Activist, producer, actor, and model Nyle DiMarco shares stories of what it means to navigate a world built for hearing people. Through his stories and those of his Deaf family, he opens many windows into the Deaf experience.
Inspiring ... The innovative way in which DiMarco and coauthor Robert Siebert tell these stories is by interspersing American Sign Language (ASL) into the English text ... Mixed in with his empowering autobiographical tales are fascinating historical facts and stories from Deaf history and culture ... Deaf Utopia is an empowering, eye-opening and beautifully expressed memoir.
An eye-opening and engaging tale of what it is like to grow up in the Deaf community along with the difficult and rewarding aspects of navigating the world when everyone expects you to be able to hear everything ... DiMarco’s book is an interesting depiction of being Deaf in the entertainment industry ... DiMarco’s memories, told with a true gift of storytelling and filled with his big personality, are funny and enlightening for any reader.
Deaf Utopia is generous to its hearing readers, offering patient insights into Deaf culture and history, and it takes the unique step of conveying ASL conversations that employ the grammar and rhythms of ASL as far as possible, rather than finding near equivalents in spoken English. This joyful memoir celebrates DiMarco’s ambition and adaptability, his journey to understand his queerness, and the vibrant Deaf community that made him who he is.
