Visual Instincts

I have heard of the writer David Lodge, but I have not read and of his books. Yet! I do have a second hand copy of A David Lodge Trilogy: Changing Places – Small World – Nice Work, but it remains unread. G.O.D. is always waxing lyrical about David Lodge, but for some reason I remain unmoved. But that’s more to do with the amount of reading that I would like to do, and with the limited time that us human beings have, some authors are going to fall by the wayside.

His new book, Deaf Sentence, has been published in the UK. Having read some of the media articles about the book and David’s experience of becoming deafened, I’m not sure that I will be rushing out to buy a copy of the book, for its thematic exposition.

Well, as a Deaf person, I’ve read, heard and discussed plenty of becoming Deaf/deaf/deafened/ et al, to know that there’s nothing new in the latest version [David Lodge's] of the experience of losing one’s hearing. If David Lodge wasn’t a well known and well regarded author, would his story be newsworthy at all? After all, the hearing world doesn’t really give a shit about us.

The becoming Deaf/deaf/deafened/ et al stories, are a lot like the coming out stories told by Gays and Lesbians. For all the ethnic, racial, religious, gender differences, they are all similar, so much so that at some point you are forced to ask, “yes but, do we have anything else to say?”

There’s two aspects to the media write up of David Lodge’s experience of becoming deafened, and reviews of his book, Deaf Sentence. The first, is the rather depressingly common expression of sadness of a man losing his hearing, with seemingly no hope for the continuation of a good life. [Cue: bring out the hankies.] David’s descriptions of becoming deafened are for the benefit of hearing people, so that they may be entertained, while learning next to nothing about deafness, save for the tried and trusty cliches of things that happen when you can’t hear.

“…..with a deadly mix of felt experience and fertile humorous invention, makes us giggle, laugh and even roar at the misadventures of his fictional hero…” Ho! Ho! Ho!

As always, the media analysis ventures no further than a curiosity look at the problems caused by hearing loss, and neglects to examine wider ramifications the hearing worlds’ own role in the problems encountered by Deaf/deaf people. I would be very surprised if the hearing media [let alone hearing people], in a sudden rush of equanimity, actually did examine deafness beyond the safe confines of eccentricity, madness and sadness, and saw that, maybe, just maybe, there is life after hearing. And when they do, the answer is always technological:

Still, there has never been a better time in human history than now to be deaf. Recent advances in electronics, computer science and medicine have combined to make a whole range of remedial and enabling devices available to the deaf and hearing-impaired, from miniaturised hearing aids and loop systems to surgical implants and vibrotactile aids (not a sex toy, but a device for alerting the profoundly deaf person to the presence and source of sound) – Living Under A Deaf Sentence.

Yes! I know! Hi World, welcome to it!

The second point? What was it? Ah yes, what happens to our idolatry of our idols, when they say or do something that is anathema to the values we hold dear. As G.O.D. points out,

“What if he stops being one of my favourite authors, because he won’t be able to find any humour in this?!”

I know exactly what she means. I have dropped respect for artists of any genre and medium, if they betray any of the values I hold dear. I have stopped admiring Mel Gibson’s work, once he become famous for his homophobia views. One friend tried to countenance this by explaining that he is a troubled man, trying to work out some familial indoctrination. Tough! Dropped! Respect nil!

Yes, they are human beings, just like you and I, and yes, they are given to human foibles, just like you and I. But by virtue of their work, and being in the public eye, they become gods [spokespeople] for their worshippers [adoring fans], and can do an awful lot of good, should the mood strike them.

In this case, this is not going to happen. The media write up of David Lodge, his hearing loss, and his exposition of this experience, is just the latest whistle stop tour on the entertainment trail. Where you can read a little, cry a little, laugh a little and learn nowt much!

Reading To Pass The Time:
David Lodge: Deaf Sentence (contains linx galore for your reading delectation)

Update:
The Tree Of Knowledge