Special Guest: Daphne Geismar, author of Invisible Years

Invisible Years is an intimate portrait of an extended Jewish family in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, written and designed by Daphne Geismar. After discovering that her mother had a “Holocaust drawer,” in which she kept letters, journals, and documents, Geismar spent fourteen years creating a book from this material, weaving together a narrative that is linked to history briefs and accompanied by photographs and artifacts. In her presentation, you will hear the stories of eight family members pieced back together again, speaking to one another in a way that they couldn’t during and after the war. As the Nazis tightened their grip on the Jewish population, Geismar’s family was slowly restricted from public life—everything from owning a bike to having a job was forbidden. Sensing the murderous consequences of deportation, they decided to go into hiding. Parents and children were separated. No one person had the complete story, but their collective accounts made it whole. Geismar will show her process and discuss how her family story resonates with younger generations through educational resources, films, and exhibitions.

When Daphne Geismar decided to publish a history of her family’s experiences during the Holocaust, she summoned all her skills to write, design, and produce Invisible Years. Geismar plans, designs, and produces books on art and history for museums and publishers including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Modern Art, NY; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Yale University Press. Her designs have won numerous awards from organizations such as the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of American University Presses (AAUP), The Association of Art Museum Curators, and the New England Book Show. She has been a juror for AAUP and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. For her MFA in graphic design at Yale University, Geismar’s thesis project revealed new findings about Direction magazine—an anti-fascism periodical run by artists and writers at the outset of World War II. As an educator, Geismar developed and taught a photography and writing program for teenage mothers at Middlesex Hospital; she teaches book design at the University of Connecticut; and she has lectured and been a visiting critic in graphic design at a number of colleges and universities.

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Join a community of YaleWomen writers on Zoom to share successes and challenges, exchange tips on the craft and business of writing, and remind ourselves that all of our stories matter. All writers are welcome, regardless of genre, medium, or level of experience.

Second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:30 pm EST/EDT.

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