Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic
I taped a bit of a book for the blind last Thursday. When I saw the call for “authors” to do this as part of the Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic outreach program, I volunteered, and took time off work to do this.
Well, I guess I was thinking junior high math book. I got Rethinking the Holocaust, by Yehuda Bauer, Chapter Two, Is the Holocaust Explicable? Very heavy. Lots of six syllable words, lots of abstruse comments. Paragraph long sentences with mucho qualifiers. French words, German words, Russian words (or maybe Polish), sometimes mispronounced and I definitely “fluffed” others, too. Gave the French my best shot, though I didn’t know how to pronouce the town Beziers, and couldn’t remember the right pronunciation of Nez Perce (I think there are regional pronunciations of that one, like many Native American tribes and the way I learned it is not the way it should be pronounced). Names of people I’d heard of and unknown historians.
Then there were the few horrific descriptions…
The whole experience was --surreal. I am used to reading aloud, and even reading my own work aloud cold, but the taping experience was completely new. I got lost and when I was supposed to say page 21, I said page 20 and we had to retape and then I got rattled. The one thing I’ve learned from speaking, is that you CAN’T get rattled (Yes, I draft my speeches ahead of time and then practice until they look extemporaneous). If *I* get rattled my diction goes). I got back in the rhythm by the next page or so.
Then, of course, I had to find my way back to work. I don’t know what it was – maybe my mind was a little overloaded -- and I made a couple of bad decisions about one way streets and wandered around a while. Oh, forgot, they took PHOTOs. Ick. I was not wearing one of my most flattering outfits and I'm too d**n plump in the face and have no chin. No makeup, either. Ick. Maybe the pics won't make it all over the net. I try to pretend that the camera adds pounds and uglifies me, but it doesn't. Sigh.
Yes, I did learn something.
There’s apparently a debate going on as to whether the Holocaust can be explained as (in)human behavior as opposed to (I’m guessing) some sort of
Well, I guess I was thinking junior high math book. I got Rethinking the Holocaust, by Yehuda Bauer, Chapter Two, Is the Holocaust Explicable? Very heavy. Lots of six syllable words, lots of abstruse comments. Paragraph long sentences with mucho qualifiers. French words, German words, Russian words (or maybe Polish), sometimes mispronounced and I definitely “fluffed” others, too. Gave the French my best shot, though I didn’t know how to pronouce the town Beziers, and couldn’t remember the right pronunciation of Nez Perce (I think there are regional pronunciations of that one, like many Native American tribes and the way I learned it is not the way it should be pronounced). Names of people I’d heard of and unknown historians.
Then there were the few horrific descriptions…
The whole experience was --surreal. I am used to reading aloud, and even reading my own work aloud cold, but the taping experience was completely new. I got lost and when I was supposed to say page 21, I said page 20 and we had to retape and then I got rattled. The one thing I’ve learned from speaking, is that you CAN’T get rattled (Yes, I draft my speeches ahead of time and then practice until they look extemporaneous). If *I* get rattled my diction goes). I got back in the rhythm by the next page or so.
Then, of course, I had to find my way back to work. I don’t know what it was – maybe my mind was a little overloaded -- and I made a couple of bad decisions about one way streets and wandered around a while. Oh, forgot, they took PHOTOs. Ick. I was not wearing one of my most flattering outfits and I'm too d**n plump in the face and have no chin. No makeup, either. Ick. Maybe the pics won't make it all over the net. I try to pretend that the camera adds pounds and uglifies me, but it doesn't. Sigh.
Yes, I did learn something.
There’s apparently a debate going on as to whether the Holocaust can be explained as (in)human behavior as opposed to (I’m guessing) some sort of
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 9:48 AM
2 Comments:
"some sort of"...? what? I don't think that sentence is finished.
Anyway, sounds like it was interesting. Although, I definitely wouldn't have expected to read material as hard-core as all that.
:-)
Eeeek! Some of the blog is gone!
I'll look for it.
Thanks,
Robin
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