SUNY Canton Digital Communications Faculty Member Publishes Latest Book

The visible consequences of war can be found in artistic creations near affected locations, according to a SUNY Canton faculty member.

School of Business and Liberal Arts Associate Professor Alainya (Laini) Kavaloski, Ph.D., who teaches in the Digital Communications and Storytelling program, authored the new book “Graphic War – Jewish Women Drawing Contested Spaces.” The new text was published by Rutgers University Press and released on Jan. 13.

Drawing on her extensive background in graphic memoirs and narratives, including comics, the faculty member examines how art and stories about emotion and culture reveal the impact of war on humans and the future of communities.

“Graphic novels are great for exploring these ideas because they show how space, memory, and emotions intertwine,” Kavaloski said. “The women in these memoirs struggle with experiences of war, and the graphic devices in their work show the ways that state structures, militarized spaces, and nationalisms affect the female body."

Kavaloski studies how borders and political spaces, like walls, ghettos and war zones, all shape the way we understand war and its effects on people. She examines how art and stories about emotion, gender, and culture reveal what war does to human bodies and the future of communities.

Her work demonstrates that traditional Jewish communities and borders aren’t just symbols; they significantly impact how people live and experience conflict. By examining modern memoirs about Jewish experiences in war, Graphic War reveals how governments, militarized spaces, and nationalism impact women’s lives. It also shows a shift from stories of Jewish suffering in the 1900s to stories of global strength and activism in the 2000s.

In the first chapter, Kavaloski explores Miriam Libicki’s graphic novel “Jobnik!” which tells the story of an American Jewish woman serving in the Israeli army. She joins, hoping to connect with her faith and homeland, but instead faces confusion and conflict. Her experiences prompt her to question the meaning of security, identity and loyalty.

“The concept of ‘home’ is not always safe or simple,” Kavaloski said. “It can be a place of both comfort and pain, shaped by history, gender and politics.”

Graphic War is Kavaloski’s eighth publication. In addition to Jewish-American themes and comics, the author explores concepts of augmented reality and game-based learning, both of which are prevalent in her popular courses.