✍️ Local Author Spotlight: Paul Erwin

Photo Courtesy of Author

Quick Reference

💻 Author/Educator Hub: Brigham Young University / Regional ASL Creative Networks

📚 Focus Specialties: American Sign Language (ASL) Literature, Deaf Culture Advocacy, Visual Storytelling, & Translation Craft

📍 Regional Connection: Provo/Orem, Utah / Brigham Young University Center for Language Studies Alumnus & Faculty

About the Author & Educator

Paul Erwin is a dedicated educator, linguist, and vital voice in Utah’s language community. Specializing in American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Studies, Paul has spent years exploring the rich, visual nuances of spatial communication and the unique cultural heritage of the Deaf community. Currently serving on the adjunct faculty at Brigham Young University's Center for Language Studies, he plays a fundamental role in guiding students through the complexities, history, and beauty of visual-gestural language.

For Paul, language is far more than a tool for everyday communication—it is a profound medium for art, preservation, and identity. Writing and teaching at the intersection of interpretation and performance, Paul is deeply passionate about how stories transform when they move from the written page into physical, three-dimensional space. Through his workshops, academic instruction, and community outreach, he works tirelessly to foster deeper empathy and structural understanding between the hearing and Deaf worlds.

🏛️ Exploring Visual Literature & The Spatial Craft

Paul’s expertise opens up an extraordinary window into a literary world that many traditional text-based writers have never explored, championing the concept of "Visual Literature":

• ASL Poetics & Storytelling: Unlike spoken languages, ASL features a rich tradition of unwritten, performance-based literature—including cinematic storytelling, classifier stories, and complex visual poetry. Paul’s work highlights how rhythm, meter, and emotional resonance are achieved through handshapes, facial expressions, and movement through space rather than vocal cadence.

• The Nuance of Translation: One of Paul's greatest contributions to the creative community is his insight into translation theory. He explores how complex literary texts, metaphors, and abstract idioms are reimagined and structurally translated between linear English text and the multi-layered, simultaneous grammar of ASL.

  
  

✒️ Connect with Paul

An invaluable peer for anyone interested in linguistic worldbuilding, inclusive character design, or the mechanics of visual communication, Paul brings an indispensable perspective to our regional network.

• 🏫 Academic Hub: Department of Linguistics and Center for Language Studies at Brigham Young University.

• 🤟 Community Focus: Championing local Deaf culture initiatives and regional language access across Northern Utah.