Figure it's time to do a little book reviewin' while I'm both at my computer and thinking of it.
It's probably not all that surprising that I've been reading lots of comics lately since it's both what I'm teaching and what I'm working on these days. Plus I was recently at Toronto's awesome TCAF festival, where I got to meet and rub elbows with some amazing comic creators. It's kind of a neat thrill to be able to buy a book FROM the actual writer. Kind of a rare opp really. So I bought a bunch of books including FRENCH MILK, by Lucy Knisley.
I was in Paris less than a year ago and so was partly into this book because I thought it would be a bit of a memory lane type thing, which it was. The book is a comic diary of Knisley's trip to Paris with her mother in 2007. Knisley gives you the day to day of her own thoughts as well as an eye on the sights of Paris, from the touristyness of Versailles to the day to day of all the yummy foods that go with Paris life. In a way it reminded me of Julie Doucet's diary works, although Knisley's thoughts and images are far less crowded and chaotic on the page.
The other book I grabbed was Chester Brown's Paying For It, which I've been hearing about for probably as long as I've been in comics - which admittedly is not all that long.
The funniest thing about this book is the intro by Robert Crumb which is so deadly straightforward. Like, fluff free.
I can't imagine that this book isn't paradise for Women's Studies sex and sexuality classes. It's such an incredibly topographical analysis of the world of "the john." The whole thing feels so carefully mapped, placed, edited. Brown is so exact and forthright, so focused on laying out all the details for you - while at the same time fastidiously keeping an eye on the line between private and public when it comes to the sex workers and other "real life people" in this story. It's an interesting book to read, both in main content and in prologue and epilogue, for anyone writing anything biographical in nature.
The interesting thing about this book is that it is so TELL ALL but not just because Brown is revealing an element of sex work that recieves very little mainstream analysis/pop culture air time.
Brown is so explicit in this book. On everything from orgasm to the way his ex-girlfriend used to wear his hair. It's kind of an amazing thing to be ABLE to read, to be given access to.
On line now I have a few books that I'm hoping to get through in the next few weeks.
I'm also working my way through THE WIRE, which is probably the coolest HBO series I've ever watched.
Seriously.
I'll post on upcoming gigs, of which there aren't too many. I'll be doing a comedy show during Pride. I'll be in NYC in July possibly doing a show if I can find a open mic.
Till next time.
xo
m