Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life by Raymond Luczak

Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life Reviews

• 
  Emily

  “It has taken me all my life to say this without hesitation: I am proud of both my deafness and gayness, for they are both one and the same to me: I do not think in terms of whether which is more important than the other. I cannot choose, for they are both entwined in ways impossible to disentangle. Deafness and gayness are both emblems of differentness, the very quality most people are most afraid of being.”
  
  That quote comes near the end of Assembly Required, a fascinating glimpse at what it is like to grow up and live as a man both Deaf and gay. The book is separated into three section: Discovering, Connecting, and Identifying. Each section is divided into mini-chapters which are comprised of small snippets which detail Luczak’s life and experiences. The construction of short bits and pieces makes this a fast and easy read, one that holds the reader’s attention from beginning to end.
  
  There is a bit of repetition between the sections but overall the stories are light yet bursting with meaning, relaying what Luczak has had to overcome throughout his life. For people in the hearing community, this is an enlightening read which provides a view of what it is like to experience the world without the ability to hear. My personal favorite is the “My Technological Evolution as a Deaf Person” section which details each technological advancement that helped to improve Luczak’s life in some way. It is quite informative, and a reminder of how fast technology changes and how the smallest things can make things so much easier for a Deaf person.
  
  Assembly Required is a well written book that is both charming and touching, filled with the life experiences of one man which is definitely recommended.
• 
  Trent

  Raymond Luczak is a Deaf man and a gay man. As this book's subtitle--"notes from a deaf gay life"--suggests, his dual identity has shaped his experience and his worldview. Whether one shares both attributes, just one, or none at all with the author, he provides fascinating glimpses about how he has found his place in the world. At its best, the volume is thought-provoking, and I recommend it to anyone who is Deaf, or gay (or both, or neither) and has pondered seriously the questions of how we grow up, become comfortable in our own skin, and claim our place in the world. I am giving the book only 2 stars, however, because the parts do not add up to a satisfactory whole--the "notes" in the subtitle are discrete pieces, and the writer has not made them into one cohesive memoir.
• 
  Shannon Wyss

  Excellent, eminently readable look at what it's like to be Deaf and gay, to grow up in a small town surrounded by people who are hearing and straight, not to be taught a language that would actually be helpful to you, finally learning that language and starting to bridge gaps, and continuing to live between the hearing and Deaf worlds. Highly recommended.