ASL Poetry: The Visual Metaphor
Poetry. Participants will journey through the evolution of the art form, from its roots in traditional Deaf Clubs to the digital era of performance. We will analyze the works of pioneering poets like Dorothy Miles and Ella Mae Lentz, identifying the linguistic "rhymes" and "meters" unique to ASL, a 3D visual language.
Through comparative analysis, participants will distinguish between ASL storytelling and poetry, exploring how parameter constraints and spatial mapping elevate a narrative into an art form. The session concludes with a hands-on lab where participants apply poetic devices to create original individual or group compositions.
Workshop Objectives:
As a result of attending this workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Explore ASL History - Describe two key figures or events in ASL poetry and how they shaped modern Deaf literature.
2. Master ASL Techniques - Identify and use three poetic constraints, such as ABC stories, handshape rhymes, or spatial meter.
3. Compare Modalities - Explain three core differences between English poetry and ASL poetry.
4. Analyze Genres - Contrast the structure of ASL storytelling vs. ASL poetry, focusing on classifiers and facial expressions (NMS).
5. Create an Original Poem - Perform a 30–60 second ASL poem using a specific handshape or movement constraint.
Presenter Bio:
Edna Johnston has a large deaf family with roots in Alabama and Indiana. Edna has double Bachelor’s degrees in ASL Studies and English Literature from Gallaudet and a Master’s degree in Deaf Education from McDaniel College. She also holds an Educational Specialist degree in Administration and Supervision from Gallaudet. Edna was a tenured faculty at Columbia College Chicago in the ASL-English Interpretation Department for 12 years. For the past 15 years, she has taught at Maryland School for the Deaf, where she graduated; English, ASL Linguistics, ASL Literature, and Deaf Studies in High School and was also an ASL Specialist. Edna taught ASL (and related topics) as an adjunct at Gallaudet University, Towson University, Catonsville College of Baltimore County, and Frederick Community College. She also travels to do workshops and currently works with the American Society for Deaf Children facilitating ASL Weekend Retreats for hearing parents of deaf children. She has served as an ASL Master for several theaters including Shakespeare Theater in Washington DC and as a Technical Editor for several books. Edna is married with four children who are in kindergarten through high school.