Attention book lovers!
The Monthly on-line book sessions are aimed around having professional discussion, inspired and directly applicable to our professional work as sign language interpreters. Books and themes are chosen only from non-fiction works, used in higher education, to explore lived experiences, research, and historical learnings that deepen our understanding of our work, culture, and community and ultimately our perspectives and behaviors.
What is the On-line group like?
Sessions go for the calendar month advertised, with registration allowed until the 5th day of each month. The discussion is all in written text and happens via an online education platform called Canvas, which is free to users. (Update: due to the Canvas hacking incident, discussions are moved to Goodreads discussion groups until further notice).
The moderator posts a weekly reflection question that prompts readers to write thoughtful responses on the chapters assigned for reading in the book that week. You also respond to peers with written comment that to encourage meaningful conversations about the salient cultural, linguistic, ethical, or power/privilege/oppression themes in the book.
There is a due date each week to post your written reflections to keep the flow of conversation going through the end of the book in week 4, but there is also flexibility to the interruptions of life with this self-paced experience. There is no specific time to be on-line each week, and no live/Zoom discussions. Log in anytime to engage in the discussion and post your reflections.
At the end of the month, the RID CMP Sponsor, Ginevra Deianni, who is also the moderator, confirms all posted assignments and then awards RID CEUs either by directly posting the CEUs to your RID transcript or via a Certificate of Completion for BEI and state certifications (or both)
Note: Participants must purchase their own book to participate, due to copyright laws. The cost of each monthly book club covers all CEU processing fees and RID CMP oversight, but the book must be purchased independently by the participant (this is like a college course with the corresponding textbook sold separately).
Cost: $80 per monthly session
CEUs: All book club sessions earn 1.0 RID CEUs
Register: by the 5th of each month for the current monthly session, or register in advance for any book on the list.
Registering now - June Session:
"Deaf Utopia"
By: Nyle DiMarco
June 1 - 30, 2026 1.0 PS + PPO CEUs $80
Join us for a four-week online interpreter discussion series exploring Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco — a powerful memoir that examines Deaf identity, language, family, education, and systemic barriers through a deeply personal lens. Together, we will engage in thoughtful conversations about power, privilege, oppression, audism, and the impact of “inclusive” or access-oriented systems within both Deaf and interpreting communities. This discussion series invites interpreters to critically reflect on their roles, assumptions, and professional practices while exploring themes of advocacy, equity, and cultural responsibility. Through guided dialogue and shared reflection, this discussion will deepen their understanding of Deaf experiences and the ongoing pursuit of true accessibility and belonging.
Registering now through June 5th
2026 Book Titles*: (register early for future sessions!)
- July: Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well" by: Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen (register now in drop down menu)
- August: “The Art of Being Deaf” by Donna McDonald (register now in drop down menu)
- September: “Deaf People in Hitler’s Europe” by: Donna F Ryan & John S Schuchman (register now in drop down menu)
- October: “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear” by: Danielle Ofri
- November: “Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past & Reimagining Our Future” by: Patty Krawec
- Dec: TBD
*All titles and session months subject to change
What if I miss a book club monthly session, but love the book title?
No worries! You can find all our monthly book club selections in the Cultural Novel Project Series (still 1.0 CEUs) to do anytime, on your own, with a similar reflection writing format. See that project page for more details.