ASL novel; seeking fluent-ASL SignWriter

Wed Jul 20 18:58:43 UTC 2005

Philip and I (both Deaf) are also willing to help in this way.  We are 
also still students of SignWriting, but aren't we all.  :)

Thanks,

Stuart
On Jul 20, 2005, at 13:51, Kimberley A. Shaw wrote:

> Hello Adam:
> oh good, maybe we can thrash something out offline! I'm also operating 
> on
> the principle that sometimes 4 eyes really are better than 2, as even 
> a SW
> novice (in my class) can and has spotted gaps & such in a SW text.
> Allabest,
> Kim
>
> sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 1:46 PM 
> -0500
> wrote:
>> I wouldn't mind doing that, but I don't know if I am a fluent 
>> SignWriter,
>> yet. Also, I would have to make sure that I have time to do so. Who 
>> am I
>> kidding? I would find time. I may be busy with several things, but
>> somehow I find time to do the things I want. I mean, I am doing
>> SignWriting aren't I? ;-)
>>
>> Adam
>>
>>> From: "Kimberley A. Shaw" <kshaw at wellesley.edu>
>>> Reply-To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>>> To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu, sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>>> Subject: Re: [sw-l] ASL novel; seeking fluent-ASL SignWriter
>>> Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 08:01:38 -0400
>>>
>>> Hi Val and everybody on SW list:
>>> no, I am not asking for an ASL teacher ... just an ASL-fluent 
>>> SignWriter
>>> willing to proofread a text & tell me if it makes sense, or has any
>>> glaring errors! Just like a proofreader for an English text.
>>> So, aren't there any fluent-ASL SignWriters on list willing to do 
>>> this?
>>> Best,
>>> Kim from Boston
>>>
>>> Kimberley A. Shaw writes:
>>>> sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 at 10:35 PM
>> -0500
>>>> wrote:
>>>> SignWriting List
>>>> July 19, 2005
>>>>
>>>> Hello Kim!
>>>> Your enthusiasm is really wonderful! As you know, this new service:
>>>>
>>>> SignWriting Transcription Services
>>>> http://www.SignWriting.org/catalog/member/mem002.html
>>>>
>>>> ...is not related to ASL. It is for ANY sign language video. It
>>>> therefore requires no language expertise, only Movement Writing
>>>> expertise. I personally do not know enough ASL or any sign language,
>>>> to be able to offer the service you suggest below. And since at this
>>>> time, we have no income, it would not be possible for me to hire a
>>>> Deaf native signer to read and teach you ASL.
>>>>
>>>> Video transcription is another service, in other words...
>>>>
>>>> I hope you enjoy your writing in ASL...most people do not capture 
>>>> the
>>>> grammar correctly...so that is great that you are developing that
>>>> skill...
>>>>
>>>> Val ;-)
>>>>
>>>> ---------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Jul 19, 2005, at 6:36 PM, Kimberley A. Shaw wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hello Val:
>>>> the transcription service looks like a great resource! I hope to be
>>>> getting together with a Gally emerita soon, and if my pencil isn't 
>>>> fast
>>>> enough to capture her storytelling, I may take advantage of it!
>>>> Here is another suggestion, however. As an ASL student, I find 
>>>> writing
>>>> directly in ASL to be very good practice "immersing", and it helps 
>>>> me
>>>> retain the stuff I've learned in class. One of the things in the
>>>> anthology, actually, is a book review that I've written directly in 
>>>> SW
>>>> with *no* English along the way! However, I *did* read it to my Deaf
>>>> ASL-fluent teacher first to make sure everything was as it should 
>>>> be.
>>>> And
>>>> so, here is the suggestion:
>>>> how about offering a proofreading service for those of us whose ASL 
>>>> is
>>>> not-yet fluent, but are working on it? Say, I could write a story or
>>>> essay
>>>> or poem, send it to a member of the DAC, have them write up and down
>> the
>>>> margins with their red pen (or whatever) and then send it to me ... 
>>>> I
>>>> would pay for something like this!
>>>> Best,
>>>> Kim from Boston
>>>>
>>>> sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 at 12:18 PM
>>>> -0500
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> SignWriting List
>>>>> July 19, 2005
>>>>>
>>>>> Hello Kim and Everyone!
>>>>> To write a novel in any signed language, the most accurate way 
>>>>> would
