The Language of Light

Runner- up in the 2018 New England Book Festival, nonfiction category“A gracefully written, tightly reasoned indictment of those who would deprive the Deaf of their language.”—Harlan Lane, author of When the Mind Hears: A History of the Deaf“Shea’s scholarship is excellent, and his sourcing of the book and the new material he found in his research is outstanding. It has much to offer, both in its exploration of known history and in its development of new material. It reads well and easily, not a small achievement.”—Tom Humphries, author of Deaf in America and Inside Deaf Culture“An invaluable social, intellectual and scientific history of the Deaf, and the emerging recognition of the linguistic nature of signed languages. Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the troubled past of these issues and the history of the family of signed languages that includes ASL.”—Stephen R. Anderson, Yale University

Gerald Shea practiced corporate and international law for many years as a member of the New York and Paris bars. He is author of Song Without Words: Discovering My Deafness Halfway Through Life, a prize‑winning memoir of his life with partial deafness. He divides his time between Paris and the North Shore of Massachusetts.