WHAT’S THAT PIG OUTDOORS?
A Memoir of Deafness
By Henry Kisor
At the time of writing this book, Henry Kisor worked for the Chicago Sun-Times as a columnist and book editor. He had been in the newspaper field for twenty-five years, quite long enough to figure life out and the journalistic world too!
That Kisor could hear nothing did not seem to discourage this sensitive and talented newspaperman. He grew up in a hearing world, and learned to communicate by speech and speech reading. He family and a special teacher supported his efforts to communicate. His coping strategies and practicality helped him along, and he ambitiously headed for a career in journalism. He dealt dealing with personal challenges with humor and practicality along the way.
Kisor tells many stories of how he dealt with various situations. In reading of them, we realize that many are similar to our own challenges in being deaf. He includes personal events that are sad as well, such as the loss of a baby daughter after difficult births of two sons. Hospital experiences, dating, travel, getting an education, effects of his deafness on his family, and other challenges are shared with us. Throughout it all, the author never seems to feel sorry for himself.
Henry Kisor has the ability to laugh at himself. He has a fine intelligence and sensitivity that makes this book a great autobiographical read.
Many aspects of being deaf are explained and demonstrated. The ambiguities of lip reading, with words often looking alike is one such example. Then, an expressive face may save the day and one learns cues that make all the difference. He mentions that women are easier to understand than men but guesswork is always the major component of lip reading. You have to fill in the blanks. One to one conversation is far more successful than with more people. We strategize by plotting ahead of time if we can. How is the lighting? Am I able to face the person? Are there distractions such as a baby crying or a train rumbling by? Whatever, and in addition to much else, one’s understanding will be much impacted upon.
The book tells us about the hearing aids and services of twenty years ago. This makes for comparison with today’s offerings. Inability to use the telephone was a constant difficulty that Kisor had to deal with. As many of us have found, obtaining a computer was of great significance to communication.
Oh yes! I’ve kept you waiting long enough for an explanation of the book’s title. Here is the story behind that. One day, his five year old son came running into the room to ask “What’s that big loud noise?” Kisor, speech reading, thought he had said “What’s that pig outdoors?” Quite the example – if you look in the mirror and speech read. The two phrases look the same.
WHAT’S THAT PIG OUTDOORS? A Memoir of Deafness By Henry Kisor Copyright 1990 by Henry Kisor Harper & Collins, TorontoAbout Dorothy Black
Dorothy has been writing book reviews for the SayWhatClub since 2007. She has racked up 15 reviews and is destined to continue. Once an artist, Dorothy’s artist’s eye remains and she enjoys her environs to a degree she suspects the average person does not. Reading, however, is an early love that remains and like art, ever a solace over the years of growing hearing loss.Now, with a cochlear implant, life has new virtues. Dorothy says of her love of reading, “In listing the books I’ve reviewed, I note how many I would never have read if I hadn’t been trying to give SWC a variety. So it must be a beneficial job.
Thinking back, I remember how as a child I would get a book every Christmas, and exasperate my dear mother by finishing it in a day. I would read while doing the dishes, (propping the book up), hold it under the table edge during meals, and even take it to the farm’s outhouse to make use of every moment. In this modern age, I am not likely to go to an e-book! Give me a real book, with soul! And I felt quite superior recently when we were waiting for some time for our airplane to take off. My husband could not use his e-book but I read merrily through the delay.” Dorothy originally came from Saskatchewan but she has lived in British Columbia, Newfoundland and now Ontario. She and her recently retired husband have three married (or facsimile!) children.