Prelude to a Million Years and Song Without Words: Two Graphic Novels

One of the twentieth century's finest engravers, Lynd Ward created remarkable woodcuts that resonate in both the heart and the imagination. His dramatic images present complete, self-contained narratives in both of these wordless tales. Prelude to a Million Years unfolds against the backdrop of the Great Depression, portraying in thirty illustrations a sculptor's struggles in an industrial society. Song Without Words explores one woman's emotional journey through pregnancy and childbirth in a series of twenty-one images described by the author as "a kind of prose poem." Ward's memorable works have been honored with such prestigious awards as the Library of Congress Award, the National Academy of Design Print Award, the New York Times Best Illustrated Award, the Caldecott Medal, and the Regina Award. An introduction by woodcut historian David A. Beronä places these stories within the context of Ward's career and the graphic arts world of the 1930s.