>>>>> be to hire a native signer in that language, in this case ASL. The
>>>>> storyteller would sign the story from the beginning to the end. 
>>>>> This
>>>>> will make it a truly ASL experience. Then the video can be
>>>>> transcribed into SignWriting...
>>>>>
>>>>> We do have some written ASL documents that were not taken from
>>>>> video...written directly in the movements of ASL with no video
>>>>> backup...but those were by native signers. Most people are not that
>>>>> skilled in SignWriting yet. The video gives us the good grammar of
>>>>> ASL so we get a good document that way.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have now started a Video-Transcription Service for ANY signed
>>>>> language. Your group provides the video, preferably in Quicktime or
>>>>> other computer formats, and I, or someone working with me, can do 
>>>>> the
>>>>> transcription into SignWriting for you...
>>>>>
>>>>> SignWriting Transcription Services
>>>>> http://www.SignWriting.org/catalog/member/mem002.html
>>>>>
>>>>> Val ;-)
>>>>>
>>>>> --------------------------------------
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jul 19, 2005, at 3:02 AM, Kimberley A. Shaw wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi Val:
>>>>> OK, have written to them now!
>>>>> Now, I have one more query to *all* you ASL signwriters out there:
>>>>> Since my anthology has the articles from signwriting.org about the
>>>>> NAD and
>>>>> the DNP protest at Gallaudet, I think there should be an article
>>>>> about the
>>>>> new town of Laurent, as well, maybe title it "Islay comes to real
>>>>> life" or
>>>>> something like!
>>>>> So, who would like to write it??
>>>>> Payment will be in copies of the book only, which is up to 9
>>>>> stories now
>>>>> (including a poem by Michele Bornert, just added).
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> Kim
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 at 12:21 AM
>>>>> -0500
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> SignWriting List
>>>>>> July 18, 2005
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes, the first complete novel written in Spanish Sign Language in
>>>>>> SignWriting, by Steve and Dianne Parkhurst, is certainly 
>>>>>> historic!!
>> A
>>>>>> beautiful book! And I believe it is the first complete novel 
>>>>>> written
>>>>>> in ANY sign language, in history.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have around 8 copies and I could sell one to you, but first,
>> please
>>>>>> write to Steve and Dianne Parkhurst to ask them if they wish to 
>>>>>> sell
>>>>>> it to you? I do not know how much they charge, or if you should 
>>>>>> pay
>>>>>> them directly? They are teaching linguistics at SIL this summer in
>>>>>> North Dakota. Their course is the one that includes writing 
>>>>>> Mexican
>>>>>> Sign Language in the Mexican SignPuddle (with Stuart Thiessen's
>>>>>> teaching and assistance)...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So please write to:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Steve and Dianne Parkhurst
>>>>>> steve-dianne_parkhurst at sil.org
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It is a mystery novel, with illustrations by Steve Parkhurst.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Val ;-)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----------------------------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jul 18, 2005, at 9:02 PM, Kimberley A. Shaw wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello all:
>>>>>> never mind the ASL anthology I'm working on; *this* is very, very
>>>>>> cool!
>>>>>> So, even if it is a couple years later now, and I don't know 
>>>>>> Spanish
>>>>>> sign
>>>>>> ... how can a person lay hands on a copy of this book?
>>>>>> And if I can get a fluent-in-ASL collaborator, how about putting
>>>>>> Wilkie
>>>>>> Collins' "Hide and Seek" (which involves a deaf heroine, as of the
>>>>>> 1850s!)
>>>>>> into ASL??
>>>>>> Allabest,
>>>>>> Kim from Boston
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> From:  Valerie Sutton
>>>>>> Date:  Tue Mar 26, 2002  4:26 pm
>>>>>> Subject:  Re: SPAIN: Conference at Val's House ;-)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> SignWriting List
>>>>>> March 26, 2002
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Dear SW List Members:
