summer already! As much as I'm looking forward to the change in the weather (and humidity!), I am NOT looking forward to bundling up again. It's the California blood in me, I'm addicted to breezy dresses and opentoed shoes. Sadly, here in New York City, those shoes will have to be packed up into storage for a good six months plus. However, I do LOVE fall and I am looking forward to fall season, the cool crisp air! And of course, that’s all the more reason to go shopping for new fall fashions. However, if you're on a tight budget or trying to cut back on shopping (like I always say I am) you can be creative with your wardrobe. BRINGING BITS OF SUMMER INTO FALL Some summer key pieces can be worn right into the fall season--if you do it right. I especially love the cardigans with dresses look. Perfect for fall season. Add a pair of cute flats, and you're good to go. Give your summer dresses a bit more longevity.
You can also add tights under your dresses, if they're short. However, you have to be careful with the fabric of the dress. If the dress material is thin, or linen-ish, then it’s probably not a good idea to try pairing them with tights. If the dress is more on the thick side, then it'll look especially cute with ribbed tights. A staple I saw everywhere last fall, and I'm sure it will be here again this fall. Your cute tank tops? Leave them in your closet! Tank tops can actually be worn year-round. On the warmer fall days, wear them with a cardigan, or under a blazer. On the colder days, wear them with a turtleneck (a look I especially love if it's a tight-fitting turtleneck, but with a loose, flowy camisole over it) or long sleeved teeshirts. Another style that I see staying for a good while is the cropped cardigans/blazers look. You do have to be careful with what you wear underneath cropped jackets, though. Not a good idea to pair them with short-fitting shirts underneath. Definitely stick with longer-length items underneath, to balance out the proportions. Remember the days when shortcropped tees and belly-baring shirts were in style? I don't know about you, but since I no longer have my toned, teenage belly, I'm SO glad that style's long gone, and longer-length shirts are everywhere! Even empire-waisted shirts! Who cares if wearing them sparks pregnancy rumors? No one can argue that it's SO nice to go out to dinner, eat a hearty meal, while looking stylish AND, most importantly of all, FEELING comfortable! DON’T BE RULED BY SIZE In the last issue, I talked about wearing clothes that make you feel
MELISSA’S REVIEW
OLDNAVY.COM offers some GREAT onlineonly styles as well as the newest items that are available a good week or so BEFORE even hitting the stores! Old Navy has come a long way! I remember when it was "ew" back then, but nowadays, they do carry a lot of cute, reasonably priced, up to date, and even some trendy items. Credit is probably due to Todd Olham, who's the newest creative director for Old Navy. And to add, shipping costs are also reasonable. Most of the time they'll offer good deals like free shipping with order totals over 50 dollars, or 5 dollar flat rate shipping. You can also return them IN STORE if you want, which makes it all the more convenient.
Photo by Tate Tullier
“IF you want to LOOK good, for goodness' sake, don't wear something that's too small on you.” good and not caring about what's "trendy" as long as you're able to work it with confidence. I'd like to address that a bit further. I do feel strongly that it's ALSO important to wear something that flatters your body size. I know (most of) America is obsessed with being of a certain size. While it's understandable to want to be healthy and look good (emphasis on "healthy" here), IF you want to LOOK good, for goodness' sake, don't wear something that's too small on you. You'd be surprised how many women refuse to wear things just because they don't want to wear a bigger size. While I understand that feeling, wanting to be a smaller size, I do not understand why women will wear something that's too tight for them, or even worse, something that SHOWS their flaws. Nowadays, size varies so much between stores. For example, I've noticed that sizes at Old Navy might run bigger compared to those at other stores. H&M carries European sizes, so sizes might run smaller -- I know girlfriends who have had to go up a size or two at H&M. Wearing the right size for your body type or even going up to a looser fit can actually make you look like you just lost ten pounds. One of my biggest "fashion pet peeves" is women who wear tight-fitting jeans while pairing them with tight shirts, showing stomach rolls, or "muffin tops." I understand not wanting to give in to a certain size and saying instead that you'll lose ten pounds for those jeans to fit again. But I'd much rather swallow my pride and go up a jean size for the sake of looking fashionable. IF you insist on holding onto those jeans, then....well, at least wear loosefitting tops, or empire-waisted tops. A personal test that I use to see how good I look in my outfits is to take pictures of myself, ha.
There have been plenty of times when I've had my husband take pictures of me when we're heading out for the night, and if I don't see that my outfit flatters me well, I'll insist on changing, even though it gets on his nerves! Pictures ARE revealing. I remember when I was so thrilled because I thought (from a glance in the mirror) that I looked good in a pair of shiny leggings from American Apparel. Even though they were skintight (the sizes DO run small at American Apparel, even my skinny girlfriends admit it) and I know I don't have the thighs to sport a skintight look, I at least paired it with a long, loose V necked tee. I felt "stylish" adding a fringed scarf and gladiator sandals to the outfit. BUT when I saw pictures of myself in that outfit, I was faced with the harsh reality that it simply did NOT flatter me. I had to sadly surrender to returning those shiny leggings. If anyone knows a clothing line that makes larger sizes of super shiny leggings, please let me know! DO think about wearing sizes that flatter your body, without paying too much attention to how big/ small they are. SOME clothing items are necessary to size up, to flatter your body. Which is why I say that you CAN pull off almost anything, as long as the clothes fit you right. Skinny jeans, for example -- If you size up a little bit, I'm sure you'd find that they can flatter you. Vests are another example. I DO think that anyone can pull off the vest look, even if you're well-endowed in the top area.You can always get them in a bigger size, and tailor them to fit you well. Or wear them unbuttoned, over a tank top or a fitted long-sleeve top. And hey ... if wearing a certain size REALLY bothers you .... cut off the size tag. No one has to know except you, as long as you're LOOKING good!
