Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet

by Andrea Cheng (Author) Andrea Cheng (Illustrator)

Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

The acclaimed biography-in-verse about the life and times of Dave, an enslaved potter who inscribed his works with short poems during the years leading up to the Civil War.

Sometime before 1818, an enslaved young man named Dave was brought to Edgefield, in the heart of South Carolina's pottery-producing area. From the time he was first taught to turn a potter's wheel, Dave showed exceptional natural talent. Soon he was creating pieces of great beauty and often massive size. He also learned to read and write, even though South Carolina had laws prohibiting slave literacy. And then Dave did something even more daring: he began to sign his jars and carve many of them with sayings and short poems that reflected his daily life and experiences. With these courageous acts, Dave quietly protested the brutality of slavery and asserted his humanity.

Here is an evocative portrait of Dave as memorable as one of his jars. Through simple yet powerful poetry, including some of Dave's inscriptions, we learn his extraordinary story of perseverance, creative inspiration, and hope. Today Dave's legacy lives on in the artistry of his pottery, in his intriguing words, and as a reminder of the dignity and resilience of the human spirit.

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School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 5 Up--The pain of slavery and its disregard for human worth reverberates throughout this beautifully written, beautifully illustrated account of an enslaved potter in South Carolina in the 19th century. Cheng's sensitive verses, written in the voice of Dave and the people involved in his life, share the man's innermost feelings, the sensation of shaping clay on the potter's wheel, and hints at conflicts within a slave owner's mind. But even with a master who seems to have some appreciation of Dave's talents, the ugliness of slavery takes over. The matter-of-fact, unfeeling way in which Eliza, Dave's first wife, is sold off speaks volumes. Dave's need to communicate and be noticed comes out in the risk he takes by inscribing some verse and words on the pots he creates. This deep need squelches any fear of reprisals when literacy was a punishable offense for slaves. Motivated by her belief that everyone needs to read Scriptures in order to be saved, the slave owner's wife started Dave on his quest to read. Through all of the adversity, he stoically carries on despite being sold, despite having loved ones repeatedly taken from him, and despite losing a leg in a train accident, always spurred on by the need to communicate. Cheng has created a passionate homage to the human spirit, which speaks volumes in this brief book. Her woodcuts add another layer to the drama that unfolds in the telling. A powerful and uplifting biography.--Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Andrea Cheng
When she was eight, Andrea Cheng cleared out a space behind her house and made a garden just like the one in this book. Though she passed away in 2015, her books will continue to inspire. Learn more at andreacheng.com.

Patrice Barton earned a BFA in studio art from the University of Texas-Austin and illustrates books for children. Visit her at patricebarton.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781620148075
Lexile Measure
790
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Lee & Low Books
Publication date
March 20, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF007010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Art
JNF018010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JNF025200 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/19th Century
JNF042000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Poetry | General
JNF007020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Historical
JNF006040 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Art | History
Library of Congress categories
Dave
African American potters
African American poets
Slaves
South Carolina
African American poet
Parents Choice Awards (Spring) (2008-Up)
Gold Medal Winner 2013 - 2013
Georgia Children's Book Award
Alternate 2015 - 2015

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