A LITERARY COLLECTION FROM VERMONT WRITERS

My path into American Sign language and the world of deafness was neither direct nor typical of the time. Although my father experienced hearing loss as he aged, deafness was off my radar throughout my childhood. Signing was not an overnight passion. In fact, it took several discreet experiences before I started the journey. My very first “real” summer job was as a driver’s education aide. During the 1960’s and 70’s, Maryland public high schools provided driver’s education tr

May, 2010 My husband, Rich and I were riding our bikes along the Inner Mongolia, Hohhot Ring Road, when he noticed his front tire was flat. We had travelled a number of miles from Rich’s University apartment. Though he knew where we were, I was lost and somewhat unnerved. How would we get back? I had been visiting Rich for the first time since he started teaching at the Inner Mongolia Normal University (IMNU) 5 years before. Each of these years, for one semester, he taught wr

Although only one day past the winter solstice, the sun was setting in the mid afternoon. It was that day, the Friday before Christmas 1988, when the phone rang. “Gail, it’s for you,” Rich said. A woman’s voice on the other end of the phone identified herself as a social worker at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington. “I work in labor and delivery,” she said. “We have a patient whose baby is due sometime next week. The mom-to-be is hearing, but the dad is deaf. The American S

July 4, 2026 Dear KC, Gosh it’s been a long time. Rich and I have been wanting to write for a while now, but as you might imagine, we’ve been busy. However, we heard that you have been experiencing some challenges lately and wanted to let you know you are in our thoughts. Hearing about your recent troubles has resulted in our reminiscing about how the three of us met and how our relationship grew to be as strong as it is now. Goodness, it was so long ago. I was an 18-year-old

In May 1998, our eldest son had just finished his first year of college and I decided to buy flowers to celebrate his homecoming. While checking out with a simple but cheery bouquet that said “Congratulations!” a giant jar sitting on the counter caught my eye. Taped on the glass was a note in large letters “RAFFLE! Support your local charity.” Donating to a good cause with the added possibility of winning a prize is an easy sell for me despite my never having won anything. I

Lily Blanc sat at a small round table at a favorite coffee shop, waiting for her “friend, Alyssa. Like so many others in the popular, cozy place, she whiled away the time scrolling through her cell phone apps. As she focused on an appealing New York Times puzzle, two women walked by juggling their designer coffees, sweet treats and over-sized personal bags toward the table behind her. The women seemed to be friends who hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks and were now catchi