Vesper Stamper: Tears Into Song
May 7 to May 19, 2019

Vesper Stamper’s acclaimed graphic novel, What The Night Sings, is a story about finding a way to turn tears into song. It traces the life of a teenage musician who survives the camps of the Holocaust and seeks to find her own voice as a singer again. The book was born out of Stamper’s exploration of her heritage, having grown up in a Jewish family in New York. But it was also part of a personal quest to create beauty from loss after her career as a singer was cut short by an accident that irreparably damaged her ability to play an instrument.

In her novel and her illustrations, Stamper is uncompromising in her depiction of the depth of evil and loss that are possible in this world. But however unsparing, the images themselves are always a rebuke to that evil: something beautiful, made at the very same psychic spot as the sorrow and loss, which gives us hope that we might all be able to find a way to turn our tears into song.

And join Stamper for a special talk and workshop on healing through art, Tuesday, 14, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Click here for more information.

About the artist:

For over twenty years, Vesper Stamper’s work as an illustrator has centered on the exploration of the fruit borne from trauma. In 2018, her Young Adult illustrated novel, What the Night Sings, was released, which tells the story of two teens emerging from the aftermath of the Holocaust, and how they rebuild their lives from scratch. What the Night Sings was nominated for the National Book Award, was a finalist for the Morris Award and the Golden Kite Award, and is the winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children's literature.

Facing piece: “Planting Seeds” by Vesper Stamper

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