SPANX TO THE RESCUE! If all else fails, there's spanx! Even celebrities who are "skinny" by my standards swear that they use spanx to help them conceal their flaws. This especially seems to be a popular trend with women who have just become mothers. I do admit that spanx does help me feel better about my silhouette (particularly my rear-end) in certain situations. Never mind the fact that I'm not even a mother yet, and I’m already enjoying the perks of spanx, ha. A lot of girlfriends I know complain that either spanx is too pricey, or that the top of the waist tends to roll down with the skin - resulting in an uncomfortable feeling or unnecessary "bumps". I've read somewhere that you can cut off the top part of the waistline that bothers you, put inside some "double stick" tape and it'll stay put and stay with your figure beautifully. There are also low-waist options that ARE cheap, as well. I especially like the ASSETS line at Target. Exactly like spanx, but for a fraction of the price! Having the proper "undergarments" is a major MUST in looking good in your clothes. GIVE ME SOME BUST! Along with spanx, another major necessity is a good bra that fits RIGHT. I learned this from one of my biggest female role models. I can remember so many times when I wanted to give into wearing bras that were more on the "cutesy" side, with thin straps, that didn't give enough support. Whenever she saw me wearing the wrong kind of bra, she'd make sure I went bra shopping to get a good bra that FIT right AND gave me "busty" support, as well. I
smile whenever I think of those moments, and realize that I was definitely taught well. Whenever I try on clothes, I always keep in mind whether I'll be able to wear a good bra with support or not. If not, then it’s not worth the purchase. It's funny -- just last Saturday I was out in Central Park expecting just to spend an afternoon sunbathing with girlfriends while picnicking, so I wore a dress that had a built-in bra, not something that made me feel quite "supported", but would do for a casual afternoon of sunbathing. Well, when we impulsively decided to hit an art gallery event that night going straight from Central Park, I insisted that my husband meet us by the nearest subway stop. Not only to retrieve our dog who I had brought with me, but also to give me the right kind of bra. I was confident enough to go out for the night with my girls! I think I read somewhere or saw one of my (too many) reality shows that at least half of women in America are wearing the wrong bra size. A too small cup can make your assets spill out, showing bumps under tight shirts. A band that's too small creates unflattering rolls on the back. Trust me, I know how tempting it is to give in and choose bras that are more on the pretty side than functional, but save those for the bedroom! With those key things in mind, go out and celebrate YOUR body, regardless of size. You WILL look good and FEEL good. I promise. With fashionable love,
Melissa I want to sincerely thank you all for the wonderful e-mails/ messages from my first article. YOUR messages really inspired me, and it made me feel really good hearing how my article encouraged you to take certain fashion risks, and went out feeling good about yourself. Taking some of your suggestions into mind, I've decided to create an e-mail account for comments/questions. I look forward to hearing from you. Email me at MadameGlam@gmail.com
TATE TULLIER
ALBERTO SIFUENTES D
HOW
ND E P S I
MY
N E K E WE
08 0 2 , 5 July 3
KISS-FIST LIFE
At the Fritz bar with friends
Absorbing the city of Boston
Answering questions on a Happy Meal paper
Checking out the Christian Science church
Playing volleyball Watching fireworks from the rooftop
Alberto is a deaf boston resident
KISS-FIST MODEL
ANDREW WASHINGTON
Andrew is a deaf artist from Texas
KISS-FIST SHORT STORY
Belinda’s Door Words by Frank Gallimore
0
n the water a trout flipped like a coin and then the lake was quiet. Even the madronas were still enough he could hear the eyes of the cat clock tick in the kitchen. He sat by the nursery waiting. Everyday at fifteen past seven trucks headed into a junction across the lake where a bar would play some rockabilly and that started Belinda crying. He got up, went in, and gathered her up from the crib with her pink fleece and cotton cushion. He lay her against his chest, her head in his palm, his fingers rubbing her scalp. His knees were bad but his swaying limp made Belinda drowsy. When she fell asleep again, he laid her back in the crib and looked out the window.
