My Sense of Silence

Lennard J. Davis is a professor of English, Disability and Human Development, and Medical Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has written several books and published essays in The Nation, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and other publications, and he has been a commentator on National Public Radio.

• Chapter 1 - The Grain of SoundsChapter 2 - Language and the Word of My FatherChapter 3 - The Two MothersChapter 4 - Brother's KeeperChapter 5 - Honeymoon with MomChapter 6 - SchoolingChapter 7 - AdolescenceChapter 8 - College and Other AwakeningsEpilogue

"This is a man revealing himself, touched and startled by his act of exposure, discovering and offering the old truth: every life matters. Reminding us of this is what memoir does best. . . . An engrossing contribution to the genre."--Margaret Diehl, New York Times Book Review"Davis's new memoir focuses on how his parents' deafness affected him. He writes frankly about the difficulties he encountered, such as his inability to call his parents when he needed comfort during the night and his having to serve as their interpreter. . . . The writer also infuses his writing with humor and the sense of love and respect he developed for his parents. . . . Davis's descriptions of the richness and complexity of sign language are the most fascinating portions of the book. Highly recommended."--Library Journal"Good memoirs with staying power are hard to find any year. One of this year's very best is . . . My Sense of Silence. Davis succeeds brilliantly in doing many things. His is an outstanding personal and cultural study of deafness as well as a savvy and moving intellectual and political autobiography."--The Bloomsbury Review