Buy This Book!

Summer came to Tallahassee a couple weeks ago, and has certainly settled in with temperatures climbing into the upper 90s... almost 100 degrees. And with the mercury rapidly rising, it's often best to find yourself a good book or two and get comfortable in the AC at home or your favorite hang-out and just chill.

So, if you haven't made your list of summer reading yet, here's a title that should be at the top of your stack of "good reads".

"Mean Little deaf Queer-A Memoir" is an amazing story by my neighbor, friend, and kindred spirit, Terry Galloway. Terry's deafness came as a result of medical fate in a military hospital in Germany: a drug given, to her mother during pregnancy, passed through to Terry in utero. But Terry is the little "d" deaf in that she was mainstreamed in school and learned to read lips. Her signing abilities are not so great.

Terry has a way with words that is engaging and evocative. She describes the girl she loved at summer camp as having "the thick-lashed gaze of a gazelle". She discloses family history with a love and a longing and a laugh (storytelling is a true art form in the Galloway houshold!). She chronicles the pain of being an "other" (in this case, both disabled and queer) with those who looked down their noses at her abilities because, nonetheless, what they saw was the DISability. But, like many of us in the "other" category, she finds her way to those places, the subterrain, the seedy and makeshift stages, where she can be whoever and whatever "other" she wants to be.

"Mean Little deaf Queer" is sexy, serious, and superb. And I have to say, I am quite proud to count Terry as a friend. To hear a sample of the book (gee, wonder how she got this done?) click here. And once you've heard Terry read, grab your keys and get over to your local bookstore and buy this book!!