Heeeeey Baby, he heard sing up and out of the bar's chimney and down the hill to where the lake made no motion but for the merest line of a kayak. He backed out of the room slowly and left the door ajar, then walked into the kitchen and picked up a bowl of apple sauce. He rinsed it in the sink and set it on a narrow shelf next to the lysol and baking soda, then crossed again the twice-polished linoleum to where a bag of baby carrots lay on the counter top. From there he saw that the door to the garage was open and that the light was on and there was dirt on the floor. He looked into the garage and saw only the car's dull gleam in the dark, catching the squares of dim night coming through the little windows on the outer door. There were no birds outside but there was the sound of birds. He closed the door and looked toward Belinda's room again. Then he walked into the living room and saw someone sitting on the edge of the couch. "Who is it?" he said. "Just me," she said. He turned the light on and saw his daughter slouched in a parka, her hair much longer now than it was when he'd last seen it, thick and hanging over her eyes like a row of trees. There was dirt on her jacket and mud on her shins and boots. "Well get in the kitchen and wash up, will you?" he said. "I'm okay," she said. "I'm not staying." "What do you mean? Where have you been? I missed you real bad, Lucy. Belinda too." He looked at her and then at Belinda's door. "She's sleeping now. Let me make you something. Are you hungry? If you stay tonight, we can have breakfast in town." "I'm not staying." "What did you come for?" "I want my clothes." "They're still in the dresser but you're gonna have to see your daughter to get to them. Your room's a nursery now." He laughed and
put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, come take a look!" "I'm sure you're doing a bang-up job." "Best I can." "Like you did with me, right?" She turned toward him now for the first time and he saw her mother in her closed grin. "Will you get my clothes for me?" she said. "I'm getting too old to carry things, Lucy. I-" "That's a lie." "You see those crutches," he said, pointing at them laid up in the corner. "There are grooves in the handles where my fingers have sunken in." "Yeah, I feel sorry for you." "You should. Ha ha, I'm a walking tragedy." "I need my clothes." "All right, we'll get them," he said. "Keep your shirt on. I'm just glad you're back." The music at the junction slowed into something from the fifties. It came across the lake and into the house like a low hum and chattering of teeth. "But will you tell me where you've been?" he said. "Where did you go?" "Places." "Can I make you something. You don't look good, Lucy. Why don't you take a bath. Stay a while." He felt he was talking too much and it made him tired. He looked at the crutch in the corner and at the dust along the frame. Closed windows breed dust. Moths bring dust. Skin makes dust at every moment for wind to eat. Old age eats it, he thought. Salt eats it. Even food eats it. "Belinda's gonna start crying again in a minute," he said, then he went into the kitchen. His daughter rose with a jerk, her fingers scratching in her pockets as if without her knowing. When she got in the kitchen, he turned from the sink running the water over a cheese grater, and saw her in the door way, small and wet in her blue parka. Along the hem he could make out yellow flowers under a layer of dust. Her hands smoothed them down and stuffed into deep pockets. The parka came open a little and he saw the handle of a knife flash once a
dull metallic green and then go dark under the folds. She looked small in the doorway. Dirt filled the cracks of her face but it was still soft-looking. He saw her mother's in it and almost none of his own. Whatever he saw of himself in her must have been imagined, he thought. There were no scars. Unlike him, she had the knack for staying in one piece. He blew his knees out in college football. His left arm had been broken twice, his shoulder dislocated. In a car accident, he fractured his right clavicle and shattered his hip. He broke his nose falling off a truck and it healed wrong. He had a glass jaw because he kissed Ernie Krausse's girlfriend in her car. He remembered the guy crying and swinging at him until a punch landed square in the jaw and broke it in three places. In his head, the picture of himself on the ground, bloody and smiling at Ernie's girlfriend, could never fit with where he was now, in the kitchen with this girl in a filthy parka, who reminded him only of her mother in her fall jacket spraying down hydrangeas; or in a snow coat blowing clouds of warm breath into the car window; or dying in their bed, buried under five blankets because she could not keep warm enough. His daughter stepped into the room slowly, as if the floor might break. "It's cold out,"she said. "I just need my clothes." "Are you sleeping on the street, Lucy? Why would you do that? You have a bed right here. I didn't move it." "I sleep where I want."
"I need money too," she said. Her eyes darted from his. "I need some money so I can get a place of my own and then I can get a job." Her eyes followed the line of his collar, then darted down to his shoes. "I need a job so I can get a place to stay and then I won't bother you or Belinda. You'll both be fine. I just need my clothes and maybe get cleaned up and some money." Her eyes went to the counter and around to the window and back to Belinda's door. "You can help me just this much and I'll be gone by tomorrow, I promise. You help me and I'll go." Her hands kept scratching in her pockets and in the kitchen light he could see how much she had been sweating. Her wet collar hung out of her parka and her face dripped. He picked up a rag and brought it to her face. Her eyes reeled around the room but she kept still while he wiped her brow and cheeks. Her skin was hot, her teeth ground down and rotten. "I need the money bad," she said, and began to cry. While he wiped her face. She was unrecognizable in the light. She had always been a stranger, and yet he loved her. Both were true. If there was a way to say this--if her mother was here with her way of decoding things--whatever it was, she took it with her. A song ended and the lake was quiet. Then a new song shot across the water and it was full of drums. Belinda began to sob. "If you go in and see your daughter first," he said. "I'll give you money." She pushed his hand away and turned back into the living room where the light was off and she became a shadow again. When he reached for her, she turned and the knife was in her hand. She didn't look at him. She blinked a
When he reached for her, she turned and the knife was in her hand.
"You can stay here as long as you want. I didn't move any of your things. Your clothes are in the dresser."
