Blog #6: NO V/BLOG

Blog #5: ASL poetry

American Sign Language Poetry: "Hearts and Hands"


Lori Hawk

8/22/2007



Hearts and Hands: ASL Poetry



ASL poetry is a literary form that evolved from the art of sign-language storytelling. Like English oral poetry, signed performance poetry uses the conventions of repetition, rhyme, alliteration, rhythm, and meter to construct linguistic patterns that add emphasis, meaning, and structure to word forms. Unlike traditional verse, modern ASL poetry transforms “phonetic nuances into visual ones and one-dimensional words into three-dimensional shape[s]” (Burch, 1997). Put simply, ASL poets use their hands to sign words and their bodies to express vivid images, related concepts, sudden realizations, conflicting thoughts, and underlying emotions.



Susan Burch, a Gallaudet University history professor, believes that it is precisely this extended use of physical space that allows ASL poetry to expand beyond the conventional framework of written and spoken verse. Rather than simply stringing words together in an abstract fashion, ASL poets combine dynamic handshapes, facial expressions, and body movements that provide simultaneous narrative and commentary during the performance of a work. As a result, ASL poetry is rich in multi-layered meaning yet pristine in its fluid simplicity. However, this literary form did not simply arrive on the scene in its current sophisticated state. Many poets, linguists, and performance artists have played substantial roles in defining, developing, and refining ASL poetry.



Dr. Clayton Valli, a Deaf linguist, author, and poet, was one of the first individuals to analyze and define the basic characteristics of ASL poetry. Identifying traits in signed poetry that corresponded to conventions found in spoken and written forms, Dr. Valli developed the foundational principles for constructing and analyzing ASL works.



Rhyme, according to his findings, is “formed through the repetition of particular handshapes and [the] movement paths of signs” along with the non-manual signals such as facial expressions and body movements (Bauman, 2003). Signs that repeat the same handshape create the basis for ASL’s rhyme scheme which is somewhat similar to English alliteration. In a DVD presentation of Valli’s poems, the narrator, Lon Kuntze, clarifies the idea that this repetition does not refer to the reiteration of initial letters contained in a sign’s English translation, such as the letter “b” in “boy,” “baby,” and “bad” (Valli, 1995). Instead, ASL rhyme refers to the recurrence of a single handshape that is fundamental to a variety of signs, such as the “b” shape used to sign “birth,” “children,” and “adult.” Just as English poetic rhythm is created through stressed and unstressed syllables of verse, ASL poetic rhythm is produced by the intentional action or inaction of signs. By adjusting the pace of a sign, repeating its movement, or pausing to hold it suspended in the air, recurring patterns of motion and stillness shape the rhythm of a poem and structure the meter of its phrases.



Bernard Bragg, a Deaf actor and one of the founders of the National Theatre of the Deaf, uses the terms “spatial-kinetic grammar” and “cinematic poetics” to describe the dramatic application of these movement conventions in ASL poetry (Baumann, 2003). According to Bragg, when a performer signs a work, he makes use of the space around his body in much the same way that a film actor occupies a frame. Framing techniques in movies range from extreme close-up shots to medium, full-body, and expansive long shots. Bragg believes that the large sweeping movements featured in signed poetry are analogous to the close-up shots employed in many films. A tight focus on an actor’s face reveals his inner thoughts just as the unrestrained movement of a poet conveys her genuine emotion. To achieve this level of cinematic variation, poets expand and contract their gestures depending on the audience perspective that is most appropriate to the lines of poetry being delivered. Bold gestures draw observers close and enable intimacy. Discreet movements distance audiences and provide context. Bragg’s research introduced ASL poets to a world of cinematic language and validated the use of non-manual markers and modified signs for performance purposes.



As in most literary forms, current artistic thought and creation is often inspired by the work of that genre’s predecessors. While ASL storytelling and poetry have existed in one form or another since the middle of the twentieth century, it was not until the 1980s that a modernist philosophy took hold. In 1984, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) invited the beat poet, Allen Ginsberg to participate in a workshop focused on poetry and deafness. Ginsberg stirred attendees with his genuine enthusiasm about the visual nature of signed poetry. “Unlike wit and rhyme…a picture can be translated into another language,” he told the crowd (Krentz, 1999). One of the workshop attendees, Patrick Graybill, a Deaf poet dedicated to translating English works into sign language, volunteered to spontaneously interpret a few lines from Ginsberg’s poem, “Howl.” This daring act set the modernist ASL poetry movement on fire.



With his approach toward literature newly altered by Ginsberg’s ideas, Graybill stopped translating English poetry and began composing works of his own in ASL. Graybill’s poetry, in turn, encouraged a generation of emerging ASL poets. One poet named Peter Cook, motivated by the work of Graybill, went on to create a performance duo called Flying Words Project that inspired a hearing poet named Jim Cohn to explore the theoretical parallels between ASL poetry and the modernist writings of Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, and Allen Ginsberg in a book called Sign Mind: Studies in American Sign Language Poetics.



As ASL poetry moves into the 21st century, Valli’s notion of the “poetics of visual language” continues to guide authors toward a future that is not reliant upon verbal or written forms for definition or validation (Valli, 1995). New techniques and analyses will undoubtedly continue to emerge to meet the needs of ASL poets who are shaping this exciting literary form.



Works Cited

ASL Poetry: Selected Works of Clayton Valli. (1995). Dir. Clayton Valli. Prod. Joe Dannis. DVD. Dawn Pictures, 1995.



Bauman, H-Dirksen, L. (2003). Redesigning literature: the cinematic poets of American Sign Language poetry. Sign Language Studies. Vol. 4, No. 1 Fall 2003, 34-47.



Burch, Susan. (1997). Deaf poets’ society: subverting the hearing paradigm. Literature and Medicine. 16.1, 121-134.



