‘Stitches’

David Small invites readers into his past with beautifully-drawn graphic novel ‘Stitches’

Madeline Laguaite

Do you remember what it was like to be 6 years old? To be barely 4 feet tall, peeking over countertops? Author David Small does. He elaborates on his life as a 6-year-old and beyond into adolescence through his graphic novel, “Stitches.” This enthralling memoir brings readers to Detroit to experience Small’s life, pre-adulthood. “Stitches” hits the mark with not only a captivating narrative, but with its tell-all, black-and-white sketches. 

In “Stitches,” readers get to know Small very well — perhaps uncomfortably well — during the course of the 326-page story. He details his own coming-of-age tale with scenes from his childhood, conversations with his mother and father and scattered memories that intertwine to form a cohesive, but not boring, storyline. Small’s memoir is dark with an overcast tone as he recounts his boyhood and explores the enigma that is his family.  

One by one, the scenes flow together without bleeding into each other and work to paint a cohesive life story.

What makes “Stitches” so fascinating is the plot. Told chronologically, the memoir had every opportunity to be another average retelling of someone’s run-of-the-mill life. Instead, Small sews his narrative together with scenes from his life. In one, he’s a young child scribbling with crayons on a piece of paper, making the cartoonish dancing beetles come to life, right off the page. In another scene, he’s a teenager grumbling his way through a therapy session. One by one, the scenes flow together without bleeding into each other and work to paint a cohesive life story. Themes common to “Stitches” — communication (or lack thereof), identity crisis and coming of age — also work as the glue of the tale. Of course, Small’s often overly-descriptive writing also furthers his story, especially when describing the characters in his life, such as Mrs. Dillion: his mother’s friend. Small writes:

“The wife of a surgeon, she had for me an almost supernatural glamour and sophistication. She drank Manhattans. She liked the music of Dave Brubeck. She was versed in the films of Brigitte Bardot and she left the scarlet imprint of her lips on the remains of her filter-tipped cigarettes.” 

And this isn’t unusual for Small; he routinely brings his family members, his friends, his past haunts to life, just as he did for Mrs. Dillon. Even though the author takes a risk of bogging down the reader with the introduction of many characters, these detailed descriptions just add to the narrative and make it all the more intriguing.

Each frame exists for a reason and Small chooses them purposefully, including shots of all angles.

As a graphic novel, “Stitches” is heavily dependent on Small’s drawings. The sketches are all black and white, and there isn’t a pop of color anywhere in the memoir, which helps set the tone and color his perspective on this time in his life. Small doesn’t seem to recall much color during his adolescence. Although the novel is in grayscale, Small’s shadowing in each frame adds another element to how readers can interpret his memories, and some are certainly darker than others. Each frame exists for a reason and Small chooses them purposefully, including shots of all angles. In one frame, there’s a tight close-up of his father’s eyes, squinting through a pair of old frames. In another, a wider shot of a trash can on fire, with sitting on its own on a page of whitespace. In its own way, Small’s drawings are almost more entrancing than his story. He especially draws on his artistic talent during scenes in which words simply wouldn’t do the page justice. 

Small’s “Stitches” is an enthralling, visual memoir, full of not only personal truths but universal truths. If readers are unfamiliar with graphic novels but willing to give them a shot, the bizarre story of Small’s life and the accompanying scenes in “Stitches” make for a great first graphic novel.