TATE TULLIER
few times and held the knife tight, elbows bent, and didn't look at him. He turned back toward Belnda's room and felt her hand on his collar. Then the hand was on his shoulder. It was the pulling away from her that made his hips hurt. He found himself stumbling backward like a toddler. "Let me go," he said. "When Belinda hears the music..." But he couldn't get the breath to finish what he was saying. The hand tightened on his shoulder. He tried to turn. He thought of her with the knife in the air behind him where he couldn't see. In his mind, she was years younger, in her wildness after her mother died. He stumbled back again. The hand's vice still on his shoulder, holding him where he was. It will feel like a spider bite, he thought. It will be dull and quick. He tried to turn again and fell and threw his arms out to stop himself and then the hand on his shoulder was gone. He yelled "Get off me!" and turned and saw his daughter's startled face. The knife was on the floor. "I'm sorry," she said. She reached to help him but touched his shirt instead as he rose and walked past her. "I'm sorry." He sat down in the living room and said nothing, feeling his breath rush in and out of him, then slow until he could hear the music again from across the lake and Belinda crying. "I'm sorry," she said again. She looked small again but he did not look at her. He could smell dust. There was dust on his hands. She stood in the middle of the floor watching him and saying she was sorry and she was covered in dust. He thought he should take her to the bathroom and run the bath and wash her clean the way he did when she was Belinda's size. He could hear the music banging on the air. He could even hear the fish in the lake jump and slap back down into the water. Belinda was crying at first with a quiet coughing sound, then a high wail. And when he got up, his daughter was opening the door.
He followed her inside. Swaddled in her pink fleece, Belinda made fists and clenched her eyes as tears streamed down her face. Lucy touched her head and smoothed the hairs back as Belinda looked at her. Lucy's father rubbed Belinda's toes and covered her stomach with his palm. Belinda looked back and forth between them and was quiet. The music went away and the lake was quiet again except for the sound of trucks struggling up the hill. It was dark and nothing anywhere seemed to move, but they could hear the trucks from miles away.
Frank Gallimore is a writer from Seattle
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TATE TULLIER
TATE TULLIER
Drake
KISS-FIST FOOD
Abby
Photo by Scott Mohan
The Perfect Scallion Pancake Words by Abby Drake
Abby (Stra uss) Drak e is a dea from Was f foodie hington, D C.
O
n one of my foodie jaunts China, when the owner approached me. We years ago, my friend and I were at conversed a bit about my book and my plans
this hole in the wall Korean place on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She said with absolute certainty that we had to have the seafood and kimchi (pickled cabbage) scallion pancake. Since I had never had one, it was essential to try it. When I first bit into the thin but crisp and savory hot pancake along with a small bowl of soy sauce, I was greeted with a texture much like a crepe only crispier. It came with a perfect marriage of flavors! I closed my eyes and fell immediately in love with it. Fast forward a few months later and dozens of failed attempts to locate the perfect scallion pancakes have passed, I was in the middle of getting a pedicure at my Asian staffed hand and foot spa, reading a book on
to visit China. I asked where I could find really good scallion pancakes in midtown, the Japanese/Korean community. She gave me a name and I paged my friend shortly after who happened to be in the area and told her about it. Within fifteen minutes and an hour before we were to meet our friends, we met up at the midtown restaurant and placed a rush order for a scallion pancake. The scallion pancake arrived piping hot, crisped to a golden brown, smelling heavenly. Could this finally be the perfect scallion pancake I had been looking everywhere for to rival the Korean place? But it was thicker, not as crispy and much more chewy than the first one so it didn't bite. Suffice it to say, we were disappointed.
Photos by Liz Stone and Abby Drake
A few weeks later, I was in Beijing, China with another friend, who also happened to be a foodie as well. We were part of a tour group of 48 other people and since I am used to traveling on my own or with my close friends, I felt suffocated and needed some time to relax and enjoy the sights. My friend and I agreed that we would get up at five in the morning to explore the street life of Beijing that awaited us. The morning came, we went out for a walk. As the hour wore on, the streets started to come alive but even more so when we saw a vendor selling scallion pancakes! We watched the cook making his pancakes on a large round silver stove, using a thin film of cooking oil twice the size of a normal crepe, sprinkle seasoned meat (we did not want to think about where the meat had come from), and scallions. They were sautéed with butter on top, folded and sautéed once more until it was crisp and golden. It cost us approximately ten cents. I finally took a bite into the crisp yet perfectly tender pancake and suddenly I was transported back to that Korean place where I took my first bite. It was too divine, too heavenly...the flavors blended perfectly together... from the saltiness of the meat...to the buttery flavor of the scallion...to the crispiness of the pancake. So simple, filling, and delicious and right on budget. Since my friend and I were sharing the pancakes, I decided to order one just for myself. It was too sinfully delicious! For the remainder of our stay in Beijing, we would slip out every morning to grab those pancakes and devour them. And still, there are no other places that could measure up to that Korean place on Manhattan’s Upper West Side -- and Beijing.
