True Biz by Sara Nović | Title Talks

[@dlugocoll]

Small correction, because it ties into the themes of interventionism throughout the book (specifically Charlie's story), but Charlie is mandated by the courts to go to RVSD as part of the results of her parent's divorce, which also dictate which parent she'll live with majority of the time, holidays, visitation, etc.

[@RoganShannon13]

Ooooh you're right, thank you for that!

[@humanwithfoodname2950]

I'm a Librarian and really appreciate your library plug! Also, I'm currently learning ASL and your ASL ponderings videos help me with my receptive skills and vocabulary. Love your content :)

[@RoganShannon13]

I will always shout my support of libraries! I couldn’t afford to buy all the books that I go through!

[@melaniepage103]

I could absolutely see more books by Novic that follow the different characters, especially the girl who used a sign from the BASL community and called out Austin for correcting her.

[@100onBooks]

I found your channel because of this review as I have been looking for Deaf people's views on it (just finished it via ebook and audiobook and I really enjoyed it!) and your take was such a joy to watch. Thank you from a new subscriber (as of yesterday, but I waited till today to watch so there'd be no spoilers) ✨

[@rylieross73]

This book changed my life! I had already learned some very basic signs and had an interest in the deaf community but after I read this book, it started a whole new fire within and I decided I had to learn ASL! I've started taking classes and I'm hoping to give a tour (I work in a museum) in ASL. I'm only a few months in, and I know I have a long way to go, but I was able to understand most of the video (at half speed but I'll still say it's an accomplishment)! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and make this video! I'm definitely going to watch more of your videos and call them "homework" 😁

[@neverstoplearning2]

I just read this book. As a hearing person, I learned so much. Also love your channel. I'm learning ASL and I also love books!

[@ChrissyMarshall_]

I’m so excited about what they do with this, i resonate with it so much.

[@jimmylovett647]

I adored this book! I’d be curious to know what you thought about the formatting of the signed dialogue.

[@HasabeMizurukara]

I love this format and I can't wait for more Title Talks. I got True Biz through BOTM last month and it is on my May TBR. So excited to read it. Thank you for giving some more context. I look forward to learning more about the deaf community. I'm excited it is getting an adaptation and I fully hope they include tons of own voices creators and actors in the project.

[@RoganShannon13]

Yay! I'll do my best to not forget about this series haha! I know Nović is working on writing the pilot right now, and they've set dealbreakers for while they search for a studio to make the show. One of them is deaf actors must be in deaf roles, another is to have deaf people included in every aspect of production, so we'll see how that goes!!

[@CapriUni]

I first learned of _True Biz_ after the news that the movie _CODA_ won best picture (I generally don't follow the movies, but the Oscars results were on the news the day after). Haven't had a chance to read it yet. But I'm looking forward to it!

[@thelynns3830]

Really enjoyed hearing about this book. I'll have to get it.

[@FortWorthWranglers]

I haven’t read it yet but plan to! Thanks for the review. It gives me insight.

[@katewbockover6394]

Thanks for reviewing this book. I loved learning more about the dead community and the abuse they have suffered in many forms. Would you consider discussing the paradox presented which is that Charlie suffers so much due to oralism but I noticed in the later scenes with Austin Charlie and Slash, they depend on Charlie’s oral English to communicate with the hearing people. Are there many deaf parents who can get their kids to succeed with spoken English and ASL?

[@fluorescentadolescent2189]

I just finished this book and enjoyed it but I really hated the ending. Normally I can be okay with open or unresolved endings but it just felt poorly done or unfinished in my opinion. If it was an unhappy ending, which it seemed to be heading towards, that’s fine, but I wish she would’ve written more. I’d hope that february would join them in a protest, and it still could’ve been an ambiguous ending or an unhappy one if the author wanted to be realistic. The main characters all went through a lot but the ending don’t reflect that at all? I don’t know, It felt like I was missing the last fourth of the novel.

[@janetmerkt1193]

Trying to figure out what the sign is for the last chapter!!

[@certiPHIer]

Thanks for your insightful commentary about the book; when you said at the front that you had criticisms you wanted to share, I thought you'd be getting into the unsavory activities of Charlie's hearing "friends", which risk making Charlie into a villain in the sight of the hearing community. I thought maybe you'd object to that plot line, and assert is it not good to present the notion that deaf people might be willing to break laws, but you didn't go there. I'm very interested to hear what your take on that plot line might be, if you can do it without spoilers. I've heard many racial minorities criticize how Hollywood presents their race, either always making them out as the villains, or never letting them have the complexity of character to be able to be a sympathetic villain, so I wonder what the deaf community will think of Charlie's arc. I personally think that her arc as written is very sympathetic and brings the reader to the point where they can understand her motivations in considering breaking laws, that to her it is an act of desperation, that she sees no other way to defend herself and others she loves and identifies with. Also I'm wondering how many, if any, cochlear implant true success stories there are (where implanted deaf persons hear well enough to actually perform as well as those born hearing), and how many implant recipients suffered injuries like Charlie, and whether later versions of implant are at least not injuring the recipients physically (seems the mental, social, emotional and cultural damage of the "oral only" education path is not avoidable).

[@RoganShannon13]

Ahhh yes, that's a good question! I don't have an issue with that, because Deaf people aren't always portrayed as criminals (vs BIPOC who are frequently painted in a bad light). We're more often portrayed as sexless or hypersexual, not all that smart, and other not great stereotypes that are more rooted in ableism. And like you said, she's doing it out of desperation because to her, it's the only solution right now. Things change and she learns from the experience. To answer the cochlear implant question, I don't have all the answers. I do know that studies say that there's a very low rate of failure/rejection, but that usually requires the child to be implanted as a baby or very, very young. There are what would be considered success stories, those who completely integrate into hearing society and are just like any other hearing person, but from what I know, that's not very common. Cochlear implants are a major surgery no matter who it's done on. Also, I suspect the "success" rate typically doesn't take into account people who stop using them later in life, or seem to be succeeding at a young age but struggle as they get older and become adults. I don't know the answer for the injury rate.