Draw What You See

Draw What You See

Juvenile biography
When Benny Andrews was seventy-five he traveled to hurricane
ravaged Louisiana. Children had survived a nightmare. Many continued
to live under quite adverse conditions. Andrews wanted to help then
learn to tell their stories. Not exactly what you'd expect of a
septigenarian.
As you'll see in Kathleen Benson's Draw What You See, Andrews
rarely did what was expected of him. He was born black, one of ten
children, in the Depression era South. He started working in the
fields early. His school year was only five months long, centered
around the needs of big farm owners rather than students. Unlike his
peers, he managed to graduate from high school and college.
Becoming a successful artist could have made him turn his back
on his past. He never forgot where he can't from. He painted
pictures of ordinary people occupying their lives. He fought to get
opportunities for other black artists.
Draw What You See is a very inspiring story, a chance for
children to see how one person defying the odds can truly make a
difference.
On a personal note, I was delighted to participate in a UMaine open
mic. I opened the show by singing Dream A Little Dream of Me. I was
wearing an evening gown and sequin covered ballet flats. Later I read
one of my poems. It was fabulous. Open mics are chances for people
to share their work and support each others endeavors. Imagine that--
people creating our own entertainment instead of consuming prepackaged
stuff.
A great big shout out goes out to all my fellow contributors.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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