A Letter from Jarrett J. Krosczka!
When writing Hey, Kiddo, my editor David Levithan offered me key advice.
“Don’t write this book as if it will be the only chance you’ll ever have to write about your life.”
Armed with that wisdom, we edited out an unwieldy chapter from an early draft. That chapter was about my time volunteering as a counselor at a camp for kids with life-threatening illnesses and summarized on page 263 of Hey, Kiddo. I needed the reader to know about that experience, as it motivated me to reply to my father’s introductory letter sent when I was sixteen. That story hinted at on page 263 is now the basis for my second memoir. Volunteerism was as consequential to my origin story as my artistic endeavors were. It shaped me into who I became through a radical growth mindset.
Any camp experience has the power to change you, but this camp served seriously ill children and their families, which was incredibly profound. And you may find yourself asking, “But wait. All of those kids had cancer? Wouldn’t that be incredibly depressing?” It’s a question I’ve fielded for years, and the answer is an emphatic NO. These weren’t kids who were dying; these were kids living life to their fullest despite the unimaginable hovering. Camp was an incredibly life affirming and joyous experience, and I’m excited to share this experience with you via my new graphic memoir.
As with Hey, Kiddo, I tell the story in part with ephemera — old sketches, letters, and memorabilia. I have also limited the color palette, but I add yellow to the mix when the Jarrett character leaves home for the first time and discovers an experience outside of the family unit. I also balance the heavy with the hilarious — two emotions that have comingled prominently throughout my life.
I am so thankful to have had the experience of working with these spectacularly brave kids, and I cannot wait for you to meet them in Sunshine.
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
