By Erin Wood
“A feast for the eyes and the spirit of all Black children. Mercer has blended fine art, quilting, and literary excellence,” says fiber artist and storyteller Bisa Butler about Little Rock poet and textile artist Crystal C. Mercer’s children’s book, From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair.
On Juneteenth, the book was released in paperback. About the paperback release, Crystal shares, “Based on a true story, From Cotton To Silk: The Magic of Black Hair pays homage to my late grandmother, Leola Strong Brown, affectionately known as ‘Memaw,’ and ushers my nieces into the knowledge of their heritage. I couldn’t be more proud of this work and of who I come from.”
The book’s enchanting pages reveal 467 hours of hand-stitching poured into textile renderings that blend cloth, culture, and the superpowers of the kinky, curly coif. Sprinkled with #BlackGirlMagic and an ode to cultural beauty, From Cotton to Silk encourages girls everywhere to appreciate their hair in its natural state and love themselves just the way they are.
In the book, it’s Wash Day, but Elise doesn’t want to wash her hair. Will a visit from her favorite Auntie CC, encouragement from her big sister, Gisele, a poem laced with magic, and a special gift passed down from the women who came before her be enough to change her mind?
Signed copies of this 8.5 x 11 paperback and hardback are available at etaliapress.com.
Hot Springs native, Erin Wood is a writer, editor, and publisher in Little Rock. She owns and runs (www.etaliapress.com). Wood is author of “Women Make Arkansas: Conversations With 50 Creatives” (April 2019) and editor of and a contributor to “Scars: An Anthology” (2015).
