New Comic: Raymond Briggs

I have a new comic up on my Patreon about the amazing cartoonist and children’s author Raymond Briggs, who died on Tuesday at the age of 88. As a way to honor and celebrate this amazing artist, I’m temporarily removing the paywall for the next week. Come on over and read it!

He was blooming marvelous!

Happy Bloomsday!

Years ago, I sat in the archives of The New York Public Library and drew a picture of Vladimir Nabokov’s copy of ULYSSES. When they brought it out to me it had so much life to it, it seemed to glow. Every single page was heavily annotated and marked up in mostly red pen that the book was soft like a pillow. As you can see, Nabokov had even written the date of Bloomsday on the cover in pencil. It was a wonderful object to spend time with and to look at. It was a wonderful object to draw.

Happy Bloomsday!

4 page comic on Daphne Du Maurier on Patreon and All the Sad Songs Featured on Backlisted!

It’s Friday which means there is a new comic on my Patreon! This week it’s a 4 page comic on the British writer Daphne Du Maurier’s obsession with the estate Menabilly. Menabilly was the inspiration for Manderley in her world famous novel, Rebecca. You can access it now along with many other comics and posts for a modest rate!

New comics are still coming every Friday along with occasional posts about my memoir in progress and thoughts about comics as a creative practice. I have really been enjoying having a space to share what’s been happening in my world–come on in! It’s colorful there!

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

On Monday I had the delight and shock of my life when I discovered that ALL THE SAD SONGS was featured on my favorite podcast Backlisted! Some of you might remember me gushing writing about Backlisted in December when I shared my sketchbook spread of Queens of Crime. Imagine my shock to hear Andy Miller, writer and editor and co-host of Backlisted sharing ALL THE SAD SONGS as his pick of what he had been reading and loving this week! WHAT?? IS THIS REAL??

It’s hard to adequately say what this means to me. That podcast has done more for refueling my inner life in the last year than anything else has in years. In some ways it has recommitted me to a life of reading and writing in a way that I had forgotten was possible. Andy and John Mitchinson, and their array of guests, are so smart, funny, generous, and engaging that it’s truly infectious. To be included in that show and to be read (and praised) by Andy Miller is just…mind blowing (to say the least), and (dare I say it?) deeply affirming. Not all attention helps refuel, but I have to admit, this puts some strength in the heart for me. In the words of Tom Waits, I’m going to take it with me when I go.

It’s perfect timing because ALL THE SAD SONGS just went into a second printing! After a brief period of it possibly going out of print in the US, Retrofit decided to do a modest second print run, and I just got the first shipment of new copies. The price will be going up once my current supplies go out, so if you have been sitting on it–now is the time to get it!

Artist Talk In Poughkeepsie Saturday October 9th!

On Saturday I will be giving an artist talk IN PERSON at the Boardman Library in Poughkeepsie, NY about telling life stories in comics!

My inner 10 year old is doing backflips because I used to stare at this picture and imagine the lives of my cartooning heroes Wendy and Richard Pini, creators and authors of the Elfquest series, and wonder from my California home, where the heck Poughkeepsie was, and how you even pronounced it, and if there was a way I could possibly run away to live with them, or magically jump into the picture. Now I live 20 miles south of them and although my life doesn’t have elves in it, I have in a sense magically entered that picture through drawing my life in comic form–but wait! I’m spoiling my talk!

Register here and come hear me talk all about that portal between life and drawing and writing and living. It will be masked, social distanced, but it will be personal! Come on over!

Saturday, October 9, 1:00pm

Summer Pierre Artist Talk

Poughkeepsie Public Library, 141 Boardman Road, Poughkeepsie, NY

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

All the Sad Songs in SPANISH!

¡Hola Espana! ALL THE SAD SONGS is being published in Spanish by Libros Walden at the end of September! I am so so excited! They did an amazing job with the translation and the design. Look at that cover! So red! So moody! So ready to meet new readers! Cannot wait for all of you to read this book!

New Comic at Newyorker.com on Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West!

Absolutely gobsmacked to share the news that my latest comic at The New Yorker is about the fascinating relationship between the writers Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. Spoiler: it’s complicated!!

A shout out to my teachers at Goddard College, Bill Vander Clute, who taught a Virginia Woolf intensive class in the Fall of 1991, that changed my life, and to the poet Nora Mitchell who taught a class titled Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Literature in the spring of 1992 where I first read ORLANDO. Both of those experiences were with me as I made my way through this comic.

Go on and read it here!

New Comic on Patti Smith on New Yorker.Com!

SO excited to announce that I have another comic up on the Culture Desk Blog on New Yorker.com –this time on the legendary Patti Smith and her memoir YEAR OF THE MONKEY.  Yep, you read that right!

(Swaying with happiness over here!)

Go read it!

My Year in Reading – 2018

At the end of every year I like to flip through my journals and see how it all went down. As someone who chronically struggles to feel she is doing “enough,” having a journal is helpful in seeing concrete proof that despite all my momentary amnesia to the fact, I am always working and actively living.

One of the things that I discovered looking back at my journals of 2018 is that I had I really GOOD year of reading. I read A LOT–and so much of it was GOOD.  I will be posting about my favorite comics that were published in 2018 elsewhere (stay tuned), but I thought I’d list some of my favorite reads (no matter the pub date) of 2018. Please note that I am not linking these reads to an on-line purchasing venue (ie Amazon). If you feel so moved, please go find them at your local bookstore or library!

Ever Hear This One?

Paper Pencil Life #4 is HERE!

Excuse me while I do a little dance! My latest collection of comics and diary comics, Paper Pencil Life #4, is at last available to purchase! 52 pages of comics in beautiful black and white! Stories about road trips, the artistic life, strange mothers, anxiety, and so much more! All for just $8.00!

I have to tell you that I am immensely proud of this work–I think it is my best issue yet. It has my favorite stories I’ve made in it–plus I just love how it looks!

Also–THIS JUST IN: I’ve also added a limited edition 4 pack of all 4 issues of Paper Pencil Life in my shop–4 issues for the price of 3! This way you can get the whole shebang and for a cheaper price!

SOLD OUT!

I’m thinking about not reprinting Issue #1 after this conference season to make room for more stuff (although the jury is still out on this one). I’m growing away from those initial first attempts pretty quickly and it’s starting to embarrass me a little when people buy PPL #1 to get an introduction for what I do. It doesn’t feel current anymore! So if you’ve been considering buying one, this 4 pack might be a good way to go–get the complete set while it lasts!  

SOLD OUT!

All of these will be available at CXC and MICE in October, but if you won’t be there or can’t wait–get ’em in the shop!