For those of you who have big dreams, God has much BIGGER dreams than you had envisioned. Believe and be ready to meet them. Think BIG. Queen Jade
KISS-FIST ESSAY
Words by Jessica Baldi
Woman Never Forgets What It Feels Like to Be a Girl A
I
remember Monica. After reading Icy Sparks, I am brought to fond
memories of this small and skinny girl whom I loved when I was a child. Monica wasn't normal but she was my friend. Even though I was much stronger and bigger than she was, I loved hugging her and playing with her. Teachers oftentimes would have to make sure I didn’t get too rough on Monica. She was that fragile and me, that playful. What was it about Monica that I loved? Why did I play with her while nobody else would? I was aware of how different we were. Yet, it didn't matter to me. Every morning during my kindergarten year, I would scurry to a small Monica and give her the biggest hug I could ever
give anyone. Those were the days when I was a child and everybody called me Jessie. I had a furious passion for everything. I loved being naked, getting dirty, and threw frequent giggling fits. I remember how I would climb on people and snuggle in their arms, even onto people I
I demanded them, and wouldn't take a no for an answer. I knew, barely knew. I also begged for stories. I would flop on the floor and crave a story.
back then, that every single human being had something waiting to be told, something to reveal, and something for me to learn. I wanted to know what was occurring in their minds, what kind of imagination they had, or if they had any at all. My most favorite storyteller of all was Daddy. He still is nowadays. I remember I had a handful of questions solicited with a constant curiosity.
I wrote about sex at five years old without
shame, and asked my mother questions like "Why are the trees here? Why are we here?" I wasn't afraid of the truth. In fact, I wanted to challenge it. I told what was exactly in my mind or how I was feeling at the moment. I wandered alone a lot, too. I loved having attention. When I had eyes on me, my shyness would creep on the bottom of my spine but I knew I was captivating enough to give a great show. I secretly had confidence. I would constantly give my family shows. I was innocent and pure, always wearing that torn but willowy aqua dress, and went outside barefoot catching fireflies. In the middle of the living room I would spin, spin, and spin until I got so dizzy seeing the room spinning around me as I stopped, but then I would do it again. I
spent hours and hours in the bathroom being my imaginative self, painting my face and singing to myself. I sang out loud. I was too much even for a little girl. I knew I had the whole world to live my life in, and I wanted to cave it all in. Not too long ago, and when thinking nobody was looking, a thought came slowly into my mind and, without realizing, I broke into a giggle fit. When I turned, there was Mom smiling and inquiring as to why was I laughing. Embarrassed, I refused to tell. All of sudden, she said, "You looked like a little girl when you did that. Except for the fact that when you were little, you would proudly tell why. What's there to be afraid of?" I am not a child anymore, I wanted to protest. I wanted to say I do not know her -- I only recollect the mishaps of her memories, her shadows, but she is not me anymore. I have run away from the picture, which has been stilled only in the meshes of my whole yesterdays. But the giggling fit gave me away and I was still Jessie, that little girl who wasn't afraid of the world. Jessica is a deaf writer from Washington, DC
TATE TULLIER
TATE TULLIER
“I love to look for unique styles in amazing settings or a under a perfect light...stay there and viola...you've got the image!� CARMEL FLORES
KISS-FIST MOMENTS Tasha Goodrich Deaf Teacher from West Virginia
Just don’t ask or beg for acceptance. Just be. Queen Jade
KISS-FIST PHOTO JOURNAL
Norma Morรกn As a deaf volunteer, Norma served in the Peace Corps from 2000-2003 and is currently living in Washington, DC.
T
hrough the Peace Corps, I was posted at Maseno, a tiny town in western Kenya; it is so small that it is not even a blip on the map.
Maseno School for the Deaf has 140 pupils and 20 teachers. I taught kids English, Social Studies, Science/Agriculture, Art, HIV/AIDS, and more! Kids! Kids... they truly made my time at Kenya so fun, challenging, exhausting, exciting, tiring and unpredictable. Despite the worrying the post 9-11world affairs, the kids alleviated my stress by piling up on me (literally) and making me laugh. Can I tell you about Maureen? She and I had one thing in common. We both started at Maseno School for the Deaf at the same time. What was interesting about her right off was her appearance. There were small-scattered white markings all over her light brown face. She had sores from her scalp to her arms. Before coming to Kenya, I only knew AIDS from textbooks and I was uneasy at the thought of meeting someone with AIDS but after seeing human beings and the social and economical impact that AIDS has had on the community, my uneasiness was extracted with a vengeance. I now know that it is not impossible to love someone with AIDS and I wish Maureen peace.
In Memory of Maureen Atieno 1993-2004
THE LEARNING CENTER FOR THE DEAF ARTWORK BY DEAF STUDENTS
Words and photo by Carla Del Pizzo
[FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS]
AMERICAN DREAMS The fourth annual student art show was held on June 9th at the Barn Basement Gallery on the Framingham campus. Art teacher, Mary Silvestri, prepared a beautiful exhibit showcasing class work from grade K-12 at the TLC’s Framingham/Randolph campuses and Walden School. The high school photography exhibit at the White House Gallery, also on the Framingham campus, will remain on display throughout the summer, so please come by and check them out. You will be amazed by the artwork and the students’ talents!
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KISS-FIST SOAP BOX
DEAF EMPOWERMENT NOW!
