How Do I Draw These Memories?

Jonell Joshua spent her childhood shuttling back and forth between Savannah and New Jersey - living in grandparents’ homes during the times her mother, struggling with mental illness, needed support to raise her and her brothers. Together the family found a way to keep going even in the darkest of times.

How Do I Draw These Memories? is an illustrated memoir about nostalgia, faith, the preciousness of life, and unconditional love.

From Jonell’s devastatingly brilliant pen as a writer and an artist, it plumbs the depths of what family can be - and how joy and hope can be found in the most ordinary and extraordinary moments.

Jonell Joshua found her calling for art at a young age -- precisely 2nd grade -- after she found her mother’s art portfolio in the bedroom of her childhood home. Hoping to emulate her mother’s talents, soon after, Jonell started drawing kid’s portraits in the cafeteria during lunch. In later years she dove deeper into the arts, continuing to create in and out of school, finding ways to express herself and connect with others.

Today Jonell is an award-winning illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York. She has worked with clients including The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and NPR.