14 Comments
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Nina Zolotow's avatar

This is just brilliant! Wonderful, wonderful work

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Donna Druchunas's avatar

Thank you so much.

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DD🌻's avatar

Wow. Thank you for sharing your story of your ancestors coming to America!

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Denyse Allen's avatar

These are so striking! What are you using to design the pages? And are you publishing on paper?

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Donna Druchunas's avatar

Hi. Thank you. I use Procreate and sometimes Affinity Designer & Publisher. I do some things in print. I have 2 books of comics that I self published on Amazon. (Plus a bunch of knitting books.)

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Ann G. Forcier's avatar

This is potent. Your ancestors worked the mills of NH?! I wonder whether they crossed paths with mine who were in Suncook/Manchester mills in the last centuries. The more I share my stories and read stories such as yours, the more I feel the world divided along lines of "how do you care about others?" than lines of family, tribe, genes, or geography. Looking forward to your stories.

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Donna Druchunas's avatar

It was the 1920s when my great grandfather worked there. I don’t know where exactly. He went to NH to get a better job after being a coal miner. Alas he died a few years later. Probably from alcoholism but I haven’t gotten his death certificate yet.

Yeah there are so many ways to connect. I don’t believe our roots are all genetic or geographical. There are so many things we learn and experience in our lives, we are growing new roots all the time!

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Beth Brown-Reinsel's avatar

So wrenching, so touching. Thank you Donna for saying all this that is in my mind as well. My heart trembles for the immigrants here today who will experience much sorrow in the next four years...

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Donna Druchunas's avatar

Thank you Beth. Yes. It’s all really worrisome and sad right now.

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Judith Margolis's avatar

wow Donna!!! I think this is spectacular the art the multi-media artfulness! the combining of history and personal memoir!!!!! Is this available as a zine”??

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Tom Hart's avatar

Donna this is terrific

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Donna Druchunas's avatar

Thank you, Tom!

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Tom Hart's avatar

(I hope we put it in The Divide?!)

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Donna Druchunas's avatar

No, we didn’t! Is it too late? I didn’t even think of that.

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