>> NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR JARRETT
CROW-ZOS-KA, WHO YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH FOR HIS GRAPHIC
NOVEL, “LUNCH LADY' OR HIS PICTURE BOOKS, SUCH AS MAX FOR
PRESIDENT, HAS A NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL OUT ENTITLED, “HEY KIDDO”"
THIS STORY IS A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF HIS CHILDHOOD, IN WHICH HE
DESCRIBES THE HEARTACHE AND DIFFICULTY OF LEARNING HIS
MOTHER WAS ADDICTED TO HEROIN. IN THE BOOK, HE TALKS ABOUT HIS
OWN ANGER AND HOW ADDICTION AFFECTS FAMILIES.
CROW-ZOS-KA, WHO LIVES IN NORTHAMPTON, SAT DOWN WITH
CONNECTING POINT'S CAROLEE MCGRATH TO TELL US MORE ABOUT
HIS LATEST PROJECT. >> HEY KIDDO WAS A GRAPHIC
MEMOIR AND IT'S TOLD THROUGH SEQUENTIAL ART SO PANELS AND
WORD BALLOONS AND IT'S TOLD -- IT'S TOLD WITH THE WORDS AS WELL
AS THE PICTURES. >> IT'S A SERIOUS TOPIC, THOUGH,
AND IT REALLY DEALS WITH FAMILY ADDICTION.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY.
>> SURE, I GREW UP IN WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, AND MY MOTHER --
MY MOTHER WAS ADDICTED TO HEROIN, WHICH I WOULD LEARN
LATER IN MY CHILDHOOD AND SO SHE ONLY HAD CUSTODY OF ME FOR A
COUPLE OF YEARS UNTIL HER PARENTS, MY GRANDPARENTS,
STEPPED IN SO JOSEPH AND SHIRLEY RAISED ME WHEN I WAS JUST BEFORE
MY THIRD BIRTHDAY. THEY TOOK ME IN AND THEN GAINED
LEGAL CUSTODY OF ME AND SO FOR MANY YEARS I WOULD SHARE THAT
STORY AND THEN PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS EASY IN AND OUT AND YOU HAD
THESE GRANDPARENTS AND WE IMAGES OF GRANDPARENTS BAKING COOKIES
AND THEY WERE WONDERFUL PEOPLE BUT THEY WERE AS HUMANS ARE
COMPLICATED SO HEY KIDDO IS ABOUT GROWING UP GRAPPLING WITH
MY MOTHER'S ADDICTION. DEALING WITH MY GRANDPARENTS,
YOU KNOW -- WHILE -- IN THEIR LIVES LABELED AS ALCOHOLICS THEY
CERTAINLY DRANK A LOT AND THEY DRANK THEIR DRINKS STIFFLY AND
TO EXTREMES AND ALSO MY BIRD FATHER I DIDN'T MEET UNTIL I WAS
17, SO IT'S ABOUT SORT OF GETTING A HANDLE ON ALL OF THAT
WHILE YOU'RE GROWING UP AND HOW FOR ME PERSONALLY LIKE MY GO-TO
THING WAS ART, I LOVED DRAWING, I LOVED COMICS SO IT'S ABOUT HOW
ART CAN HELP YOU ESCAPE YOUR REALITIES.
ART CAN BE YOUR SAVING GRACE AND THIS BOOK IS ABOUT FAMILY AND
HOW FAMILY TAKES MANY FORMS AND MANY SHAPES AND HOW FAMILY ISN'T
PERFECT BUT -- I THINK IT'S THE THRILL FOR MY BOOK WHILE THESE
PEOPLE WERE VERY COMPLICATED, MY MOTHER INCLUDED, OF COURSE, I
WAS LOVED. I WAS LOVED VERY MUCH AND I
THINK THAT COMES THROUGH ON THE BOOK AS WELL.
>> WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT AND
SHARE YOUR STORY AT THE TIME. >> WELL, IT'S A STORY I'D BEEN
THINKING ABOUT WRITING SINCE I FIRST GOT PUBLISHED.
