Scraps of Memory by Ula Rugeviciute Rugtye (Mini Kus! #137)

Scraps of Memory is an excellent examination of the illusion of nostalgia. It reminds us that the place you remember never truly existed, and attempts to try and hold onto a place and time are fleeting, because by definition that place and time no longer exist. What our memories create are not accurate depictions of reality; they are illusive, ethereal, fleeting, ephemeral, and transitory; the past and future don’t actually exist, only the present, and any attempts to recapture and revisit are fruitless. The story contained is about survival being its own act of rebellion, but also carrying a sense of guilt or regret. The art is depicted with what looks like beautiful watercolor washes, mostly warm earthy tones that have a calming effect, which is a nice tonal fit to family history. While it can be comforting, family history is also so easily lost, the stories and experiences are so rarely captured in writing that is a firsthand account; it’s often spoken history that’s so easily subject to inadvertent alteration. While we may think we still have time to document it and capture it, the end scene reminds us how easily it can just fade away.