Deaf Utopia

Deaf Utopia is the memoir of actor, model and Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco. He's been on my radar since his reality TV days on America's Top Model and Dancing with the Stars and his guest spots on Switched at Birth. 

In this book, DiMarco shares his life story as a Deaf child, teen and adult but also uses this book as a primer or sorts to bring hearing readers into the world of the Deaf - their culture, history and American Sign Language (ASL). I've mentioned before that I used to be a Sign Language Interpreter, so I went into this book knowing about these topics.

Throughout the book, DiMarco adds descriptions of ASL signs and idioms that were transcribed into bold text throughout the book. I enjoyed these bits of ASL and with my background in the language, I could easily understand. But I question whether non-signers would be able to visualize the signs or understand Deaf idioms. 

He has a down-to-earth delivery as he shares personal anecdotes about his childhood in a family that has been Deaf for generations and shows his mischievous (with a capital M) tendencies as a child, teen and adult. He also shares behind the scenes intel about his time on reality TV and goes into detail about his journey to understand his sexual identity.

Overall, this was an okay celebrity memoir. Is it a piece of great literature? No. I found the delivery of his anecdotes often felt disjointed with compelling parts followed by repetition and his frustrating tendency to overexplain general concepts. He also introduces some topics (audism, ableism) but only touches on those issues superficially.

Deaf Utopia is most certainly a love letter to Deafness, Deaf culture and ASL. His Deaf pride, his commitment to his community and his dedication to empower other Deaf people shines through! I'm glad I know a bit more about this actor and I think hearing readers will gain valuable information about Deaf culture, ASL and the importance of early language acquisition and accessibility for the Deaf community.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Nyle DiMarco

Genre: Memoir

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: William Morrow

First Published: April 5, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: A heartfelt and inspiring memoir and Deaf culture anthem by Nyle DiMarco, actor, producer, two-time reality show winner, and cultural icon of the international Deaf community.

Before becoming the actor, producer, advocate, and model that people know today, Nyle DiMarco was half of a pair of Deaf twins born to a multi-generational Deaf family in Queens, New York. At the hospital one day after he was born, Nyle “failed” his first test—a hearing test—to the joy and excitement of his parents.

In this moving and engrossing memoir, Nyle shares stories, both heartbreaking and humorous, of what it means to navigate a world built for hearing people. From growing up in a rough-and-tumble childhood in Queens with his big and loving Italian American family to where he is now, Nyle has always been driven to explore beyond the boundaries given him.

A college math major and athlete at Gallaudet—the famed university for the Deaf in Washington, DC—Nyle was drawn as a young man to acting and dove headfirst into the reality show competitions America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars—ultimately winning both competitions.

Deaf Utopia is more than a memoir, it is a cultural anthem—a proud and defiant song of Deaf culture and a love letter to American Sign Language, Nyle’s primary language. Through his stories and those of his Deaf brothers, parents, and grandparents, Nyle opens many windows into the Deaf experience.

Deaf Utopia is intimate, suspenseful, hilarious, eye-opening, and smart—both a memoir and a celebration of what makes Deaf culture unique and beautiful.