Writing Deafness

“The implications of Krentz’s study are far reaching. . . . [An] important contribution.” — Sign Language Studies

“Reminds us of the importance of using the deaf voice in public discourse to portray the humanity of the deaf community. . . . Offers insights into identity formation, perceptions, physical differences, race, and minority writing.” — Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

“Will revolutionize the way scholars understand United States literary culture. . . . Groundbreaking. . . . A valuable contribution to deaf studies and disability studies. . . . Innovative and memorable. . . . Even scholars who do not accept Krentz’s argument . . . will perceive literature anew after reading this book.” — CLIO

“Gracefully written and entirely original, Writing Deafness puts into dialogue hearing and deaf authors, yielding strikingly new interpretations of canonical American works. Krentz’s imaginative adaptation of Du Bois’s color line illuminates the nineteenth-century fascination with deafness and its importance to understanding the literature of the era.” — Douglas Baynton, University of Iowa

“The first study of deaf issues intersecting with American literature, Writing Deafness makes a unique and significant contribution to both American literary studies and deaf studies. It is carefully researched, impeccably well written, effective, and accessible.” — Brenda Brueggemann, Ohio State University