An artist’s love song: David Small gives ‘Prufrock’ new life

With over 40 books to his name, acclaimed Southwest Michigan artist David Small has dared to “disturb the universe” once again by taking on what might seem to be the slightly intimidating project of illustrating T.S. Eliot’s well-known poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.”

Most well-known as an illustrator of children’s books (“The Gardener,” “Imogene’s Antlers,” and Caldecott Award winner, “So, You Want to be President?”), Small has also tackled adult subjects in his work, such as his 2009 graphic memoir, “Stitches,” which was a National Book Award Finalist.

This time, Small turns to poetry for inspiration. In collaboration with the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center (KBAC), the “Prufrock” project brings new life to one of modern literature’s most enduring works. Produced by KBAC in two distinct formats — a paperback edition of 80 copies and a deluxe letterpress edition limited to just 20 — the project represents a fusion of literary homage, artistic interpretation, and the traditional craft of bookmaking.

Was the timing right?

Despite the challenges inherent in illustrating a poem familiar to so many, Small says he found the process unexpectedly intuitive.

“I knew it would be hard to illustrate Eliot,” he says, “but actually that poem turned out to be surprisingly easy once I decided on the approach.” He even describes the act of illustrating “Prufrock” as “an act of bravery,” given the poem’s stature and the expectations that accompany it.

The project also intersects with Small’s recent personal struggles. Following a brain surgery last year, he suffered a stroke that he describes candidly: “The brain surgery was successful. Followed by the stroke that was not successful. Nearly died twice.” His recovery, he says, has been gradual, marked by determination and small victories. “I’m working on things like mounting stairs, getting the hospital bed out of my living room,” he says.

For Small, his artistic journey into “Prufrock” began during a reflective period. “It was during the pandemic,” he says. “Work was scarce, the future uncertain, and, finding myself in the vestibule of old age, I recalled Eliot’s famous lines: ‘I grow old, I grow old, I shall wear my trousers rolled.’” Returning to the poem after decades, Small discovered an emotional depth that he says had eluded him when he read the poem in his youth.

“I found it relevant to me in fresh ways,” he says. “Its wry humor, for one thing, was revelatory. I hadn’t sensed it so acutely before.” What once struck him primarily as a work of sadness and isolation revealed itself, over time, to contain a sense of lightness. “Dark humor is perhaps the best way to cope with the diminishment of midlife and what lies beyond,” he says.

Small expresses particular admiration for Eliot’s insight at such a young age. “The poem is so accurate an expression of the plights of certain men in middle age, it astounds me that Eliot was only 28 at its conception.”

Small says, “There’s a big difference in reading it in maturity and reading it younger. You can maybe understand the fact of the situation (when you’re younger), but you don’t get to the reality of it until middle age.” 

He points to Prufrock’s acute self-consciousness as a key element that resonates more deeply with age. “At one point, (the speaker of the poem) sees himself descending the stairway with people viewing him like a bug upon a wall. That kind of self-consciousness has to be felt to understand it.”

For Small, the poem’s anxious self-awareness and underlying tension are relatable human experiences, and returning to the poem in maturity, he says, informed his approach to the artwork of what is a very visual poem, one filled with yellow smoke, rising waves, and the famous elusive peach.

Small will share more about his artistic process at a special event at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, at the Zhang Legacy Collections Center, 1650 Oakland Drive. The event will also feature a reading by Ricky Wallsten, a Western Michigan University drama student.

Copies of both editions of the book will be available for purchase.