Krentz, Christopher. (1999). Sign Mind: Studies in American Sign Language Poetics by Jim Cohn. Sign Language Studies, Vol. 6, No. 3, Spring 2006, 347-354.





Watch these following ASL poems. After you have completed watching them discuss your favorite and why. After your discussion, create your own based on the concept that your favorite poem used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIkf89zC7qw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LweTSdv5mpM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYzJLBk234A&feature=related

http://vimeo.com/30840690

Blog #4: Crowded Dirty City

Bison TV is a student media production at Gallaudet University.  Students are given an opportunity to run the organization with a variety of positions set, gaining experence to work with media. They entertain viewers with different things such as short skits, latest sports and news report, advertisements, and TV shows.  The mission statement is:

“It is the mission of the Bison TV to provide an avenue for every member of Gallaudet community to express themselves, to bring information of events to the community, and to share ideas through the medium of television.”

Recently, Bison TV has created a new sitcom called, "Crowded Dirty City". I would like you to watch the first episode and answer the following questions.



1) How was this signed sitcom different from spoken sitcoms? (watch how the footage is shot)
2)What examples of Deaf culture did you see without it being directly discussed.
3) Who was your favorite character and why?
4) Where do you think that cultures would clash (understanding of humor, cultural norms and behaviors, etc)
5) What did you learn from this sitcom?
6) What did you struggle with as you watched? What was comfortable for you?

http://deaftv.com/film/1-Crowded/

Blog #3: Translate

I adore Rosa Lee's work. I think she is exceptional and very brave. Loving music in the Deaf community has not always been well received. Separation from music could be seen as strong dedication to Deaf Culture and Deaf identification. Only recently in the last ten years, have I seen more acceptance and performances featuring Deaf people.




Rosa Lee is one of these performs that helped paved the way. I would like you to have the opportunity to see Rosa Lee's work and discuss it. She is amazing. Her style and interpretation of music sets her apart. She channels experiences she has as a Deaf person through her art. I would love to bring her to CSS.



Now a look at Rosa Lee....






Rosa Lee Timm is a Deaf actress who currently lives in Worcester MA. She was born deaf in 1976 in a small country town in California. She grew up in a very close-knit, religious, bi-racial, Deaf family whose first language was American Sign Language. With the constant support of her family and the Deaf community around her, her deafness created no communication or social barriers to her throughout her childhood. Rosa Lee attended a state school for the Deaf for her high school years and she graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Social Work. It was at the Rochester Institute of Technology where she discovered her love for acting. She founded and acted in an acting troupe named Dangerous Signs. Currently, she stars in a one-woman show that she produced entitled The Rosa Lee Show. She is married to a musician/interpreter named Damon Timm and they have one son.





"I’m very proud that I did the one-woman show. When I first started, I was afraid. You know the Deaf community can be very critical. They would criticize if I used too many songs in my show, if the show was boring, if they didn’t really get it, and the deaf community is a close-knit group. And it’s very easy for the opinion of one to influence the entire group. If they didn’t like my show, I would take it personally that they didn’t like me so that didn’t do a lot for my ego. Then I had a conversation with myself and I told myself that’s a challenge for me. If I want to be strong and develop confidence I have to just go ahead and do it anyway. It doesn’t matter if the deaf community likes me or don’t like me, this is my work, this is my art, I have to try. So I am proud of the fact that I did do it, I’m proud of the accomplishments that I made from then to now". -Rosa Lee Timm







Watch this music video by Rosa Lee and her husband Damon Timm. Watch how in the beginning Rosa Lee signs in Signing Exact English then later she changes to ASL. Why do you think she did this? What is her message? Did it express the message of this song? When she switches to ASL, watch her sign selections, look at the words, and finally hear what is being said. What message is she trying to convey? I want you to then summarize her message. Pick out areas of the song and discuss them throughly. You should select at least 5 lyrics. Your vlog response needs to be 3 minutes or more. Select one student's work and watch their video. Disagree and Agree with their summaries and express why.







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-9tBKf87qs&playnext=1&list=PL49071E90559739C5&feature=results_main



Here is her blog. She has several videos to watch. They are very good and very powerful.



http://rosaleeshow.com/tag/video/

Blog/Vlog #2: Why Sign?

This is a great clip to watch about sign language and how treasured it is by Deaf people. Please watch this clip carefully. I suggest you watch it in groups and work your way through it. You may either write or sign your response. Students that decide to sign every comment on this blog/vlog will receive extra credit. However, you must sign ALL of the blogs/vlogs assignments to receive this extra credit.

Here is the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT28OYEqJ0s

I want you to discuss what you understood in this clip (what is being "said", what you feel is the most important message that people should take from this video, and why others should watch it.

If you sign your response it must be at least a minute long.

If you write your comment it needs to be at least a paragraph long.

I look forward to your responses!

~M

Helpful Grade Sheet

Intermediate ASL

Name__________________________________________________________________________________________


Paricipation/attendance_____%

A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F


Vlogs_________%

#1_____/10 #2_____/10 #3_____/10 #4_____/10 #5_____/10 #6_____/10 #7_____/10

#8_____/10



Weekly Assignments_________%

#1_____/10 #2_____/10 #3_____/10 #4_____/10 #5_____/10 #6_____/10 #7_____/10

#8_____/10 #9_____/10 #10_____/10 #11_____/10 #12_____/10 #13_____/10

#14_____/10 #15_____/10



Tutor Sessions___________%

1_____ 2_____ 3_____ 4_____ 5_____ 6_____ 7_____



Midterm_____/_____%

How-To_____/____%


Final_____/____%

Final Receptive Exam_____%

Final Expressive Fairy Tales_____%