This is a private event for Deaf community members and will be presented in ASL.
The New York Times bestselling author of True Biz retraces her path out of the hearing world and into the deaf community and seeks to understand what it means to raise children who are different from her in this emotionally rich memoir.
Sara Nović’s early years were steeped in music, Bible study, and a strong desire to fit in. But when she failed her school’s mandated hearing test, her worldview was thrown into chaos. Desperate not to be marked as different, she told no one, staying in the hearing world for as long as she could by brute force.
Eventually unable to ignore the fact that she was deaf, Nović sought out other deaf people and was welcomed into a tight knit community rooted in the beauty and joy of American Sign Language. Nović realized that rather than maintaining the facade of her old life or trying to straddle two worlds, she would need to cultivate an existence in the space between.
Now the mother of two young sons—one, biological and hearing, the other, adopted and deaf—Nović reflects on her life both before and after parenthood. She’s raising her children within the deaf world, offering them things her younger self needed, all the while knowing that as her children grow, their own paths will branch off from hers in ways she cannot fully predict or plan for.
Interwoven with Nović’s personal story is a remarkable portrait of America through reflections on some of its most complex histories: the rise of the Christian right, the thorny world of international adoption, and above all, the deaf and disabled communities’ stubborn survival in the face of persistent oppression.
About the author:
Sara Nović is the author of the New York Times bestseller “True Biz” and “Girl at War,” both of which won the American Library Association’s Alex Award. Her latest book is “Mother Tongue: A Memoir.” She is an activist and an instructor of deaf studies and creative writing, and lives in Pennsylvania with her family.
When: Sunday, September 26
Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Program Schedule:
- 11:00 am: Patrons arrive and time for mingling & snacks
- 11:30 am: Moderated conversation with Sara Nović and audience Q&A
- 12:15 pm: Book signing by Sara Nović and additional time for mingling & snacks
Where: Seattle Public Library; Central Library, 1000 4th Ave, Seattle, WA
Access Needs: This event will be presented in ASL
Registration is REQUIRED
ID: Bright and graphic background, blue and yellow. At the top of the flyer, the logos of the Seattle Public Library, Deaf Spotlight, and Deaf Lit Fest. On the left side of the flyer, a white person with black-framed glasses and a blue button-up shirt. A book cover of Mother Tongue. Next to the person, a colorful hand pointing up. On right side of flyer, in black block with transparent words reads: Seattle Public Library Presents: Sara Nović: Mother Tongue. Sunday, Sept 27. 11 am - 2 pm. Seattle Public Library. Central. 1000 4th Ave. Seattle, Wa 98104. tinyurl.com/spl-mothertongue