Larry Polansky, the Jacob H. Strauss 1922 Professor in Music, and Mary Essex, a visiting scholar in American Sign Language (ASL), have invited ASL poetry duo The Flying Words Project to perform at Dartmouth on Saturday, November 6. This invitation is part of Polansky’s effort to increase awareness of deaf and ASL poetry both at the College and in the Upper Valley.
“Deaf poetry is as isolated in the deaf world as English poetry is in the English-speaking world,” Polansky said in an October 30 interview with the Valley News. “As near as I can tell, it’s completely unknown to anyone in the hearing world.”
The Flying Words Project consists of deaf poet Peter Cook and hearing co-author Kenny Lerner, with Lerner speaking alongside Cook’s movements. The pair are considered pioneers of deaf poetry in ASL and have toured the world for 30 years.
The event, sponsored by the Leslie Center for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Filene Auditorium and is free and open to the public.
Read the full story in the Valley News.
