Peter Cook     

     Peter S. Cook is an internationally reputed Deaf performing artist whose works incorporates American Sign Language, pantomime, storytelling, acting, and movement.

<>  Peter Cook     He has traveled extensively around the country and aboard with Flying Words Project to promote ASL Literature with Kenny Lerner since 1986. Peter has appeared in Live from Off Center’s “Words on Mouth” (PBS) and “United States of Poetry” (PBS) produced by Emmy winner Bob Holman. He teaches at Columbia College where he received the 1997 Excellence in Teaching award. In 1998, he set up a video production called PC Production and now based in Chicago.
      He was featured nationally in festivals such as the Jonesboro National Storytelling Festival, Oklahoma City Winter Tales, Illinois Storytelling Festival, Indiana Hoosier Storytelling Festival, Eugene Oregon Multi-Cultural Festival, and The Deaf Way II and the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
    He was invited to the White House to join the National Book Festival in 2003. Internationally, Peter has worked with Deaf storytellers/poets in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Austria and Japan.
     He lives in Chicago and teaches in ASL-English Interpretation Department at Columbia College. He loves to tell stories to his son.

Discourse in ASL by Peter Cook – Friday, June 24 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. for all levels (CEUs)
       The purpose of this workshop is to explore the role of discourse in ASL.  The participants will state the role of ASL discourse in our daily conversation and list the patterns that occurred during the discourses between two people or in a formal presentation. Features such as comparisons of informal and formal conversation, the main context of discourses and the par lingual elements within the discourses will be discussed. The participants will create discourses through their personal experiences and will be given exercises during the course of the workshop.
     The participants will demonstrate expanded discourse in ASL using one or more of the following:  Contrasting, Reiterating, Describing then Doing, Explaining by Examples, and Faceting.  

Creativity in ASL -- for beginners and repeated for intermediates
       This workshop will introduce the participants to explore their creativity through American Sign Language literature.  At the beginning, there will be a lecture on the relationship between Deaf Culture and Literature.  He will demonstrate all technical aspects of ASL storytelling and poetry.  There will be LOTS of hands on activities for the participants to create their own works.  This workshop is a MUST for those who are interested to know more about playing with ASL.  Great for any classroom tools!


Autobody of Performing -- for advanced and interpreters -- co-starring with Keith Wann!
   This will be a six-hour track since participants at a recent workshop requested more time than just four hours!  The art of performing arts interpreting incorporates a variety of ASl techniques and strategies.  By deconstructing a narrative sample and actively looking for areas in which to incorporate ASL features, interpreters will improve not only their interpretation, but also the clarity of the message.  In addition, utilizing ASL features will increase the enjoyment and interest of the Deaf audience.  This workshop will use personal stories of the participants and provide diagnostic feedback to each of the participants.