SO MY FIRST CHILDREN'S BOOKS WERE PUBLISHED IN EARLY, 2001
WAS MY FIRST BOOK. IT WAS PUBLISHED AND I ALWAYS
TOLD STORIES THROUGH WORDS AND PICTURES AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT
MAYBE I WOULD SHARE MY STORY THROUGH WORDS AND PICTURES, MY
UPBRINGING AND IT WAS ALSO IN THE BACK OF MY MIND BUT IN 2012
I GAVE A -- I WAS HOME ON A AFTERNOON, OCTOBER OF 2012 AND
THE PERSON WAS PRODUCING THE TEDX TALKS IN HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE
GOT IN TOUCH WITH ME AND SHE CALLED HOUR HEADLINER CANCELLED
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO FILL IN? NOW WAS THIS THINKING WAS THIS
NEXT WEEK OR POSSIBLY TOMORROW BUT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT
NIGHT SO I HAD ABOUT 4 OR 5 HOURS TO GET MYSELF OVER AND GET
OVER TO HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE AND DELIVER SOME SORT OF
PRESENTATION. MY WIFE GINA ENCOURAGED TO TALK
ABOUT MY UPBRINGING AND IF SOMEONE SAYS IF YOU CAN GIVE A
TED TALK AND YOU DON'T HAVE A TED TALK IN YOUR DRAWER READY TO
GO AND SHE TALKED ABOUT MY UPBRINGING AND THAT TED TALK
ENDED UP GOING ON TO THE FRONT PAGE OF TED.COM.
IT WENT VIRAL. IT'S BEEN VIEWED OVER A MILLION
TIMING AND AFTER THAT FACT, EVERY SCHOOL I WOULD VISIT --
'CAUSE I VISIT SCHOOLS WITH MY CHILDREN'S BOOKS, EVERY SCHOOL
I'D GO TO THERE WOULD BE AN ADULT WHO WOULD PULLED ME ASIDE
WE HAVE KIDS AT THE SCHOOL THEY ARE JUST LIKE YOU.
EITHER THEY HAVE A PARENT WHO'S INCARS RATED OR DEALING WITH
ADDICTIONS AND CERTAINLY THEY'RE DEALING WITH HOME LIVES THAT
AREN'T YOUR SORT OF FAIRY-FAIR
FAIRY-TALESQUE HOMES. IT WASN'T IF I WAS AT SCHOOL, IT
WAS FREE OR REDUCED SCHOOLS FOR HUGE TUITION FEES THE PROBLEM
WAS EVERYWHERE. AND I FELT LIKE THIS WAS A STORY
I NEED TO WRITE AND I HAVE ALL OF THESE READERS FOLLOWING ME
ALONG WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND NOW IN THEIR EARLY 20s
AND I HAVE A VERY UNIQUE WAY TO TELL THE STORY AND SO ALL OF
THAT CAME TOGETHER FOR ME TO REALIZE THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND
IT TOOK A WHILE BECAUSE ALSO -- ASIDE FROM THE AMOUNT OF THE
WORK THAT GOES INTO WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A GRAPHIC NOVEL,
JUST GAINING THE COURAGE TO TELL THE STORY, I REALIZED -- IF I
WAS TO WRITE THIS, I COULDN'T PULL ANY PUNCHES.
I HAD TO PUT IT ALL OUT THERE FOR ALL TO SEE.
>> AND I WAS WONDERING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE A
CHALLENGE LIKE YOU HAD GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES FOLLOW
WHAT THEIR PARENTS DID. YOU DID NOT.
HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO KIND OF CHOOSE A DIFFERENT PATH THAN
YOUR MOM? >> WELL, FOR ONE THING, I ALWAYS
LOVE TO DRAW AND SHE ALWAYS LOVED TO DRAW AND SHE WAS VERY
TALENTED AND ALL THE DRAWINGS SHE KNEW FOR ME SHE DREW FROM
PRISON. SHE DIDN'T DRAW THEM AT THE
KITCHEN TABLE WITH ME. WE WOULD DRAW PICTURES BACK AND
FORTH AND SEND LETTERS BACK AND FORTH WHILE SHE WAS IN
INCARCERATED AND I REALIZED AT A VERY YOUNG AGE THAT SHE HAD BEEN
GIVEN THIS GIFT AND SQUANDERED IT SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING TO
DO WITH THAT, AND THERE WAS THAT PASSION THAT I HAD AND I WAS
SURROUNDED BY SO MANY CARING ADULTS.
