Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking

by H-Dirksen L. Bauman (Editor)

This groundbreaking volume introduces readers to the key concepts and debates in deaf studies, offering perspectives on the relevance and richness of deaf ways of being in the world. In Open Your Eyes, leading and emerging scholars, the majority of whom are deaf, consider physical and cultural boundaries of deaf places and probe the complex intersections of deaf identities with gender, sexuality, disability, family, and race. Together, they explore the role of sensory perception in constructing community, redefine literacy in light of signed languages, and delve into the profound medical, social, and political dimensions of the disability label often assigned to deafness. Moving beyond proving the existence of deaf culture, Open Your Eyes shows how the culture contributes vital insights on issues of identity, language, and power, and, ultimately, challenges our culture’s obsession with normalcy.  Benjamin Bahan, Gallaudet U; Douglas C. Baynton, U of Iowa; Frank Bechter, U of Chicago; MJ Bienvenu, Gallaudet U; Brenda Jo Brueggemann, Ohio State U; Lennard J. Davis, U of Illinois, Chicago; Lindsay Dunn, Gallaudet U; Lawrence Fleischer, California State U, Northridge; Genie Gertz, California State U, Northridge; Hilde Haualand, FAFO Institute; Robert Hoffmeister, Boston U; Tom Humphries, U of California, San Diego; Arlene Blumenthal Kelly, Gallaudet U; Marlon Kuntze, U of California, Berkeley; Paddy Ladd, U of Bristol; Harlan Lane, Northeastern U; Joseph J. Murray, U of Iowa; Carol Padden, U of California, San Diego. H-Dirksen L. Bauman is professor and director of the graduate program in Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University. He is coeditor of Signing the Body Essays in American Sign Language Literature, executive editor of the Deaf Studies Digital Journal, and executive producer and codirector of the documentary film Audism Unveiled.

Genres: Disability, Textbooks, Nonfiction, Academics

308 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2007

About the author

Dr. Dirksen Bauman received degrees in English from Colorado College (BA 1985), University of Northern Colorado (MA 1989), and Binghamton University, State University of New York (PhD, 1998) where his dissertation explored ASL poetry within the context of 20th century American poetics. He taught English at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf for two years (1994-1996). Dirksen then moved to Gallaudet University where he taught in the Department of English for 3 years. In 1999, he was hired to teach in the Deaf Studies department. He has published articles on ASL literature, autobiographical practices, audism and bioethics. He is the co-editor of the book/DVD project, Signing the Body Poetic: Essays in American Sign Language Literature with Jennifer Nelson and Heidi Rose (U of California P, 2006) and editor of Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking (U of Minnesota P, 2008), and co-editor of Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity (U of Minnesota P, 2014) with Joseph Murray. He is coauthor of Transformative Conversations: A Guide to Mentoring Communities among Colleagues in Higher Education (Jossey-Bass, 2013) He is also a producer and co-director of the film (with Ben Bahan and Facundo Montenegro) of Audism Unveiled. He currently serves as Department Chair.

Reviews

[Jessamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the essays in this books are phenomenal, particularly the one written by MJ Bienvenu 'Queer as Deaf: Intersections' which was recommended to me by my ASL teacher for a research project I'm working on. Not only was it exactly what I needed for my research, it also has a great analysis of the similarities of Deaf and queer culture and has a great voice. I definitely want to read more of Bienvenu's work.

[Ainsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad I got to read this for a Deaf Studies class. Fascinating and eye-opening essays by thought leaders around a variety of topics related to the Deaf experience. Some pieces are quite heady and require time to digest. I found they became richer as I discussed them with others. Important read for allies.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great set of Deaf Studies essays for someone who is already familiar with the basics. The level of discourse is well above your average Deaf History 101 stuff, and it doesn't coddle its hearing readers.

[Chrissey · Rating 3 out of 5]

s great collection of discourses about the struggles of the deaf community. as a BSL student i am already familiar with Deaf history and culture but this book really helps understanding the issues properly. recommendable for anyone who is studying BSL or deaf related studies.

[Bekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the first 3/4 so far and it's a fascinating collection of current scholarship re: Deaf Studies.

[Scott Neigh]

Ultimately, I'm not sure how much from this book I'll actually be able to use in the project that I read it for, and of course the pieces within it were stronger and weaker like in any collection. But, given that I have never read any Deaf Studies before, I found much of it, particularly the pieces focused on bigger picture questions, to be *absolutely* *fascinating*. I learned a great deal about a number of areas about which I previously knew nothing. So though it's as stodgy a read as any scholarly collection, it definitely felt worth it to me.