Authors: Mary Carter
My Sister's Voice (33 page)
Please turn the page for a very special Q&A with Mary Carter!
Is it true that you are a certified sign language interpreter?
Yes. I am nationally certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and have worked as a freelance American Sign Language interpreter for the past thirteen years.
Where did you get your training?
I took American Sign Language classes at the American Sign Language Institute (ASLI) in New York City. After several years of conversational classes, I studied interpreting at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, New York.
What made you interested in becoming a sign language interpreter?
My sister and I learned a few signs when we were children because our cousin and his wife were Deaf, and we had a few Deaf children at our school. The signs we learned were very rudimentary, and I did not understand most Deaf people I met, nor did they understand me. Most of the time when they signed to me, I would smile, nod my head, and pray they wouldn’t ask me any questions. Later in life while I was studying acting, I went through a period of time where I just seemed to meet Deaf people everywhere I went, and I was frustrated that the little sign language I had learned as a child wasn’t sufficient to carry on a conversation. I decided to take classes for the fun of it, and it eventually led into a career!
What and where do you interpret?
Freelance interpreters go pretty much everywhere. They interpret business meetings, employee trainings, conferences, college classes, religious ceremonies, medical procedures, concerts, plays, speeches—you name it!
What is the best way to learn sign language?
Hands down, from Deaf people. Take a class taught by a Deaf person, then hang out in the Deaf community. Plenty of colleges offer sign language courses or majors now; and/or check out classes in your community.
Is sign language universal?
No. Every country has its own sign language. In America, it’s ASL—American Sign Language.
I noticed that in the book sometimes the word Deaf is with a capital
D
and sometimes it is with a lowercase
d
. Can you please explain?
D
and sometimes it is with a lowercase
d
. Can you please explain?
When the word
Deaf
is used to refer to a person’s identity—meaning the Deaf person considers him- or herself part of the Deaf Community, uses American Sign Language, and takes pride in his or her Deafness, regardless of the degree of hearing loss—this cultural identification is signified with a capital
D
. When a hearing person is using the term
deaf
to describe a person with a hearing loss without any understanding of Deaf Culture, then the small
d
is used. There were times I debated which one to use, so to all the ASL linguists out there, forgive me if there were times that I erred!
Deaf
is used to refer to a person’s identity—meaning the Deaf person considers him- or herself part of the Deaf Community, uses American Sign Language, and takes pride in his or her Deafness, regardless of the degree of hearing loss—this cultural identification is signified with a capital
D
. When a hearing person is using the term
deaf
to describe a person with a hearing loss without any understanding of Deaf Culture, then the small
d
is used. There were times I debated which one to use, so to all the ASL linguists out there, forgive me if there were times that I erred!
Why didn’t you write the dialogue of the Deaf folks in American Sign Language word order instead of in English word order?
American Sign Language is a visual language, with no written form. Had I attempted to put the dialogue into American Sign Language, it would have sounded as if the characters were speaking in broken or “bad” English. American Sign Language is a rich, complex, and legitimate language; it should not be construed as a “coded system” for English.
Are all Deaf people like the character Lacey in the book?
I’m glad you asked. No! No, no, no! Deaf people are as individual as you and me, and so are their outlooks, beliefs, and actions. Although as a writer I always draw upon my experiences to help shape characters, this book is a work of fiction and so is Lacey. She is not based on any real person, nor does she speak for the Deaf Community. If you want to know what anyone thinks, feels, or believes, Deaf or hearing, there is a simple and foolproof way to find out: Ask them!
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2010 by Mary Carter
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-0-7582-6559-3
ISBN-10: 0-7582-2920-8
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