>>>>>> Here is a summary of the Parkhurst's work, which I have excerpted
>>>>>> from a newsletter they gave me, written in March, 2002:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ---------
>>>>>>
>>>>>> SUMMARY (mostly in the Parkhurst's own words):
>>>>>> We have lived in Spain now for more than seven years. During the
>>>>>> first two years, we surveyed the sign language (SL) situation. We
>>>>>> found that there are two main sign languages in Spain that are
>> unique
>>>>>> from any other SL in the world. Our main focus for the past five
>>>>>> years has been SignWriting. Our goal was first to see if the Deaf
>>>>>> Community was interested in reading and writing their langauge. 
>>>>>> Once
>>>>>> they expressed the interest, our next goal was to make the writing
>>>>>> system available to anyone in the Spanish Deaf Community who 
>>>>>> wanted
>>>>>> it. That meant developing a literacy program and sufficient
>>>>>> literature for them to read.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We developed a literacy program with a 228-page manual, teacher
>>>>>> training materials, video and a few other projects. More than 300
>>>>>> people have learned SignWriting in Spain, and now we have turned
>> over
>>>>>> most of the responsibility of distribution and publicity to a Deaf
>>>>>> organization. We hope that even more people will learn SignWriting
>> on
>>>>>> their own.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We also have a small base of literature consisting of 24 issues 
>>>>>> of a
>>>>>> semi-monthly magazine (written in SignWriting in Spanish Sign
>>>>>> Language), distributed in Spain to the magazine subscribers.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We have written, illustrated and published the first mystery novel
>>>>>> ever written in SignWriting. It is a 142-page paperback-bound 
>>>>>> novel
>>>>>> written completely in Spanish Sign Language (with no spoken 
>>>>>> language
>>>>>> in the entire book). It is the retelling (in Spanish Sign 
>>>>>> Language)
>>>>>> of the mystery novel "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins, written in
>>>>>> 1868. Steve did his own illustrations.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Altogether, we have produced more than 475 pages of reading
>> materials
>>>>>> in SignWriting (not counting the lessons books). As far as we 
>>>>>> know,
>>>>>> that is the most published literature in written form in any sign
>>>>>> language in the world!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Linguistics
>>>>>> We have published two issues of a linguistic journal and our 
>>>>>> survey
>>>>>> report in Spanish. Steve has also published several other 
>>>>>> linguistic
>>>>>> articles here in Spain and in the US, as well as giving
>> presentations
>>>>>> at a number of linguistic conferences. One of them was in Alicante
>>>>>> (on the southern coast of Spain). Steve presented a study about
>>>>>> syllable structure in Spanish Sign Language that he has been 
>>>>>> working
>>>>>> on (did you know that sign languages have syllables?)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> From June to August, 2002, we will be a part of a team, teaching 
>>>>>>> at
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> the University of North Dakota, in the Summer Institute of
>>>>>> Linguistics (SIL)'s first sign language linguistics course set.
>> Since
>>>>>> these are new courses, we will be spending a good portion of April
>>>>>> and May preparing the materials for parts of the course. 
>>>>>> SignWriting
>>>>>> will be included as a part of one of the courses, on 
>>>>>> orthographies.
>>>>>> There are urgent translation needs among the Deaf communities 
>>>>>> around
>>>>>> the world. We hope that this SIL course will help train a few new
>>>>>> workers!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -------------
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Val again:
>>>>>> Many thanks, Steve and Dianne, for the great summary!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> SW List members - You should see their mystery novel in 
>>>>>> SignWriting!
>>>>>> ....It is amazing and I will try to give you a picture of it soon 
>>>>>> -
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Val ;-)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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