1991 National ASL Literature Conference Presentations by Clayton Valli and Peter Cook
Channel: RIT Libraries
Date: 2019-03-26

Summary by Dr. Karen Christie. Valli discusses different genres in ASL creative arts and ASL poetry expression. ASL creative arts make use of handshape repetitions, changes to reflect the deaf experience in stories (such as flashing lights), songs (audience participation, clapping, hand, and palm orientation), poetry (repeated handshapes, repeated path movements, and facial expression), and humor. The characteristics of ASL poetry such as rhyming and repetition patterns, classifiers, transformations, marked signs, eye behavior, and the signer’s location all influence the delivery of the poem. Literary features include personification, figurative language, metaphors, symbols, irony, and frames. He shares his experiences teaching art signs to Deaf children who are enthusiastic learners. Bilingual Deaf education, the importance of early ASL exposure for Deaf children, and encouraging more interactions between younger and older Deaf students will help develop stronger identities and ASL language skills.
Peter Cook explains how he learned ASL when he joined the NTID theater and participated in plays such as ‘The Tempest’. After performing ‘Einstein Under the Apple Tree’, he explains his collaboration with Kenny Lerner (Flying Words Project). He believes there should be opportunities for Deaf children to play with ASL which will increase ASL literary works. Several ASL techniques are described such as using facial grammar, classifiers, body language, handshape rhymes, and cinematography (slo-motion speed, fast speed, close-ups, zooming, and so on). Visual description: Clayton Valli has short wavy light brown hair and a mustache. He is wearing a gray jacket over a black shirt. Peter Cook has shoulder-length brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He is wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt and dark slacks. Both presenters are on stage with a black background. 
For more information, please go to the Deaf Studies Archive finding aid link URL: https://archivesspace.rit.edu/repositories/2/resources/815

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