Lies in the Dust

Jakob Crane is a writer and visual artist who is native to New England. After graduating from Lesley University College of Art and Design, Crane worked as a writer and illustrator for numerous newspapers and publications throughout New England. As a boy, he trotted across the stone-walled landscape into early American cemeteries and battlegrounds. Though he has hitchhiked across America, Crane’s love of the tales and history of New England have been a strong influence on his work; that interest is reflected in his first graphic novel, Lies in the Dust: A Tale Of Remorse From The Salem Witch Trials.

Author photo by Kevin Bennett/Islandport Press

Timothy Decker is the author/illustrator of the critically acclaimed books, The Letter Home, For Liberty: The Story of the Boston Massacre, Run Far, Run Fast, and The Punk Ethic. He works exclusively in black and white, often plays the blues on his cigar box guitar to the delight of cryptozoological animals, and is known to enjoy the odd cup of tea from time to time. His work, illustrated novella, and much more can be found at timothydecker.com. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Artist photo by Kevin Bennett/Islandport Press

“Crane and Decker spin an airy, atmospheric graphic-novel examination of a legacy of guilt . . . All is illustrated with Decker's fine-lined drawings that evoke both the surreal details of the accusations and the pastoral Colonial setting . . . its attempt to understand the effects of the trials on one of its villains is provocative, to say the least. Haunting."
—Kirkus Reviews

"...stark and affecting graphic novel… Lies in the Dust approaches the familiar history with a unique paradigm by exploring the powerful role words played in the tragedy. “Witch,” “evil,” and “guilty” led to the grave, and “innocence” was rarely understood. "
Chelsey Philpot, The Boston Globe 
 

"History teachers will appreciate this easy-to-read account, while students who are fans of the witch trials or the European influence on America will appreciate and understand the power of a word such as witch."
—School Library Journal

". . . a unique perspective on the Salem witch trials, events propelled by dangerous words . . . it illuminates a dark and fascinating period of the region’s history."
The Portland Press Herald