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Talkin' about Bessie
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2003 16:24:03 -0600
I appreciate the way E.B. Lewis drew from the text of Nikki Grimes's poems in Talkin' about Bessie, while creating paintings that evoke a power of their own.
I'm especially struck by his illustrations depicting Bessie's childhood. In one, young Bessie pours over a book by candlelight while sitting on her mother's lap.
From the poem, we learn that her mother couldn't read, but Bessie would read to her, from the Bible. From the painting, we sense the bond between mother and child, the child's determination, the tired mother's pride.
In another, young, barefooted Bessie takes a break from sweeping the floor of her house to stare out the window. We can imagine her thinking of a life beyond her toil. From the poem, we learn from her sister that after their father left, Bessie became a "second mother,/ who cleaned and swept and cared for us, / whie Mama kep another's house crosstown."
And in a third image, young Bessie is handing a basket of laundry to a white woman, meeting that woman's eyes with a firm gaze. In the voice of that laundry customer, we read in the poem: "..there this Colored girl would be standin',/ lookin' me straight in the eye, like we were just any two people /...You know, like we were equals." (last word italicized in text)
Just three of the striking images Lewis created of Bessie childhood that beautifully complement--and extend--the power of the writing.
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, Wi 53706 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Thu 06 Mar 2003 04:24:03 PM CST
Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2003 16:24:03 -0600
I appreciate the way E.B. Lewis drew from the text of Nikki Grimes's poems in Talkin' about Bessie, while creating paintings that evoke a power of their own.
I'm especially struck by his illustrations depicting Bessie's childhood. In one, young Bessie pours over a book by candlelight while sitting on her mother's lap.
From the poem, we learn that her mother couldn't read, but Bessie would read to her, from the Bible. From the painting, we sense the bond between mother and child, the child's determination, the tired mother's pride.
In another, young, barefooted Bessie takes a break from sweeping the floor of her house to stare out the window. We can imagine her thinking of a life beyond her toil. From the poem, we learn from her sister that after their father left, Bessie became a "second mother,/ who cleaned and swept and cared for us, / whie Mama kep another's house crosstown."
And in a third image, young Bessie is handing a basket of laundry to a white woman, meeting that woman's eyes with a firm gaze. In the voice of that laundry customer, we read in the poem: "..there this Colored girl would be standin',/ lookin' me straight in the eye, like we were just any two people /...You know, like we were equals." (last word italicized in text)
Just three of the striking images Lewis created of Bessie childhood that beautifully complement--and extend--the power of the writing.
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, Wi 53706 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Thu 06 Mar 2003 04:24:03 PM CST