Words by Matt T. Hochkeppel
A
AGE-OLD STRUGGLES
s always expected, it is no question that any of the signingimpaired will not be able to see the connection between themselves and people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing after reading this article. Unless they are able to adapt, or even adjust their lifestyle by thoroughly interacting with deaf community members--based historically on their patterns of human behavior, any one hearing-abled person is most likely to feel it necessary to ignore deaf people’s desire to communicate or to leave them behind without acknowledgment. This unheard of attitude among people still exists: AUDISM. (The term audism should not be confused with “autism” since we have deaf people with autism, too.) It simply implies that a hearing-abled person knows that he or she is functionally better than any of their deaf counterparts, especially in their decision-making skills. If there is no such thing as “audism,” then racism, sexism, classism, and other wordy-isms have not existed since the dawn of the human race.
“Sadly, some society is treating animals better than its own deaf children”
T
oday in American society, “We the People” are suppressing Us the Deaf culturally and linguistically. “We the People” may refuse to remind themselves that this quotation, "nothing about us, without us" is affecting people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. They have the nerve to claim that they have busy lives and no time to learn about deaf people and their way of life. Deaf people have to go on with living the wrong way, which is also the hard way. As for me, I just discovered a real language barrier within printed English and within English-speaking circles after years and years of interacting with my signing-impaired family and relatives, including the English-only communities. They still refuse to meet me half way by acquiring the basic sign language to communicate with me. None of them are legally blind; they use their hands for everything else. They might say, “I tried, but I had no time.” Time for what, after a generation of audiologically isolating me? In other words, they left me out without feeling guilty. As for the deaf children to come after me, the deaf communities across the country are continually weakening or shrinking because 85% of all deaf children are scattered among mainstreamed schools, not too confused as to the real meaning of “full-inclusion” academically and socially. Some deaf graduates are resorting to the several larger deaf communities to maintain their survival around the country. Computer Technology has created economic and social growth for the deaf, including the increase of work forces… slowly!
But unfortunately, many deaf people are either near illiterate or they are not confident in their literacy skills. With today's Deaf Education standard being corrupted with various audio-based philosophies, the parents of deaf child will most likely decide poorly when American Sign Language is not seen as acceptable or as not a part of an “inclusive” program. At the same time, some non-deaf children are taking ASL courses to meet public school curriculum requirements! In terms of worldly behavior patterns, the living population still remains stuck in a cycle of bad habits, brewing racism, sexism, classism, and that unheard-of audism as well. Allow me to paint the whole picture of the minorities: Black vs. Deaf Black; Woman vs. Deaf Woman; Jew vs. Deaf Jew; Able-bodied vs. Deaf Able-bodied; Immigrant vs. Deaf Immigrant; Disabled vs. Deaf Disabled, and so on and on and on. The winner of those getting the worst treatment are the Deaf People. Sadly, some societies are treating animals better than their own deaf children. Aye, say it loud - I am Deaf and I am Blessed! (Deaf Rock Opera chorus) Read my lips silently Hear me out We the People say I don’t belong We the People don’t care What bothers me How much do I need to put up with? How much longer do I have to go on?
“We, the Deaf, have lost Deaf Education to the Special Education population since 1975.” A BRIEF HISTORY We the Deaf lost Deaf Employment since 1880; the number of deaf teachers is basically not booming today. We the Deaf lost a good number of American jobs since 1945; the returning GI Joes got the same jobs. Apparently, the US Government does not have hands-on and intelligent jobs ready for Deaf Opportunists during this 3rd World War: the War on Terrorism. The last silent modern American colony disappeared from Martha's Vineyard during the early 1950s. It is such a good thing that some Native American tribes are still living on it. The US Congress declared oral deaf education a failure in the mid-1960s, but nothing happened dramatically for the better. We the Deaf have been losing Deaf Education to the Special Education population since 1975. And Gallaudet University was shaken up twice--for the better or for the worse--recently. Importantly, we either are or were better athletes than our non-deaf counterparts in every part of the world of sports! What more does this mono-linguistic society want to take from the life of the Deaf? Where’s our School – Work – Life: A Deaf Economy of Today? Is there anyone who bothers to research how long deaf people have been paying taxes when the US Congress acknowledges that there are up to 38% of disabled Americans who are employed? Who are these disabled people? Certainly most of them are not deaf people. Since many “general” people have lost their point-making skills about what’s the best for a deaf child, it is time to re-start Deaf Education with the Deaf Community involved and Deaf
Employment blossoming. Deaf Technology is striving toward equality in communication accessibility. The Deaf should use it personally, for their own enchantment. Also, many should use it to facilitate professional and political opportunities to express our Deaf Voice. More and more parents of the deaf are being taught the wrong way to raise a deaf child, as it has been done historically, reinforcing a double standard around the country. Having communication skills is the only way that a deaf child can develop intelligently. The oral-only approach has been one of the most dangerous philosophies instilled into the teaching of deaf children academically and socially for centuries--one in which deaf professionals have been and are being excluded! Let me share my last few discoveries. Deaf and hearing people are no different, but they do listen differently. Deaf people are most likely to be discriminated against, as employment opportunities are given to their less-qualified counterparts who can hear or speak the same tongue.
Read my lips silently Hear me out We the People say I don’t belong We the People don’t care What bothers me How much do I need to put up with? How much longer do I have to go on?
