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Deaf Utopia: A Memoir—And a Love Letter to a Way of Life
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About This Book
A heartfelt and inspiring memoir and Deaf culture anthem by Nyle DiMarco, actor, producer, two-time reality show winner, and cultural icon of the international Deaf community. Before becoming the actor, producer, advocate, and model that people know today, Nyle DiMarco was half of a pair of Deaf twins born to a multi-generational Deaf family in Queens, New York. At the hospital one day after he was born, Nyle "failed" his first test—a hearing test—to the joy and excitement of his parents. In this moving and engrossing memoir, Nyle shares stories, both heartbreaking and humorous, of what it means to navigate a world built for hearing people. From growing up in a rough-and-tumble childhood in Queens with his big and loving Italian-American family to where he is now, Nyle has always been driven to explore beyond the boundaries given him. A college math major and athlete at Gallaudet—the famed university for the Deaf in Washington, DC—Nyle was drawn as a young man to acting, and dove headfirst into the reality show competitions America's Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars—ultimately winning both competitions. Deaf Utopia is more than a memoir, it is a cultural anthem—a proud and defiant song of Deaf culture and a love letter to American Sign Language, Nyle's primary language. Through his stories and those of his Deaf brothers, parents, and grandparents, Nyle opens many windows into the Deaf experience. Deaf Utopia is intimate, suspenseful, hilarious, eye-opening, and smart—both a memoir and a celebration of what makes Deaf culture unique and beautiful.
Reviews
"DiMarco's memories, told with a true gift of storytelling and filled with his big personality, are funny and enlightening for any reader."
"An immensely inspiring story of the experiences, people, and culture that made him 'the proud Deaf man I am today.' Expertly weaving in seminal moments from Deaf history, DiMarco paints a vibrant picture of his 1990s childhood growing up in a multigenerational Deaf home; recounts his journey to 'coming out my way'; and passionately details his work to improve Deaf representation in media."
"Deaf Utopia is an empowering, eye-opening and beautifully expressed memoir."
"He discusses how the creation of the book proved challenging during the conversion process from ASL into written English, noting how he used a method called 'ASL gloss.' While DiMarco admits that the written translation naturally lacks much of the innate charm of the ASL experience, his continued advocacy remains critical to diminishing the awareness gap between hearing and Deaf communities."
"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."
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