Category Archives: American Sign Language

NITA’S FIRST SIGNS Named 2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist

American Sign Language, Awards, board books, Little Hands Signing series, Nita's First Signs

Nita's First Signs final coverNita’s First Signs has been recognized as a finalist in the 21st annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, in the Picture Book, Early Reader category!

As part of its mission to discover, review, and share the best books from university and independent publishers, Foreword Magazine, Inc. hosts an annual awards program each year. Finalists represent the best books published in 2018. After more than 2,000 individual titles spread across 56 genres were submitted for consideration, the list of finalists was determined by Foreword’s editorial team. Winners will be decided by an expert team of booksellers and librarians—representing Foreword’s readership—from across the country.

The complete list of finalists can be found at: https://www.forewordreviews.com/awards/finalists/2018/

Winners in each genre—along with Editor’s Choice Prize winners and Foreword’s INDIE Publisher of the Year—will be announced June 14, 2019.

Founded in 1998, Foreword Magazine, Inc. is the only media company completely devoted to independent publishing. Publishers of a Folio: award-winning bimonthly print review journal, special interest products, and daily online content feeds, Foreword exclusively covers university and independent (non “Big 5”) publishers, the books they publish, and their authors. Foreword is based in Traverse City, Michigan, with staff based worldwide.

 

An Epic Event for an Epic Book

American Sign Language, Sword and Verse, , ,
Kathy MacMillan perches on a ledge looking over the dining room where gala guests sit.
The celebration gets underway!

There is not a word in the language of the gods to describe how grateful I am to everyone who came to last night’s Sword and Verse Gala to benefit Deaf Camps, Inc.  I got to celebrate the launch of my debut novel with my favorite people from all the different spheres of my life, and I got to highlight an organization that is dear to my heart and make a contribution to the Deaf Camps, Inc. scholarship fund.

Welcome to the Library of the Gods!
Welcome to the Library of the Gods!

 

Learn more about Deaf Camps, Inc. at www.deafcampsinc.org.
Learn more about Deaf Camps, Inc. at http://www.deafcampsinc.org.

Sword and Verse is all about language and communication, and how detrimental limiting access to language is.  That’s why I am especially pleased that my launch event was able to highlight and support Deaf Camps, Inc.,  a volunteer-run non-profit organization dedicated to providing fun, safe, communication-rich camps that promote the physical, spiritual, and social development of Deaf/hard of hearing children and children learning American Sign Language.  I have been involved with Deaf Camps, Inc. for fifteen years, and never have I met a more dedicated and passionate group of people.

 

Kathy MacMillan stands in front of a mantelpiece speaking into a microphone while a woman beside her interprets in American Sign Language.
Sharing the inspirations behind SWORD AND VERSE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inkpot and quill centerpieces featuring lines from Raisa's heart-verse.
Inkpot and quill centerpieces featuring lines from Raisa’s heart-verse.
The author hard at work signing guests' copies of SWORD AND VERSE.
The author hard at work signing guests’ copies of SWORD AND VERSE.
I was so excited to share this evening with members of my critique group, authors Kate Bradley-Ferrall and L.V. Pires.
I was so excited to share this evening with members of my critique group, authors Kate Bradley-Ferrall and L.V. Pires.

Thank you to the board and volunteers of Deaf Camps, Inc, who worked hard to pull this event off; to Elaine Benson and Joanne Westerman, who provided interpreting services for the evening; to the staff of Grey Rock Mansion and Simply Elegant Catering, who hosted us in style, and to the many donors who made this event possible:

ASL Interview

American Sign Language, Interviews, On Writing, Sword and Verse, Young Adult Fantasy

I’ve been fortunate to participate in lots of great interviews about Sword and Verse in the pas few weeks, but this is my favorite!  That’s because it was conducted by Ruth Lehrer, a fellow American Sign Language interpreter and the author of the forthcoming middle grade novel Being Fishkill (Candlewick, 2017).  We decided to do the interview in American Sign Language to make it completely accessible to our friends in the Deaf community.  (Don’t worry, nonsigners – we also provided an English transcript – mostly.  There’s a bonus, untranslated question for signers only!)

I loved the thoughtful questions Ruth asked about the role of language in the book, and I loved the opportunity to share how my experiences in the Deaf community impacted the story.  I hope you will enjoy this interview as much as I did!  Watch the interview in ASL or read it in English at the Swanky Seventeens Blog.

Libraries and Camps and Bookcart Drill Teams: The Long Twisty Journey from There to Here

American Sign Language, Little Hands and Big Hands, News, On Life

Dawn Babb Prochovnic, author of the “Story Time with Signs and Rhymes” series, was kind enough to interview me on her blog about Little Hands and Big Hands and signing with children:

An Interview with Kathy MacMillan

I initially entitled this post “An Interview with Author, Kathy MacMillan,” but in addition to being an author of several books, Kathy is also an ASL interpreter, sign language workshop presenter, a trained librarian (and probably a host of other things I haven’t learned about quite yet!).

I was first “introduced” to Kathy when I read her book, “Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together.” Kathy and I share a love for signing with hearing children of all ages, and I really connected with her simple, accessible approach to signing with kids. I did a little research and found out that she is the author of several other books (some of which are pictured later), and she blogs and presents regularly at libraries and other community venues.

I wanted to get to know Kathy a bit better, and she was kind enough to participate in an interview:

Dawn: How did you first become interested in sign language (and in particular, signing with hearing children)?

Find out the answer – and lots more – in the full interview here.