Mary Herring Wright

This memoir by Mary Herring Wright covers her life up to the beginning of WWII. Born hearing, she becomes deaf at about 9 years old. As a result, she was sent to finish her schooling at the North Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind for Black students (the white school was in another town). While living there, she learns sign language.

She wrote this memoir for her family, and as a result it does have that feel of perhaps not wanting to delve too deeply into emotions and bitterness. But here and there you can read between the lines -- such as when the students visit the white school and see how much nicer it is. Or the high turnover of teachers at her school. Or, when she graduates, she is told she has much promise but the University for the Deaf (Gallaudet) at that time was for whites only. And HBUs did not have the financial resources to provide sign language interpreters.

First published in 1999 (my edition). A newer edition includes a foreword which probably adds further illuminations to Mrs. Wright's memoir. Mrs. Wright wrote a sequel, Far From Home: Memories of World War II and Afterward which I would like to read eventually. Both memoirs are published by Gallaudet University Press, which means they are very expensive -- they are over $30 each in trade paperback.… (mais)