Stan Mack asks “what was the journey that took my ancestors from the land of Israel to Providence, Rhode Island over the course of the past three millennia?” Reflecting on an experience he had at Mt. Sinai, Mack recounts the trials and unexpected discoveries about his family’s story. In his search for where he comes from, Mack arrives at a perspective on belongingness that emphasizes the stories, achievements, tragedies, and journeys rather than a single place of origin.
Stan Mack is the author of the comics history The Story of the Jews: A 4,000 Year Adventure (Jewish Lights), from which the cartoons in his talk were taken. Mack pioneered a documentary style of cartooning with his notorious New York comic strip "Stan Mack’s Real Life Funnies," which ran in The Village Voice. His Adweek magazine comic strip, "Stan Mack’s Out-takes," covered the New York media scene. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and a former art director of The New York Times’ “Sunday Magazine.” His other books include Janet & Me: An Illustrated Story of Love and Loss (Simon & Schuster); Taxes, The Tea Party, and those Revolting Rebels: A Comics History of the American Revolution (NBM); and Road to Revolution! and Fight for Freedom, historical graphic novels for young people co-authored with Susan Champlin.
