What a weekend!
We headed out to the Oak Brook Borders on Friday night to meet Marlee Matlin at her book signing. Marlee crafted her autobiography “I’ll Scream Later” as a tell-all book and judging from the headlines of the articles swimming around, her book has revealed some surprising secrets:
Marlee Matlin Book: William Hurt Abused Me
Marlee Matlin Reveals Abusive Relationship
Babysitter’s Abuse Lead to a Life of Drugs, Violence
There was quite a crowd of people that night. Marlee began the evening by reading an excerpt from her book with Jack Jason voicing. Each of us had received wristbands when we arrived and we went up in groups of 50. Marlee looked really beautiful and was extremely gracious to everyone. I was amazed at her stamina, she signed book after book without faltering and considering that this was her fourth book signing in a week, it was amazing to see how she kept it all up until the very last book was signed.
I brought my Z-340 videophone with me and connected with Tim Rarus (Deaf President Now leader/ VP of Sales) and Sean Belanger (CSDVRS CEO) while I was waiting in line and they had a quick opportunity to chat with Marlee as well. It was so neat to see the technology at work– who could have envisioned this a few years ago?
(Photo courtesy of Dino Lomanto)
Yes, those are my younger two kids with me–David was too busy chatting with his friends to get in line. On the way home, I started reading the book and didn’t put it down until one in the morning. Later, I found out that many of my friends did the same thing after they left the bookstore– one gal stayed up through most of the night until she finished it.
I tried to figure out what was so compelling about this book, this peek inside of the life of undoubtly the most famous actress who happens to be deaf–what kept me turning page after page of this book? I came away with a sense of awe, because despite the dark chapters and the very rough parts to read through, Marlee has “chutzpah.” (Translation: bold guts!) She has that fiesty spirit inside that allows one to accomplish dream after dream. That’s what made this book and the story of her life stand out.
My favorite line from the book is simply this:
My life is rich and I am blessed, and I am grateful. That I am Deaf is just a footnote. It is a part of who I am, but far from all of who I am.
Comments
13 responses to “Marlee Matlin Signs Her Book, “I’ll Scream Later””
Hi there!
Thanks so much for sharing! I bought the book last week from Borders. 🙂
deb anns last blog post..Wordless Wednesday
Enjoy reading it, Deb Ann!
I can’t wait to read it either.
And how fortunate you and your 2 children were to have met her.
She is truly inspirational.
Kyms last blog post..National Day of Silence.
HI I want to bring it up since there were a discussion by someone who had been named someone who abused her. She has the right to tell the truth about to share about domestic violence issue.. Of course it s our business to know what’s going on and help those victim of domestic violence who wants to share, too. She got attacked very badly by those people with audist attitude as well for a very wrong reason.
Now What s so special about Marlee Matlin that people accept and support her because she is a hollywood star. I was kinda puzzled for those people supported her before someone else who did shared her bad experience of being victim of domestic violence and got a real bad attack by these people since it s okay for Marlee named who had the relationship with her and abused her.
Now it gives me mixed message for me because who is right or wrong for having us to name someone who abused a woman who expressed the truth about it in the public internet.
So a Deaf person who is not well known or a movie star is not okay to name someone who abused her meanwhile it s okay for Marlee to name a guy who abused her. After all she made a big $$$ . What s this? I feel discriminated by the audist attitude people who thinks we are always wrong wrong and don’t understand anything. Scoffs!
Thank you. It s only way I can use this because it relates that Marlee did named William Hurt who abused her. So why is a Deaf woman got attacked from the beginning in few months ago.. What a grief!
Ummppph I want to know why it s okay for Marlee to name him about abuses as well as it s domestic violence.
I want to know why a Deaf woman who is not a big star or well known that she got a real bad attack by people on the internet. The reason is that a Deaf woman did named her man that should not be allowed to expose who is the guy who did abused it to her, too.. I dont think it s quite fair at all because Marlee is the only that we should listen to because she is a hollywood star. RME! A deaf woman is wrong and Marlee is right meanwhile it s the same issue that Marlee named William Hurt who abused her in the past.
What a mixed message that I m getting it lately! Those people are wrong to attack A Deaf woman from the beginning.
Thank you.
Deaf SweetMind
Whats going on with MVP? I heard MVP stands for Major Video Problem and its true from what i have been hearing…. lots of people said they couldn’t get it to work.
I ordered the book online last friday before I found out about her coming to chicago. Now I regret I did not get to see in person, someone as deaf and famous who inspire all the people with different walks of life
Maybe this is a stupid question. I assume she signed & spoke when she read it. if you’re signing and reading, where does the book go? A few secs after I thought that I went DUH! On a table… am I right?
What was so special night for me? I hugged Marlee Matlin TWICE. 🙂
Dino aka Fookem
http://fookembug.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/marlee-matlin-in-chicago/
Fookems last blog post..Marlee Matlin in Chicago
Like several others, I read the book in one sitting! Her life was quite interesting, different from many other typical deaf people. I am amazed that she quit drugs on her own, without her family’s help…!
One thing bothered me…the exerpt about when Marlee was 15 and was doing this and that with her bf, Mike, in her parents’ basement and then she went up and told her mom point-blank, “I’m having sex with Mike” and the first thing her mom replied was she’d take her to get her birth control pills!
What kind of parents would do something like that to a teenager?? WHat message was she teaching Marlee?? That bothered me a lot.
Hello!
I just found your blog and I’m SO happy I did! I am hearing but work with the deaf population so I’m thrilled to have found this blog. Well, deafness aside your blog rocks. I love Marlee Matlin. I actually met her last year and she is definitely a doll. Def stop by my blog sometime soon!
xoxo
marlee matlin is my first favourite deaf actress ever
since i was a little girl i hane learnt sign language from school and college for the deaf and i have a deaf friend called kate reed and she can lipread and signing as well and i have learnt more sign language in college in taunton somerset from samantha from taunton
i always wanted to meet marlee matlin in person and i can sign to marlee matllin in sign language
from samantha from taunton