Upperclassmen may be unfamiliar with the large drawings in the display case located outside of the Linda Lear Center in Shain Library —unless they joined first-year students in reading Jarrett Krosoczka’s graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo. The exhibit, curated by Director of Community Partnerships Kimberly Sanchez and Art Professor Andrea Wollensack, features large, blown-up illustrations from the book to commemorate the College’s participation in the One Book, One Region project. According to Sanchez, the goals of the project are to “bring the community together to discuss ideas, to broaden appreciation of reading, and to break down barriers between people.”
This year marks Connecticut College’s fourth year participating in One Book, One Region in the program’s 17th year. Libraries, schools, and community partners throughout southwestern Connecticut “collaborate, facilitate, and implement events and programming” around themes presented in the book, explained Sanchez. She goes on to say that “the value is in the collaboration and the space that we hold for exploration, discussion, analysis, and celebration connected to the content.”
Hey, Kiddo centers around Krosoczka’s childhood. He was raised by his grandparents in lieu of his drug-addicted mother and absent father. This heavier plotline is a departure from the author’s beloved Lunch Lady graphic novel series for young readers. However, it’s not the first time that he has spoken out about his childhood and the difficulties of growing up without his parents—his TEDx Talk about becoming an artist has been viewed almost one million times. While the story can be hard to read at some points, Krosoczka says he hopes it can comfort kids who are growing up in similar situations. The foreword reads, “For every reader who recognizes this experience, I see you.”
Photo courtesy of Sophia Angele-Kuehn
Sanchez read the book last year as a member of the selection committee. Like many, she was touched not just by the story, but by the way it’s conveyed through art. She called the “format, themes, and art … exciting and intriguing” for her and the committee.
Wollensack, who was asked by the Dean of the College to involve one of her art classes with the One Book, One Region project, engaged with the book in a different way. The students in her “Artist’s Books” course were tasked with reading Hey, Kiddo and responding in the form of art, as “an introduction to the artist’s book, a format for exploring the interaction of text and image, narrative and sequencing, dimensional forms of the book, and the cultural roles of books and reading.” Questions they considered, said Wollensack, included “how do you want to visualize the narrative?” and “what is the best structure for the narrative?”
In addition to the exhibit in Shain, Connecticut College hosted Krosoczka for a talk and reading on Sept. 17 in Palmer Auditorium and also arranged for him to visit local schools. “It was very moving,” Sanchez said, “to hear Jarrett share his passion for art and writing with the youth in the community.”
First-year student Rachel Tranter found the Hey, Kiddo assembly moving. “I already knew a good amount about the opioid crisis, but it was interesting to hear the emotional toll opioid addiction takes on a family. It’s totally different to read a book or hear someone speak than to read about statistics.”
The exhibit will be on display from now until Oct. 11. It’s not too late to pick up a copy of Hey, Kiddo from Shain Library and, by doing so, participate in the goals of the One Book, One Region project. •