TATE TULLIER
TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION Not all deaf people live in Washington, D.C. It is my understanding that I have to pay five months worth in paychecks out of my yearly salary to the IRS? So do some 30 million plus American citizens with hearing loss. I can easily tell you that the US government is not representing any deaf person: the deaf people that came before you were not represented enough for many decades and beyond. Just take your SSI checks and shut up. The government is not getting the message. How unnecessary it is to deal with the obstacle of their lack of understanding of what to do with deaf people and deaf children as well. All they do is study and check for interpretations of the Civil Rights Act that apply to the protection of deaf citizens’ basic needs to live a life. They need to challenge themselves by empowering the deaf professional communities letting them do the work, instead of doing the work themselves. More and more newspapers, news magazines, and news websites are pressing on education issues from all levels, ranging from the best to the worst of school systems. They are talking about how the poor function inside the majority of public schools and other academic establishments. Do you know there are Deaf Intelligentsia that can easily take care of the paperwork, create a better American foreign policy, and that should participate in societal functions many times over? If there is a way to do things better with the world, find the deaf people who qualify! This is not a strong opinion I've created out of nowhere, it is based on shared deaf experiences that have been routinely ignored by the parents of the deaf and the medically-oriented professional communities, along with auditory and oral-based organizations. Get a third opinion from Deaf professional communities. For starters, it is very necessary to create a strong state central
secondary school for the deaf in Massachusetts, if not the entire New England region. I would like to see my paid taxes invested in this new school, after 50-plus regional public schools have already been established in Massachusetts. Keep in mind there are about 600,000 residents with hearing loss; they represent 10% of the population in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Now communities and universities are exploiting ASL. Yes, it is great to recognize ASL as a “foreign language” to teach non-deaf people from all walks of life. But what of the Deaf jobs that are not reserved, that are not even full-time jobs designed specifically for every qualified deaf applicant? There are hearing-abled instructors who teach ASL to their hearing-abled and signing-impaired students! Whose salaries am I funding with my taxes? They are the ones who go through trial and error every second they teach and yet still get paid. All you have to do is walk into your local political representative’s office to express your frustration in order to improve your life. The saying goes that if you “study hard; work hard, and save money” you'll live a better life, but how else can deaf people can afford it without governmental involvement and the support of an enforcement system? It is time to end this modern Deaf Colonialism… or to call for a permanent, life-long tax break for deaf populations. Read my lips silently Hear me out We the People say I don’t belong We the People don’t care What bothers me How much do I need to put up with? How much longer do I have to go on?
THE SOUND BARRIER This has been going on for far too long. Being nearly 40 years old, a white man having acquired a fully functional development, (so you know there's nothing fishy inside my skull) I am very much interested in staying on teaching a large number of high school students who are deaf and hard of hearing. They are still unprepared for real world situations. As expected, I have finally discovered that there is a language barrier in printed English. Is it my deafness that bars my understanding of the "beautiful" sounds of the world? Actually, the ability to read captions or subtitles is the most beautiful, and what has not yet affected the majority of deaf children today. I'm sorry to say it, but wake up and smell the reality! See whats happening around the world, how long it's been before you realized that you're not actually represented, not even being protected in the English-speaking world? The numberone evidence of affront to the deaf is that outsiders profit from marketing videos and illustrated texts for university courses, exploiting ASL or other basic sign languages. At the same time, the AGBell organization is not supporting ASL, not even sign-supported approaches. Its non-deaf members are against any and all alternate approaches toward the possibility of full accessibility: the oral-only approach is a must to maintain their organization... It has been this way for more than a century, carrying on unnecessarily without much success for the majority of those deaf people’s who speak only. When will the National Association of the Deaf take action and risk its reputation for the betterment of the Deaf community? They are not furiously fighting to protect the deaf child’s right to communicate in ASL in order to be educated better. NAD should not grant the medical communities the permission to maintain an infrastructure designed to “fix” the deaf child.
Once again, it is absolutely necessary to establish a state high school in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to actually “educate” the deaf child. Due to the society’s irresponsibility to follow up on the No Child Left Behind Act, a bill that US Senator Ted Kennedy originally drafted and President Bush signed into law long before 9/11. NLCB takes away from a deaf child’s benefits, due to the empowerment of uneducated parents with Individualized Education Plans (IEP), or due to some school districts’ misguided decisions. Deaf children are not in the same boat with their non-deaf counterparts whose schooling needs improvement within a short-term period. Us the Deaf are “unable” to speak out for deaf children because one and only federal law says it is the right of uneducated or uninformed parents to decide their deaf child’s educational placement. What the parents actually do not know for sure is that ASL can improve a deaf child’s speaking skills socially when taught properly. With a minimum of struggling, the child can become a fluent speaker. Keep in mind, there are millions of hearing-abled people who speak with different accents across the United States of America. Let’s maintain our social networking online along with the deaf blog/ vlog websites in order to share Deaf Concerns. Wireless devices, videophones, and YouTube are among the greatest visual technologies we must all embrace for full accessibility. Read my lips silently Hear me out We the People say I don’t belong We the People don’t care What bothers me How much do I need to put up with? How much longer do I have to go on?
