<div><p><I>The Sixth Volume in the </I><BR><br> George M. Teegarden (1852-1936) taught at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf for 48 years, established the printing department, and also served as the first editor of the school&rsquo;s magazine. Despite these significant contributions, his greatest gift to deaf people was his skill as a writer and poet who was deaf, as readers will discover in <I>When I Am Dead: The Writings of George M. Teegarden</I>.<BR><br> Editor Raymond Luczak selected Teegarden&rsquo;s prose in <I>When I Am Dead</I> from several books, including <I>Raindrop</I>, and <I>Stories, Old and New</I>. Noting that these stories were never written for hearing readers, Luczak marvels at Teegarden&rsquo;s ability to write English prose that the ASL-familiar reader would find incredibly easy to transliterate. By employing a rich blend of original stories and revisions of fables and myths, Teegarden taught his students the importance of improving their reading and writing skills to outfit them &ldquo;for the battle of life.&rdquo; He produced a body of work that Luczak characterizes as &ldquo;a breath of fresh air: quick, painless, and usually told with a sense of wonder.&rdquo;<BR><br> Luczak&rsquo;s choice of poems came from Teegarden&rsquo;s self-published volume <I>Vagrant Verses</I>, a summation of his affection for Gallaudet College, the Deaf community, and all deaf people. The eponymous poem &ldquo;When I Am Dead&rdquo; articulates concisely the beliefs that directed Teegarden&rsquo;s life of service:<BR></p> <p>&ldquo;When I am dead, I hope to be<BR> Remembered&mdash;this is true&mdash;<BR> Not for my wit or vanities<BR> But what I did for you.&rdquo;</p></div>