By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

The first image is the cover of “I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This” (Used with the permission of Candlewick Press). The second is a page from “Will Eisner: A Comics Biography” by Stephen Weiner and Dan Mazur (Used with the permission of NBM Graphic Novels).

“I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This”

Life for Jews in the Soviet Union in the early 1980s was difficult and dangerous, particularly if one openly identified as Jewish. The world was not necessarily easier for those with artistic ambitions that were not sanctioned by the state. Unfortunately for Eugene Yelchin, he was both. His absorbing and heartrending memoir “I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This” (Candlewick Press), recommended for those age 14 and up, uses words and pictures to present a vivid portrait of that time. 
Yelchin lived in an apartment in Leningrad with his mother and grandmother, both of whom are acknowledgeable about the ways of Soviet life, which include staying away from anything controversial. His grandmother knows that the TV news she always watches does not accurately reflect the real world, but, if one reads between the lines, it can become clear what’s really happening. The women warn Yelchin that his choices will place him in danger, although he refuses to listen. 
When the memoir opens, the author, who is an artist, is preparing a painting for an unauthorized exhibit being held in a friend’s apartment. His friend dresses as a religious Jew, something definitely not encouraged at the time and w

hich will create problems. In the meantime, the artists who are exhibiting are hoping to meet Americans who managed to evade their Russian keepers and who will buy the works of art. That’s not what happens, but Yelchin meets an American exchange student, Libby, with whom he falls in love, even though their relationship is forbidden. Although Libby’s Russian is limited, she manages to make her meaning clear, particularly when pointing out Yelchin’s weaknesses. All this does is make Yelchin admit there is only one way to survive in the Soviet Union: You need to be scared and to lie about life because to speak the truth is dangerous.
Because of various complications (to reveal more would spoil parts of the plot), Yelchin agrees to work as a set designer in Siberia. Problems occur and he finds himself drafted to fight in Afghanistan. However, his life takes another unexpected turn: one that finds him living in an asylum for those with mental illness. These sections, which are brilliantly done, are not for the faint of heart. Yelchin’s drawings make his experience feel more real than words alone would have. Even when his life once again changes, it’s clear that this experience will haunt him.
Yelchin won a Sydney Taylor Honor Award for the first volume of his memoir, “The Genius Under the Table,” but one does not have to have read that work to appreciate “I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This.” The artwork is in shades of grey as befitting the topic. While there were a few occasions where it was difficult to tell which character was speaking, that was only a minor quibble. The memoir will leave readers impatiently awaiting for a hoped for third volume to learn what happened after the work’s conclusion.

“Will Eisner; A Comics Biography”

Will Eisner was known as a master graphic artist, so much so that what have been called the most prestigious comics awards, the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, were named after him. His work ranged from superheroes to literary graphic works such as his “A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories.” It feels appropriate for his biography to take a graphic format: “Will Eisner: A Comics Biography” by Stephen Weiner and Dan Mazur (NBM Graphic Novels) tells the story of his life from his parents’ immigrant background through his death in 2005.
Eisner’s parents were poor and often had to leave their apartment during the night because they were unable to pay the rent. Sam Eisner, Will’s father, was a painter who came to the U.S. hoping for greater opportunities. While he did find work painting scenery for Yiddish plays, the work was sporadic. The authors clearly capture Will’s mother’s distress and frustration at their poverty and her husband’s refusal to let her help. Life didn’t get any easier for the family when the Great Depression hit. Even while attending school, Will began selling newspapers in order to bring in much needed funds. Once he finished high school, he immediately began to look for work. (He never officially graduated because he failed a course, but chose to work to support his family rather than attend summer school to make up the class.) 
From the time he was young, Will loved adventure stories. He also loved drawing and hoped to find work as an illustrator, which was not easy to do. However, his career slowly built and, at one point, he had his own studio of artists and writers. His best known work from that time was a strip about a hero known as The Spirit, which appeared in a weekly comic section published in newspapers across the country. The impetus for his literary work was more personal: the death of his daughter. The authors show his influence on later comic works, but also how he was unable to relate to some counterculture comics.
“Will Eisner” is extremely well done. It highlights the changes in how comics were printed in the 1930s, making comic books as we now know them possible. The authors also show how the studio system of comics worked, something that resembled a factory line with its focus on increased production. They also don’t shy away from some of the more problematic issues found in Eisner’s work, particularly his treatment of a Black character that reflected the stereotypes of the time. The book is perfect for those looking to learn more about Eisner, readers who enjoy a Jewish success story or for comic books fans eager to learn more about the history of their favorite genre.

 
“A Tale of Two Surrogates”

Using comics to teach about medicine and health: that’s the purpose behind the Graphic Medicine series. At first, the series might not seem to have any Jewish content. However, “A Tale of Two Surrogates: A Graphic Narrative on Assisted Reproduction” by Elly Teman and Zsuzsa Berend with art by Andrea Scebba (The Pennsylvania State University Press) portrays the difference between the surrogate process in the United States and Israel. Berend, a sociologist, and Teman, an anthropologist, used their two decades of research to offer composite characters, the Israeli Dana and the American Jenn, in order to discuss ethical and medical questions related to surrogacy. 
The book had two focuses: descriptions of how the process works and a personal look at the feelings of the surrogates and their husbands. The story deliberately offers different viewpoints on everything from the different reactions of the surrogates’ extended family and the surrogates’ relationship to the intended parents after the birth. The work makes it clear that the surrogate mother – at least, in these cases – is implanted with a fertilized egg. Her DNA is not part of the equation.
What was of most interest are the differences in the laws between the two countries. In the United States, each state has its own law governing surrogacy. (Some are more surrogate friendly then others.) There is a contract between the potential surrogate mother and the intended parents, with the details being decided by the individuals involved; the state does not interfere as long as the contract is legal. In Israel, on the other hand, the government decides who can be a surrogate and Jewish law plays a major role in its decisions. Since having children is highly encouraged in Israeli society, the people taking part in the process are respected, but the process is greatly regimented with the potential surrogate undergoing not only physical tests, but psychological ones. A potential surrogate’s is also interviewed separately, making this a complex project.
The work also includes information about surrogacy in other countries, which lends a different light to the process. Many of these women become surrogates due to extreme poverty; they are paid to be a surrogate and plan to use the money to create a better life for the children they already have. The contrast between them and the two women featured in the main text is striking.
“A Tale of Two Surrogates” is well done and offers readers a great deal to ponder concerning the surrogacy process. On the whole, it offers a positive view of what occurs since Jenn and Dana feel they have done something extremely important: helping the intended parents create a family they might otherwise not have. However, the down sides – from medical problems to personal differences – are also noted. Anyone thinking of either becoming a surrogate or looking for a surrogate will find this work an excellent starting point. Others may find it an interesting glimpse into an often hidden part of contemporary life.