Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet

Written and illustrated by Andrea Cheng

Ebook

View the Teacher's Guide
View the Interviews

Sometime around 1815, an enslaved young man named Dave was brought to Edgefield, South Carolina, the center of a pottery-producing area known for the alkaline glazes used on the stoneware. Dave was taught how to turn pots and jars on a pottery wheel by one of his first owners. As Dave’s talent flourished, he created pieces of great beauty and often massive size. He also somehow learned to read and write, in spite of South Carolina’s strongly-held fear of slave literacy. And then Dave did something even more incredible—he began to sign his jars and carve many of them with sayings and poems that reflected his daily life and experiences. He spoke out against slavery not by protesting or revolting, but by daring to write at all.

Andrea Cheng has crafted a biography in verse as beautiful as one of Dave’s jars. In simple, powerful words, including some of Dave’s original writings, we learn his extraordinary story of courage, creative inspiration, and triumph. Today Dave is considered to be a master craftsperson whose jars are among the most sought-after pieces of Edgefield pottery.

See how the Etched in Clay artwork was made.

Read Andrea Cheng's Interview in School Library Journal
 

Podcast interview with:
Andrea Cheng and Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge on writing nonfiction (32:36)
 

NPR Affiliate WVXU's Interview with Andrea Cheng (10:54)

Explore additional teaching ideas with these three ways to use Etched in Clay.

Look at what close reading looks like with Etched in Clay.