Raymond Luczak

Raymond Luczak, an American writer, was born in Ironwood, Michigan, located in the Upper Peninsula. Luczak's writing captures the experience of being deaf and how deafness is interpreted by the world. Luczak also explores the intersections of deafness, manhood, and queerness in his poetry and fiction.

Early life and education

At the age of seven months Luczak lost most of his hearing due to an extreme case of double pneumonia. However, Luczak's family was unaware of his deafness and were unable to get a proper diagnosis until he was 2 years old. Due to the atmosphere and the lack of knowledge of deafness within his town, Luczak was suppressed from connecting with his disability and did not learn ASL until he was 14 years old . He went on to study at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. where he attained a B.A. in English and became connected with his disability. Luczak's disability is reflected in his work as we are able to see when he uses a method called ASL gloss when performing his work.

Works
  • Men With Their Hands: A 2009 novel which tells the story of finding oneself as well as their place in the world when family isn’t enough. Following the narrator through this journey of life into one of acceptance and understanding within one's own community.
  • Mute - A 2010 collection of poems which tell the story of a deaf man out in the world experiencing the things life has to offer and looks beyond the realities of hearing and sound that we attribute to being something that is black and white.
  • The Kinda Fella I am: Stories, a 2018 collection of stories exploring the realm of disability within the queer male experience.
  • Once Upon a Twin: Poems, a 2020 collection of poems which tell a story of Luczak's twin brother who his mother miscarried, Luczak’s childhood as he was isolated from friends and family due to his disability, and explore the idea of what could have been if his twin would have survived.

Career and legacy

Luczak was featured on The Deaf Poet Society, a website designed to honor deaf poets.[1] Raymond Luczak has been advocating for the expansion of accessibility to the disabled community by transcription and ASL translations.[2] Raymond Luczak also commends other disabled artists over his own work, as the recognition of any creator with a disability who understands how it feels to exist is preferred over poets who use the disability of others as a writing piece, a practice he is working against.[2] Raymond Luczak is currently an editor and transcriber to help spread the use and accessibility of poetry and literary arts to others.[3]

References
  1. Luczak, Raymond (2019). Instructions to Hearing Persons Desiring a Deaf Man. The Social Medicine Reader. II (3rd ed.). Duke University Press. p. 61. doi:10.1215/9781478004363-009. ISBN 978-1-4780-0436-3. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  2. admin (January 29, 2020). "Nothing about Us without Us: A Conversation with Raymond Luczak". Bellingham Review. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  3. "A Short History of ... WHO?". raymondluczak.com. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
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