The "Lord is My Shepherd" image was painted by Thomas Hart Benton who summered in Chilmark, Martha's Vineyard and painted Deaf people living there. Check out this vlog by a Deaf docent, Lauren Ridloff, explaining the artwork.
Use the Gallaudet Encyclopedia and The Sage Encyclopedia of Deaf Studies to find background information about Laurent Clerc, Thomas H. Gallaudet, Alice Cogswell, Martha's Vineyard, the American School for the Deaf (ASD), and the History of American Sign Language (ASL). Search the RIT Libraries Catalog below for books on your topic.
In a YouTube video, educator Lauren Ridloff discusses artist Thomas Hart Benton's "The Lord is My Shepherd" (1926), which depicts a Deaf couple at their home in Martha's Vineyard. Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art.
A Deaf Artist in Early America: the Worlds of John Brewster, Jr.
Deaf Studies, Language, and Education
Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language
People of the Eye
Set Me Free
A riveting standalone companion to the Schneider Family Book Award winner, Show Me a Sign by Deaf author and librarian, Ann Clare LeZotte. "Instantly captivating...will keep readers hooked until the very end...A simultaneously touching and gripping adventure." -- Kirkus Reviews "Full of adventure and twists...a gripping tale of historical fiction." -- Booklist "Mary seems set to become a true hero-adventurer, an almost larger-than-life sleuth, teacher, and woman of action; and while the story's subject matter is serious in its engagement with history's ills, LeZotte conveys a sense of real enjoyment in having Mary disrupt...the prejudices and expectations of the status quo." -- The Horn Book Three years after being kidnapped as a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, Mary Lambert has grown weary of domestic life on Martha's Vineyard, and even of her once beloved writing. So when an old acquaintance summons her to an isolated manor house outside Boston to teach a young deaf girl to communicate, Mary agrees. But can a child of eight with no prior language be taught? And is Mary up to the task? With newfound purpose, Mary arrives only to discover that there is much more to the girl's story--and the circumstances of her confinement--than she ever could have imagined. Suddenly, teaching her and freeing her from the prison of her isolation, takes on much greater meaning, and peril. Riveting and complex, delicately nuanced and fervently feminist, Set Me Free is a masterful stand-alone companion to Show Me a Sign, and a searing exposé of ableism, racism, and colonialism that will challenge you to think differently about the dignity and capacity within every human being.
Show Me a Sign
Don't miss the companion book, Set Me Free CRITICS ARE RAVING ABOUT SHOW ME A SIGN Winner of the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award * NPR Best Books of 2020 * Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 * School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 * New York Public Library Best Books of 2020 * Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2020 * 2020 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist * 2020 New England Independent Booksellers Award Finalist Deaf author Ann Clare LeZotte weaves a riveting story inspired by the true history of a thriving deaf community on Martha's Vineyard in the early 19th century. This piercing exploration of ableism, racism, and colonialism will inspire readers to examine core beliefs and question what is considered normal. * "A must-read." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review "More than just a page-turner. Well researched and spare... sensitive... relevant." -- Newbery Medalist, Meg Medina for the New York Times "A triumph." -- Brian Selznick, creator of Wonderstruck and the Caldecott Award winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret * "Will enthrall readers, but her internal journey...profound." -- The Horn Book, starred review * "Expertly crafted...exceptionally written." -- School Library Journal, starred review * "Engrossing." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "This book blew me away." -- Alex Gino, Stonewall Award-winning author of George "Spend time in Mary's world. You'll be better for it." -- Erin Entrada Kelly, author of the Newbery Award Winner, Hello, Universe Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Her great-great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many people there -- including Mary -- are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary has never felt isolated. She is proud of her lineage. But recent events have delivered winds of change. Mary's brother died, leaving her family shattered. Tensions over land disputes are mounting between English settlers and the Wampanoag people. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island's prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment. Her struggle to save herself is at the core of this penetrating and poignant novel that probes our perceptions of ability and disability.
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