Deaf Utopia

Starred review from January 24, 2022
Activist and model DiMarco debuts with an immensely inspiring story of the experiences, people, and culture that made him “the proud Deaf man I am today.” Expertly weaving in seminal moments from Deaf history, DiMarco paints a vibrant picture of his 1990s childhood growing up in a multigenerational Deaf home; recounts his journey to “coming out my way”; and passionately details his work to improve Deaf representation in media. Along the way, he immerses readers in the rich dialogue of American sign language, rendering conversations in ASL gloss (a typed approximation of ASL using all caps) as a way to effectively “recapture some of lost magic” of translating his native language to the page. As DiMarco explains, while he was “born into a world in which... sign languages generally recognized... languages,” that wasn’t always so—his mother and grandmother, for instance, were forbidden from using ASL at their schools (until it was legitimized in the 1960s, he writes, signing was widely dismissed as “pantomime”). After modeling in college, DiMarco went on to compete in and win America’s Next Top Model, an achievement he used later to prove “just how damn cool it is to be Deaf” by securing a deal with Netflix that would feature Deaf talent both on screen and behind the camera. This exuberant account isn’t to be missed.

March 1, 2022
Reality TV star DiMarco's pride in his Deaf community radiates from every page of Deaf Utopia. Born to a multigenerational Deaf family and a mother who went out of her way to teach her children about their community's heritage, DiMarco grew up immersed in Deaf language and history. He learned to approach the hearing world with the certainty that his access needs--and those of every Deaf person--were not simply valid, but mandatory. When he was cast on America's Next Top Model and then Dancing with the Stars, his confidence, talents, and skill at navigating an often-inaccessible environment catapulted him to stardom. Deaf Utopia is generous to its hearing readers, offering patient insights into Deaf culture and history, and it takes the unique step of conveying ASL conversations that employ the grammar and rhythms of ASL as far as possible, rather than finding near equivalents in spoken English. This joyful memoir celebrates DiMarco's ambition and adaptability, his journey to understand his queerness, and the vibrant Deaf community that made him who he is.

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Starred review from March 11, 2022

DiMarco's memoir is an eye-opening and engaging tale of what it is like to grow up in the Deaf community along with the difficult and rewarding aspects of navigating the world when everyone expects you to be able to hear everything. DiMarco's journey begins with his childhood as half of a pair of Deaf twin brothers in a multigenerational fully Deaf family in Queens, NY. During his teen years, he attempts to understand himself and his sexuality. After modeling in college, he finally breaks into the Hollywood scene, fighting to be accepted by his peers while competing on America's Top Model and Dancing with the Stars. DiMarco's book is an interesting depiction of being Deaf in the entertainment industry. VERDICT DiMarco's memories, told with a true gift of storytelling and filled with his big personality, are funny and enlightening for any reader.--Leah Fitzgerald

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2022
The life and legacy of a Deaf model and activist. In his debut book, DiMarco begins with the complicated births of he and his twin brother, Nico, in 1989. "Nico and I had joined our older brother as the fourth generation to be born Deaf in our family," writes the author. DiMarco recalls his rascally childhood in Queens, a time characterized by immense curiosity, independence, and innocent wanderlust. He regularly left his hearing aids at home, preferring to use American Sign Language while attending a school for the Deaf where some of the teachers were against using it. As a young man, DiMarco enjoyed playing Little League baseball while slowly developing a keen defensiveness against the taunting and mean-spiritedness he experienced in public school. In his teens, an acute attraction toward other boys blossomed, and in college, his natural talent for modeling led to success on America's Next Top Model and Dancing With the Stars--although he admits that the former became an unexpectedly isolating emotional journey. Once DiMarco's star began to rise and he signed a reality show deal with Netflix, he became more comfortable coming out as sexually fluid. Interwoven throughout the narrative are pivotal moments in Deaf history and culture that have shaped the author as an individual. He discusses how the creation of the book proved challenging during the conversion process from ASL into written English, noting how he used a method called "ASL gloss." While DiMarco admits that the written translation naturally lacks much of the innate charm of the ASL experience, his continued advocacy remains critical to diminishing the awareness gap between hearing and Deaf communities. Unique and vividly written, the memoir effectively serves a dual purpose: to showcase the author's life and exuberant pride as a Deaf individual and to bring increased awareness to the Deaf community by spotlighting "the beauty, power, [and] magic of ASL." An honest, heartfelt, and thoroughly memorable portrayal of growing up Deaf.

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