ARTIST’S NOTE
When I sat down to illustrate So Tall Within , I approached the text as a work of poetry. It conjured feelings that allowed me to view the narrative of Sojourner Truth in a contemporary light. Inspired by this poetic reading, I created a series of vertical paintings that are loosely planted in the times of legal slavery but that parallel the feeling of struggle in today’s streets—the feeling that you may be buried, but you are surrounded by soil that nourishes you. One panel has an image of a young man in a slave collar, a bizarre accoutrement used to prevent people from running away. For me, this nineteenth-century image has echoes in present times. This individual prison of metal and chains has now evolved into prison data records and religious and racial profiling that follow an individual, limiting his or her access to citizenship and free movement. The story of Sojourner Truth shows the value of deep inner strength even when others try to deny your humanity. It shows the power of spirituality, self-worth, and the determination to live a right life in a wrong world. I believe that when Isabella told the painful details of her life and struggles, it was her way of sharing her strength and psychic armor with us so that we could continue the walk long after she laid her lever down.
For Ashley Bryan, with gratitude for a long friendship — G.D.S.
To my Eight Tall Sisters, whose strength and embrace I always rely on — D.M.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group LLC, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
Text copyright © 2018 by Gary D. Schmidt. Illustrations copyright © 2018 by Daniel Minter.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, by arrangement with Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group LLC. Printed in the U.S.A.
ISBN-13: 978-1-338-35544-4 ISBN-10: 1-338-35544-9
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