Module 13: Stitches: A Memoir

Small, D. (2009). Stitches: A memoir--. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Summary: David Small recalls childhood memories that revolve around his uncommunicative family and their choice to keep from him the fact that he had throat cancer and needed surgery to remove it. He awakes to having no voice, though this time not by choice. This sets the tone for this exploration of his family history through the perspective of adolescence and the voice that art provided him.

Response: Though quite dark, I found this piece to be interesting and therapeutic in its way of making sense of the past through representations of moments and emotions through images. I found the depiction of perception of David throughout different periods in his life to be telling of his state of mind and his ability to communicate to others. I enjoyed this piece so much because it opens up to a harsh reality that moves towards understanding and closure.

Review:

SMALL, David. Stitches: A Memoir illus. by author. Gr 10 Up

Small is best known for his picture-book illustration. Here he tells the decidedly grim but far from unique story of his own childhood. Many teens will identify with the rigors of growing up in a household of angry silences, selfish parents, feelings of personal weakness, and secret lives. Small shows himself to be an excellent storyteller here, developing the cast of characters as they appeared to him during this period of his life, while ending with the reminder that his parents and brother probably had very different takes on these same events. The title derives from throat surgery Small underwent at 14, which left him, for several years, literally voiceless. Both the visual and rhetorical metaphors throughout will have high appeal to teen sensibilities. The shaded artwork, composed mostly of ink washes, is both evocative and beautifully detailed. A fine example of the growing genre of graphic-novel memoirs.

Goldsmith, F. (2009). Stitches: A Memoir. School Library Journal, 55(9), 193.

Program: Hold a panel of graphic memoir novelists to talk to teens about the particulars of writing and illustrating moments from their past. Encourage teens to raise their own questions and get tips on creating their own graphic novels or paneled illustrations.