Visual memoir

One of Karen Davis's most enduring childhood memories is of her younger sister, Cheryl, playing with four 6-inch-tall mechanical dolls that she named the McCann Family. Davis, who inherited the dolls after Cheryl's death two years ago at age 61, has featured them in a series of photographs going on display this week at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester.

According to Davis, Cheryl had designated a doll to represent each member of their family: Mother, Father, Mary Ann (Karen), and Tom (Cheryl). Although she originally manipulated Tom's movable joints so he could walk, Cheryl subsequently fastened clips onto the doll to serve as crutches resembling her own. Born with spina bifida, Cheryl overcame barriers and stereotypes to become a humor writer and activist for others with disabilities.

"It has taken me most of my lifetime to appreciate the courage and imagination of my sister," said Davis, who lives in Cambridge and teaches photography at Lesley University in Cambridge. "Placing the McCanns on stage [and] directing their actions brings me back to our childhood and to memories of an extraordinary woman."

"The McCann Family" will be featured alongside the photography exhibit "Pins" by Pelle Cass of Brookline from Sept. 11 through Nov. 2 at the Griffin Museum of Photography, 65 Shore Road in Winchester. A reception to meet both photographers, which is open to the public, will take place this Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 781-729-1158 or visit griffinmuseum.org.

CONFRONTING ABUSE: Woburn resident Kate Genovese was working as a visiting nurse 10 years ago when she noticed one of her patients was becoming increasingly depressed. After attempting to liven up treatment sessions by telling him funny stories from her three decades in nursing, he urged her to compile her experiences into a book.

Since that time, Genovese (inset) has published three books: "Thirty Years in September: A Nurse's Memoir," "Loving Joe Gallucci: Love and Life with Hepatitis C," and most recently "Two Weeks Since My Last Confession."

Although "Two Weeks Since My Last Confession" is fiction, Genovese said she can relate to its theme of addiction. In fact, her nursing license was revoked as a result of her own struggles with substance abuse from 1973 to 1975, years which she now says "seem like a different lifetime."

In the five years it took her to write "Two Weeks Since My Last Confession," Genovese also conducted extensive interviews with sexual abuse victims and offenders.

Although acknowledging the subject matter may seem to be all "doom and gloom," she said the story is actually one of hope and recovery.

The book "is a good family saga, but it also raises awareness of serious issues that can happen to any family," Genovese said. "It's important for individuals who have experienced them to get help and not feel shame."

"Two Weeks Since My Last Confession" is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

LEAPING THE ART WORLD IN A SINGLE BOUND: David Leblanc of Lowell has enjoyed the escapist element of comic books since his father gave him his first issue of "The Invaders" at age 4. He majored in illustration in college, but then discovered a preference for the spontaneity of abstract painting. His new solo exhibit, "Action . . . Bolder Than Words," combines both passions.

With numbers and words like "truth" visible amid bold, colorful brush strokes, Leblanc said the 10 acrylic paintings in the series offer a tribute to the iconic nature of Superman. Inspired by Action Comics covers from the 1930s through the 1950s, the paintings portray images such as Superman saving a young boy from a speeding train and dismantling a Nazi cannon.

"At first, people notice the paint and how it's used. After I show them the original cover, they become really interested in pointing out all the elements I've portrayed in a figurative way," said Leblanc, who also teaches reading and social studies to fifth-graders in the Lowell Public Schools. "My goal is to take the image and make it larger than life." Just like the stories.

"Action . . . Bolder Than Words" is on display through Sept. 28 at the Loading Dock Gallery at Western Avenue Studios, 122 Western Ave. in Lowell. A reception to meet Leblanc will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit theloadingdockgallery.com.

People items may be submitted to Cindy Cantrell at cantrell@globe.com.