YOU HAVE -- I HAD THE ADULTS IN MY HOME THAT CARED FOR ME, AND I
WAS SURROUNDED BY SO MANY ADULTS AT MY SCHOOLS AND MY TEACHERS
THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE ME. I HAVE AUNTS THAT ARE LIKE
SISTERS WHO WOULD ENCOURAGE ME OR MY NEIGHBOR'S MOM WOULD
ALWAYS ENCOURAGE MY GIFT OF DRAWING, AND SO BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW -- AS THEY SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
I HAD A VILLAGE OF ADULTS WHO BELIEVED ENEMY, I WAS --
BELIEVED IN ME, I WAS ABLE TO TRANSCEND IT.
>> DID YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE WRITING IT, YOU
KNOW, LATER -- NOT YOUR LATER YEARS BUT AS OPPOSED TO WHEN YOU
WERE 22. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WRITING IT SO MANY YEARS LATER.
DID YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW BEING MARRIED AND HAVING
CHILDREN? >> WELL, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW,
TIME HELPS US GET A BETTER HANDLE ON THE SCOPE OF THINGS,
RIGHT? SO A COUPLE OF THE THINGS
HAPPENED, AGE HELPS 'CAUSE YOU GET A MORE MACROVIEW OF ALL OF
THIS HAPPENING. BUT I BECAME A PARENT, RIGHT?
SO WHEN I BECAME A PARENT AND I'M LOVING ON MY BABY SO MUCH
AND AS MY KIDS AGED AND I GOT TO BE THERE FOR EVERYTHING I
FIGURED HOW DIFFICULT IT HAD TO BE ARE FOR MY MOTHER TO BE
SEPARATED FROM ME. YOU'RE A KID AND EVERYBODY IS
LIVING IN YOUR WORLD AND THERE'S HEROES AND VILLAINS IN YOUR
WORLD WHEN I GOT OLDER AND I HAD MY KIDS IT DEFINITELY GAVE ME
MORE EMPATHY FOR MY MOTHER IRONICALLY AS I STARTED HAVING
KIDS SHE STARTED GETTING IN TROUBLE AGAIN AND SHE STARTED
USING AGAIN AND HER RELAPSE SHE JUST COULDN'T HELP HERSELF.
I KNOW IN HER HEART WAS PURE LOVE AND PURE JOY BUT HER MIND
AND BODY WAS NOT IN SYNC WITH THAT BUT IF I HAD WRITTEN IN MY
EARLY 20s IT WOULD BE BLACK AND WHITE HERE'S THE HEROES, HERE'S
THE VILLAINS. IT'S ALL SHADES OF GREY ALL
COMPLICATED FOR THESE PEOPLE. >> FOR KIDS WHO ARE GOING
THROUGH WITH LIKE YOU WENT THROUGH, WHAT DO YOU SAY WITH
THEM WHO ARE STRUGGLING ALL THEIR SEPARATE EMOTIONS.
>> I ENCOURAGE KIDS THERE'S SO MANY KIND OF INTELLIGENCE.
WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE WE HAVE TO TAKE THESE STATE TESTS
BUT THERE'S SO MANY WAYS TO BE TALENTED AND SO MANY WAYS TO BE
INTELLIGENT SO I HAD ARTIC INTELENS.
ONE MIGHT HAVE MUSICAL INTERINTELLIGENCE, ONE MIGHT
HAVE INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE, ONE MIGHT GROW UP TO BE A
MUSICIAN, AND THE OTHER MIGHT GROW UP TO BE A GUIDANCE
COUNSELORS. FIND IT AND THAT CAN BE YOUR
TICKET OUT OF HERE.