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 -  August Session:

"The Art of Being Deaf: A Memoir"

By: Donna McDonald

August 1 - 31, 2026    

1.0 PS CEUs   $80

This memoir is more than a collection of stories about growing up Deaf. It is an intimate exploration of navigating identity, questioning what it means to be D/deaf, struggling to find a sense of belonging, discovering the language that feels most authentic, and overcoming doubt to embrace one's own power. Together, we'll take a deeper look at the intersections of oralism, Deaf identity, family narratives, cultural expectations, and the evolving perspectives surrounding deafness, while reflecting on how these themes influence our work as professional interpreters. Through thoughtful discussion, supplemental videos, and guided reflection questions, this book club invites interpreters to move beyond the conversations we typically have, challenge assumptions, cultivate greater cultural humility, and celebrate the rich diversity of experiences that shape Deaf lives and our profession.

Registering now through August 5th

2026 Book Titles*: (register early for future sessions!)

• 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 (register now in drop down menu)
• November: “Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past & Reimagining Our Future” by: Patty Krawec (register now in drop down menu)
• 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.