How did you find your way to reading literary fiction and nonfiction?
When it was found out that I was profoundly Deaf at the age of three the Dr told my mother that I would never read above a 4th grade level. Once you tell my mother something cant be done she will do anything to prove you wrong. This ended up to be a blessing in disguise.
She had always read to me but of course I did not exactly hear her. When I started school I was way behind. I got sent to the “special reading room” for a year. Even at that young age I knew I was missing out on the good books the “regular” kids got to read so me and my mom and my teacher practiced and practiced. Once I started learning ASL and could communicate better it was like a puzzle all came together.
I still remember the day I was allowed in to the regular classroom. I had gotten all A’s for a whole year in special reading so they sent me with the regular kids. The joy of reading something that did not repeat itself over and over and over was immense. I was also allowed to use the school library. That's when my reading took over my life. I read and read. My mother bought books but I would read so fast she finally got me a membership at the public library and that's when I started reading literary works. I think I skipped over all the Young Adult books and went straight to the “grown up” books.
As a Deaf child I couldn't communicate well with other children so books became my refuge. In a book I was equal. Still to this day I would rather read then interact with live human people.
