The Shape of Sound is a lyrical and profound memoir from the
acclaimed deaf poet, Fiona Murphy, about her life spent hiding from
deafness and her eventual emergence into an extraordinary community and
culture.
"I devoured this in a day, fascinated, enlightened, moved."--Helen
Garner, author of This House of Grief
Blending memoir with observations on the healthcare industry, The Shape
of Sound is a story about the corrosive power of secrets, stigma and
shame, and how deaf experiences and disability are shaped by economics,
social policy, medicine and societal expectations.
Fearing the ramifications of exposure, Fiona kept her Deafness a secret
for over twenty-five years. Desperate to hold onto a career she'd worked
hard to pursue, she tried hearing aids but was shocked by how the world
sounded. She vowed never to use them again. After an accident to her
hand, she discovered that sign language could change her life, and that
Deaf culture could be part of her identity. Just as Fiona thought she
was beginning to truly accept her body, she was diagnosed with a rare
condition that causes the bones of the ears to harden. She was steadily
losing her residual hearing. The news left her reeling.
This memoir about Deafness and invisible illness is a revelation.
