Actually, I don't think the SW was erased for any filming reasons -- it just
happened that way. I talked about SW during my interview, but, alas, the
entire interview ended up on the cutting room floor. Instead, there's a
shot of me stumbling on the boat and walking in my wife's shadow.
That's showbiz, folks!
-- James Shepard-Kegl
----- Original Message -----
From: Valerie Sutton
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2000 11:26 PM
Subject: Wonderful TV Program About Nicaragua ;-)
> SignWriting List
> April 25, 2000
>
> Dear SignWriting List:
>
> I just watched the "60 Minutes II" segment on television, that aired
> nationally in the US. The 15 minute program was filmed in Nicaragua.
> They interviewed Judy Shepard-Kegl, and several Deaf Nicaraguans too.
> I thought it was an excellent program. Congratulations, Judy and
> James...it was really great!
>
> The signing was beautiful and dynamic. The children were wonderful. I
> became emotional, watching the segment about the 25-year old mother
> who was born-deaf, and because of her isolated circumstances, with no
> schooling, she still had no language as an adult. She seemed very
> intelligent though. There was something about her. There was a form
> of "body language"...a tilt of the head back and eyegaze and some
> cheek movement, that gave some important information. She knew she
> had no language, but she also knows she is intelligent. She was
> thinking deep thoughts, and she knew there was a barrier between her
> thoughts and all those people crowded around her. And she was highly
> skeptical that there was a way to break that barrier...at least that
> is what I felt from her...it was almost as if she thought the
> questions were a bit silly...and it was foolish for these "so-called
> experts" to try....
>
> It was also very moving at the end when Judy discussed what could
> have happened to these children, if the children had never had a
> school, or a chance to communicate with other Deaf people. Judy
> discussed the isolation of deafness and how difficult it is....and
> the love and caring that she felt for the children was evident.
>
> I have never been to Nicaragua, but Judy and James and Darline
> Clark-Gunsauls have all told me stories about it. It was wonderful to
> really see living pictures of the children and to see some of their
> living quarters and their classrooms. I can now "imagine" their
> circumstances better, because of that TV show.
>
> As you know, although SignWriting is used in the schools there, there
> was no SignWriting on any blackboards in this film. In fact, if you
> look at the blackboards carefully, it looks like there was
> SignWriting written on the blackboards before the filming started,
> and then it was erased on purpose...I suspect the visual distraction
> was not what the camera men wanted for this short segment. That is
> OK...because they placed the focus on Judy and the children, and that
> is the way it should be.
>
> Maybe someday we can encourage them to do a second show, a "sequel"
> that focuses on SignWriting, which is another historic "first" the
> Kegl's have accomplished in Nicaragua....I hope they will include an
> interview with James, to discuss the long list of literature that has
> been translated into Nicaraguan Sign Language and then typed in
> SignWriting. And maybe interview some of the Deaf authors
> too...several of whom type SignWriting by computer.
>
> But that is for another day ;-)
>
> Today, I want to wish Judy and James congratulations again. You
> really have changed people's lives for the better....
>
> Val ;-)
>
>
> PS. My mother and sister called from Florida to tell me they both
> watched the program and they thought it was excellent!
>
> PPS. Thanks to CBS posting two links to the SignWritingSite on their
> web page about the program, I have already received several email
> messages from people wanting information. Thank you, CBS, for the
> publicity!
>
> Here is the web page again:
>
> CBS Web Page About Nicaragua
> https://cbsnews.cbs.com/now/story/0,1597,188527-412,00.shtml
>
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