" What you have in your hands is a bomb. But it is the kind you need to hold on to for dear life, not run away from."
-- From the Foreword, John Lee Clark
Christopher Jon Heuer lost his hearing early, but not before " being able to hear a lot as a kid." He also received a good education, both in a speech-oriented setting and a signing environment. These varied experiences provided him with the perfect background to write about biases he faced, not only those of a mostly oblivious hearing society, but also those of ideologically restrictive members of the Deaf community. "BUG: Deaf Identity and Internal Revolution" combines new work of Heuer' s with his best columns from "The Tactile Mind Weekly" and the National Association of the Deaf' s "Mind Over Matter," He addresses all topics - exit interviews, baldness, faith healing, marriage, cats, Christmas trips, backyard campfires in boxer shorts - with a withering wit that spares no aspect of life and deafness.
Being " bugged" for Heuer began early: " When I was growing up, my mother' s response to every problem I had was: ' Well, he just needs to adjust to his deafness.' Bloody nose? ' Chris, you need to adjust to your deafness.' Homework not done? ' I know it' s hard adjusting to your deafness, honey, but ....' Acne scarring? ' Lots of teenagers get zits, Chris. I know it' s hard for you, dealing with this while trying to adjust to your ....' " He rebelled then, and continues through his even-handed irreverence in "BUG," a bomb that should go off in everyone' s consciousness about beingdeaf and Deaf.