Articulate

A Deaf Memoir of Voice

Named a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews
Named a Notable Book of 2025 by the Washington Post

A deaf writers exploration of language, communication, and what it means to be articulateand her journey to reclaim her voice

Rachel Kolb was born profoundly deaf the same year that the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, and she grew up as part of the first generation of deaf people with legal rights to accessibility services. Still, from a young age, she contorted herself to expectations set by a world that prioritizes hearing people. So even while she found clarity and meaning in American Sign Language (ASL) and written literature, she learned to speak through speech therapy and to piece together missing sounds through lipreading and an eventual cochlear implant.

Now, in Articulate, Kolb blends personal narrative with commentary to explore the differe