OCTOBER MONTHLY MEETING: Deaf author's journey

In this presentation, deaf author Karlie Waldrip shares her journey of discovering her voice on the page and in the world. She reflects on how writing her own identity has shaped her stories and strengthened her connection to young readers. Through personal experience, she highlights why diverse representation in kidlit is not just meaningful but necessary. Attendees will leave inspired to champion stories that let every child see themselves and imagine beyond.

Karlie Waldrip is a proud deaf children’s book author and former deaf education teacher from Texas with four years of classroom experience. Born deaf, she was raised using both spoken language and sign language. She wore hearing aids growing up and later chose to get cochlear implants to better access sounds around me. Her life experience as a deaf person has deeply shaped her passion for representation, inclusion, and empowerment in early literacy. Karlie is the author of I Deaf-initely Can, Rhett the Heeler, and We Deaf-initely Can, Let the Adventures Begin—inspiring children’s books told from the perspective of my deaf rescue dog, Rhett. She adopted Rhett from a small-town Texas shelter and gave him a voice to help educate the world about the beauty and capability of deaf dogs. Through these stories, she shares deaf culture, language, and resilience, hoping to inspire both deaf/hard-of-hearing and hearing children to believe in themselves. The books feature deaf characters and are brought to life by deaf illustrator Lucy Rogers.