Deaf American Poetry: An Anthology

Alison L. Aubrecht (1979– )

283  Alison L. Aubrecht (1979– ) As the exodus of deaf children from residential schools continues , and most hearing parents continue to neither learn American Sign Language nor include their deaf children fully in the family , the signing community is being flooded with young adults, some very angry, who are seeking to clarify their identities and to protest against the injustices they bore growing up. Unlike mainstreamed students of earlier generations, these young people have access to stronger cultural and political literature, which the Deaf Pride movement has produced. Further, at Gallaudet and many other colleges, Deaf studies courses have given names and explanations to what students have suffered, such as communication abuse, educational neglect, and audism. Much of Alison L. Aubrecht’s clear and straightforward poetry is an indictment against family and teachers, testifying to the psychological and sometimes physical repercussions of audism. A strong sense of loss and longing runs through her work—rage at the loss of missed chances and longing for communication with family, for meaningful learning, and, in “Hearing-Headed” (a reference to an ASL slang sign meaning someone who is deaf but acts hearing), for the dream of one day signing freely, being openly and happily Deaf. Alison Leigh Aubrecht was born in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota . Her elementary and secondary education was spent in mainstream programs at public schools. Aubrecht entered Gallaudet University in 1997 and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in mental health. She has worked at the Michigan School for the Deaf and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf as a counselor. Aubrecht directed the popular Audism Monologues, a play aimed at raising awareness about audism. Her writings, both poetry and essays on social issues, appear widely. ...