TATE TULLIER
DEAF FORT Start with location, location, location--along with invisible global-assisted grids to locate The Deaf Way: An Invisible City across the country: “Clerc, U.S. of A.” Heck, we do not need a main street; we've got Internet Protocol (IP)! It may sound like a Deaf Matrix, but it's seriously doable. So let’s do the networking in the open, and silently. School – Work – Life: a Deaf Renewal. There should be a human rights bill passed to secure Deaf people culturally, linguistically, as well as physically. In the creation of a virtual justice system, one should be inspired by Lady of Justice Laura Bridgman, a silent symbol of justice, rather than the overpopularized Helen Keller. Right now, ASL is being exploited nicely, or for profit. We have got to build a fort immediately somewhere in the World Wide Web because nobody is actually listening to deaf taxpayers and deaf residents. For example, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) keeps claiming to be the first civil-right organization founded in early America, in the 1900s. The National Association of the Deaf was founded in 1880 to fight for Deaf Rights just before nearly every source of Deaf Employment was removed from every school for the Deaf around the world. This same language, ASL, has created an amazingly superior intelligence in hearingabled children, but still the majority of deaf children are being prevented from naturally acquiring ASL today. Yet until this article was written, history had largely ignored the World of the Deaf. Do deaf people know? Do families and relatives of deaf people know, or even hearing-abled or signingabled friends of deaf people know? Taxpayers, that’s what deaf people are, the “real” hidden heroes to America, if not of the rest of the world! Who is actually representing the Deaf? Who is not overrepresented, nor underrepresented?
Regardless of the buying-and-voting-power of deaf people, they are simply one minority group from all walks of life, ignored by “We the People,” the government. We the Deaf account for 10% of the American population. This quotation, “nothing about us, without us” is loud and clear. It is unfortunate that I have yet to see a large group of the hearing-abled students in my Social Studies classroom without voice interpreters, if such a thing exists at all today. If they are not acquiring ASL, then this world is not yet an advanced communicating civilization. A CHANGING WORLD During the 19th century, the Deaf-World communities were living progressively. They were on the way to becoming one of the most productive groups in the world until 1880. That was when the hearing-abled/signing-impaired educators of the Deaf physically took over Deaf Education. The living populations have been disabling Deaf Employment since 1945. The federal law has been throwing off the Deaf child’s rhythmic learning system daily since 1975. We the Deaf People are still preserving Deaf Rights and fighting for equality in quality of life. Deaf Empowerment is strongly encouraged, considering where the deaf people are being "placed." Once it becomes a reality, there will be a limitless list of outstanding outcomes, with few troubles within a generation. Read my lips silently Hear me out We the People say I don’t belong We the People don’t care What bothers me How much do I need to put up with? How much longer do I have to go on?
Say you are a product of a culture that only exists today because it refused to quit in the face of tremendous adversity. Say you are a pioneer that made a difference. Say you are built not to quit. Say you will go to sleep with this mantra at night and wake up the first thing at sunrise with that in mind. DAY IN, DAY OUT. Queen Jade
MONIQUE HOLT MONIQUE HOLT has designed a multimedia piece that presents a deaf person's journey: a performance accessible to both Deaf and hearing audiences. She uses filmic images, sound-scapes, and performers wearing spiritual costumes; the piece presents how a deaf person perceives the world. "Are Your Ears Blind?" shows that "listening" has nothing to do with hearing sound. We have to stop the mentality of AUDISM. Your ears don't see anything, so don't depend on them for everything.
KISS-FIST ACTRESS
Photo by Rick Guidotti
She is a Gallaudet University Presidential Fellow and Adjunct Professor. She teaches for the Theatre Arts Department.
Monique was recently involved with two shows: INSIDE/OUT at Kennedy Center - June 27-29th and DESIRE/REGRET for Captial Fringe Festival July 16-27, in DC
速 T.i.M
Optim
iz
e Ex
perience
This multi-media performance is an hour long peek through the looking glass. Follow the spiritual journeys of five different modern day Alices. Take a tumble and see where it leads you: a sight to behold.
Gallaudet University The Gilbert C. Eastman Studio Theatre October 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18 & 19
Towson University Ruth Marder Studio Theatre October 2, 3 & 4
Oct 2008 mind expansion through film, movement and music
Are Your Ears Blind? AYEB logo is designed by T.i.M (Tim Chamberlain/Irene Bartok/Monique Holt)
by Monique Holt
KISS-FIST TALENT
Philip James Wolfe
Photo by Tate Tullier
Philip is a deaf professional make-up artist from Seattle
Founded by Chad W. Taylor, Wayne Betts, Jr. and Craig Flannagan
PURPOSE Database of Mixed Martial Arts fighters, events and organizations Clean and organized data State of the art RageScore system to rank fighters Belt ownership or title tracking In-depth information on fighters Future bouts
GOAL An official database of Mixed Martial Arts One-stop location to get reliable information
PITRAGE team is currently working on many new developments. To learn more, visit PITRAGE.COM
Chad W. Taylor Deaf Software Engineer Web Design, Database, and Marketing Canada
Wayne Betts, Jr. Deaf Creative Designer, Communications and Marketing California
Craig Flannagan Deaf Software Engineer Database and RageScore Algorithm California
Quotes
Queen Jade is a deaf filmmaker from New York
KISSFIST