Yevgenia Nayberg
Author of Anya's Secret Society
Works by Yevgenia Nayberg
Another Tongue 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- illustrator
painter
set designer - Awards and honors
- TCG Fellowship for Theatre Designers (National Endowment for the Arts)
Independent Theatre Award
Arlin Meyer Award - Nationality
- Ukraine (birth)
- Places of residence
- Kiev, Ukraine
New York, New York, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- Ukraine
Members
Reviews
In this endearing graphic memoir, award-winning artist and author Yevgenia (Genya) Nayberg traces her early life in Kiev, her desire to be an artist, and her struggles to get selected for the prestigious National Secondary School of Art. It was an especially high hurdle given the 1% cap on Jewish admissions. Her mother arranged for a private tutor, but the sessions had to be abandoned when the Chernobyl disaster struck on April 26, 1986.
Her family evacuated for the summer to a safer location show more in Volgograd [formerly Stalingrad], a 20-hour train ride from Kiev, which was only ninety kilometers from Chernobyl (56 miles).
Nayberg then pauses in her story to fill us in on some background, taking us back to 1980 when she was five. She yearned to fit in with everyone else, but she had an unusual name and an unusual haircut, and people thought she was a boy. [Genya in Russian is a unisex diminutive that serves as a short form for the female name Yevgeniya (Eugenia) as well as the male names Evgeny (Eugene) or Gennady.] When she complained, her mother - an artist herself - would reply, “Oh please! Don’t be banal!” But Genya desperately wanted to be just “banal”!
In 1982 she began school, reporting that because the country’s president, Leonid Brezhnev, was afraid of an American nuclear attack, all the students had to learn to wear World War II respirators. [This was actually more rational than drills for American students, who had to sit under their desks during drills.]
In that year Genya also got a younger brother, Yura, named for Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.
We then jump ahead to 1986, up to speed on her backstory. She shares how her art tutor prepared her for the admission exam, and about the turmoil after the nuclear power plant accident, when the public's main source of information was the rumor mill. The government was claiming the situation was "under control." But most people knew better.
Her recollections of the sociopolitical climate as she understood it then provide an interesting child's-eye-view of the restrictions on Jews, the coverup of the nuclear accident, the Brehznev’s government fear of America, and the way everyone seemed to understand, but would never say publicly, that governmental pronouncements were full of lies.
Finally, it was time for Genya to return to Kyiv from Volgograd in order to take the art school entrance exams. They were conducted for six hours every day for a week! She was ecstatic to learn she was admitted. At her new secondary school, classes consisted of language, math, and “Profession.” Mom explained, “that’s what they call art classes at this school. Profession. Genya beamed:
"I'm no longer a talented child.
I'm finally a real artist.”
An Epilogue and Author’s Note conclude the story.
Nayberg’s characters are drawn in a way that not only conveys childlike innocence but evokes Modigliani’s iconic style. The winsome illustrations are expressive, informative, and often humorous. She even provides an expert rendition of eye rolling!
Most of the narrative unfolds in soft, muted pastels, with occasional cityscapes that stand apart as dreamy, painterly snapshots rendered in highly saturated watercolor collages.
Evaluation: Nayberg's portrayal of her younger self is so charming; Genya is relatable, funny and brave, and ought to inspire readers to keep their dreams in sight, no matter what obstacles seem to lie in their paths. The way the visual style changes with the narrative adds to the cross-disciplinary pedagogical value already provided by this blend of history, memoir, and art. This should not just be considered a "middle grade" book. Highly recommended for all ages! show less
Her family evacuated for the summer to a safer location show more in Volgograd [formerly Stalingrad], a 20-hour train ride from Kiev, which was only ninety kilometers from Chernobyl (56 miles).
Nayberg then pauses in her story to fill us in on some background, taking us back to 1980 when she was five. She yearned to fit in with everyone else, but she had an unusual name and an unusual haircut, and people thought she was a boy. [Genya in Russian is a unisex diminutive that serves as a short form for the female name Yevgeniya (Eugenia) as well as the male names Evgeny (Eugene) or Gennady.] When she complained, her mother - an artist herself - would reply, “Oh please! Don’t be banal!” But Genya desperately wanted to be just “banal”!
In 1982 she began school, reporting that because the country’s president, Leonid Brezhnev, was afraid of an American nuclear attack, all the students had to learn to wear World War II respirators. [This was actually more rational than drills for American students, who had to sit under their desks during drills.]
In that year Genya also got a younger brother, Yura, named for Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.
We then jump ahead to 1986, up to speed on her backstory. She shares how her art tutor prepared her for the admission exam, and about the turmoil after the nuclear power plant accident, when the public's main source of information was the rumor mill. The government was claiming the situation was "under control." But most people knew better.
Her recollections of the sociopolitical climate as she understood it then provide an interesting child's-eye-view of the restrictions on Jews, the coverup of the nuclear accident, the Brehznev’s government fear of America, and the way everyone seemed to understand, but would never say publicly, that governmental pronouncements were full of lies.
Finally, it was time for Genya to return to Kyiv from Volgograd in order to take the art school entrance exams. They were conducted for six hours every day for a week! She was ecstatic to learn she was admitted. At her new secondary school, classes consisted of language, math, and “Profession.” Mom explained, “that’s what they call art classes at this school. Profession. Genya beamed:
"I'm no longer a talented child.
I'm finally a real artist.”
An Epilogue and Author’s Note conclude the story.
Nayberg’s characters are drawn in a way that not only conveys childlike innocence but evokes Modigliani’s iconic style. The winsome illustrations are expressive, informative, and often humorous. She even provides an expert rendition of eye rolling!
Most of the narrative unfolds in soft, muted pastels, with occasional cityscapes that stand apart as dreamy, painterly snapshots rendered in highly saturated watercolor collages.
Evaluation: Nayberg's portrayal of her younger self is so charming; Genya is relatable, funny and brave, and ought to inspire readers to keep their dreams in sight, no matter what obstacles seem to lie in their paths. The way the visual style changes with the narrative adds to the cross-disciplinary pedagogical value already provided by this blend of history, memoir, and art. This should not just be considered a "middle grade" book. Highly recommended for all ages! show less
https://afuse8production.slj.com/2022/12/06/31-days-31-lists-2022-funny-picture-...
A Ukrainian immigrant girl embraces "American" foods, but finds she misses the soup she hated growing up.
Recipe included ("if this does not sound like the borsch your grandma makes, I apologize. I am sure she is a wonderful lady and a great cook").
A Ukrainian immigrant girl embraces "American" foods, but finds she misses the soup she hated growing up.
Recipe included ("if this does not sound like the borsch your grandma makes, I apologize. I am sure she is a wonderful lady and a great cook").
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 7
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 101
- Popularity
- #188,709
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 3
- ISBNs
- 11