| AUGUST 1, 2025 -- For many years you have listened to our State Steward, Jaimie Cameron and I talk about how we want to start a book club. We are going to do it this year, starting at Saturday’s lunch of State Session this year. The book True Biz, by Sara Novic will be the first.
To prepare for lunch with the Youth and Junior Committees, you want to begin by taking a piece of paper or sticky note and answering this question: “How much knowledge did you have about the deaf community and/or ASL before you read True Biz?” This is the first questions Novic recommends for reflection and even if you don’t read the book it is a good questions to try to answer before you come to lunch. For over 50 years, deaf awareness has been an endeavor of the Grange and Sign-A-Song has been a Youth/Junior contest.
True Biz is a coming-of-age story set at a residential school for the deaf, exploring themes of deaf culture, identity, and the experiences of both deaf and hearing individuals. You have listened to me encouraging you and your Granges to get families so we can have a new generation of youth and young adults involved in the Grange. This book has that and what different generations think about one topic. So it is a book for everyone. Sara Novic, its author, is someone not born deaf but someone who grew up hearing and had to learn what it was like to be deaf. She addresses many issues of concern to deaf culture. The book itself lets you feel ASL or hear it if you listen to it as an audio book.
Before I started writing this, I went online and found 9 used copies of this book that we can circulate around for our members to read before our October meeting. Please contact me at dawnanstett@gmailcom and I will try and put you in touch with a book. This book is also available on Amazon, Kindle and Audible.
Lastly, I encourage every Grange who has active youth to acknowledge them. Please send me their name and some of the things they have been doing in your Granges over the past year. |
