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webcowgirlTonight was the fabulous outing to listen to Alison Bechdel read from her first graphic novel, Fun Home. I was lucky enough to read it this summer after being alerted to its existence by a rather exuberant review in the New York Times. I bought a copy of it for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ergotia (and rather a trial it was to get a copy as the review had sucked most of the city dry) then, er, read it on the plane. It was great, a perfect wedding of text and story, and littered with literary references that wove in and out of the story of her relationship with her father in a way that both illustrated the novel and, er, illustrated the novels being referenced. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. The book was even later getting into ergotia's hands, though, because it started rather quickly making the rounds of the rest of the Quad and even some random folks staying at the con. In fact, I've rarely seen a gift read so many times before making it to the giver! But it was that kind of engrossing tale, and I was very pleased at the idea of getting to listen to its author speak (especially since I've been reading her "Dykes to Watch Out For" since, I don't know, '92 or something). I was also very pleased at finally getting to see Miss plumsbitch, who I had yet to catch up with since arriving.
The talk was very enjoyable and so intelligent. It seemed all of the audience (at least those who were asking questions) had read the novel, as they probed areas of the family relationships and personal revelations she explored with some intelligence. (Me, I just asked if the novels that were so important to her father also shaped her book, and if so, which one was most important; I would have never guessed Ulysses, but I guess the fact that it bookends the chapters - Portrait of the Artist being the first - might have made it obvious.) I was also pretty amused by her, er, introducer person, a Ms. Lea DeLaria whom I had never heard of before but who was most amusing (and clearly a gay man stuck inside a lesbian's body).
Afterwards went to a thrillingly cheap pub near St. Martins (it has the "Opera Room" upstairs, and 2.60 pints of Samuel Adams cider, w00t) and had a great discussion about the novel, and the role of the novel in this novel, and whether or not it was a novel trope, and some comic book thingie called The Invisibles or something like that and ate nachos and just went on and on and on, why it is that gambling can be legal in Vegas but politicians in Texas can be against it as a moral stance etc. It was all really lovely and it made me happy to be here discussing such things, which in some ways seems exactly why I moved here. (Only for some reason I thoughtvarina8 should have been hashing it out with the rest of us. Too much cider?) Now maybe I need to see about seeing Miss Delaria perform at the Pigalle Club, and I need to remind plumsbitch that we have a date to go to the Tate and see Turner prize nominees. And I must go look at Ms. Bechdel's blog and see what she has to say, and if she posted a picture of me. Man, I miss being able to upload photos to my blog! And perhaps when my stuff shows up from home I can start drawing again ... I feel like I've got a good story in me about my mom, and a whole other novel about the last two years. All I need is the discipline to get them on the page ...
ergotia (and rather a trial it was to get a copy as the review had sucked most of the city dry) then, er, read it on the plane. It was great, a perfect wedding of text and story, and littered with literary references that wove in and out of the story of her relationship with her father in a way that both illustrated the novel and, er, illustrated the novels being referenced. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. The book was even later getting into ergotia's hands, though, because it started rather quickly making the rounds of the rest of the Quad and even some random folks staying at the con. In fact, I've rarely seen a gift read so many times before making it to the giver! But it was that kind of engrossing tale, and I was very pleased at the idea of getting to listen to its author speak (especially since I've been reading her "Dykes to Watch Out For" since, I don't know, '92 or something). I was also very pleased at finally getting to see Miss plumsbitch, who I had yet to catch up with since arriving.The talk was very enjoyable and so intelligent. It seemed all of the audience (at least those who were asking questions) had read the novel, as they probed areas of the family relationships and personal revelations she explored with some intelligence. (Me, I just asked if the novels that were so important to her father also shaped her book, and if so, which one was most important; I would have never guessed Ulysses, but I guess the fact that it bookends the chapters - Portrait of the Artist being the first - might have made it obvious.) I was also pretty amused by her, er, introducer person, a Ms. Lea DeLaria whom I had never heard of before but who was most amusing (and clearly a gay man stuck inside a lesbian's body).
Afterwards went to a thrillingly cheap pub near St. Martins (it has the "Opera Room" upstairs, and 2.60 pints of Samuel Adams cider, w00t) and had a great discussion about the novel, and the role of the novel in this novel, and whether or not it was a novel trope, and some comic book thingie called The Invisibles or something like that and ate nachos and just went on and on and on, why it is that gambling can be legal in Vegas but politicians in Texas can be against it as a moral stance etc. It was all really lovely and it made me happy to be here discussing such things, which in some ways seems exactly why I moved here. (Only for some reason I thought
varina8 should have been hashing it out with the rest of us. Too much cider?) Now maybe I need to see about seeing Miss Delaria perform at the Pigalle Club, and I need to remind plumsbitch that we have a date to go to the Tate and see Turner prize nominees. And I must go look at Ms. Bechdel's blog and see what she has to say, and if she posted a picture of me. Man, I miss being able to upload photos to my blog! And perhaps when my stuff shows up from home I can start drawing again ... I feel like I've got a good story in me about my mom, and a whole other novel about the last two years. All I need is the discipline to get them on the page ...
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no subject
Date: 2006-10-23 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-24 10:11 am (UTC)ICA
Date: 2006-10-24 10:33 am (UTC)I also thought that was a bit of a stupid question as I don't think most Americans really approach the whole class issue like people do over here. I don't think of any of the characters as being of a particular "class," and I'd be surprised if Ms. Bechdel does, either. But then, I grew up on the West Coast (in Arizona).
And it's a relief to hear the room was warm, I thought it was just because I'd practically run all the way to the ICA from Picadilly Circus!
I would love to hear what you had to say in response to that question, though ...
Re: ICA
Date: 2006-10-24 11:49 am (UTC)Like you said the whole class issue in the U.S isn't exactly the same as it is here in the UK so essentially the question was about race.
I think like you, most people would then therefore interpret the question along racial lines and therefore immediately begin examine characters that have "race". But all the characters have a "race" right? Not just the non-white ones. So tell me, how exactly does the way Mo stands reflects her as a white woman?
For me this is indicative of just how western society views black (and other non-white) people. For non-white people explanation generally stops at colour. For white people there are very many more tick boxes to be checked before we arrive at an explanation of who they are. People are unlikely to examine Sydney's postures and ask how this reflects her race. White people are complex, with a whole range of descriptive elements that converge to create various types – blondes, brunettes, sporty, slobby, fat, thin, tall, short. Black people have one descriptive element within which everything is supposed to be conveyed “ Black”. And this description supposedly covers everything from skin colour right through to the way we bloody stand? It’s bullshit.
Sure I’ll agree that some gestures and non-facial characteristics are culturally defined, but to extrapolate that to some racial or ethnic dimension is completely erroneous and goes back to what I was saying before about explanation stopping at race for non-whites only.
Does that make sense?
Re: ICA
Date: 2006-10-25 09:49 am (UTC)I actually got to a much more nuanced view of the, er, semi-irrelevance of "black" as explaining who someone was about two years ago. The color of a person's skin doesn't explain much about their life experiences, and that became especially clear in the UK. Home, we have African-Americans (who's life experience is frequently contaminated by prejudice, which varies regionally) and lots of immigrants from east Africa (who work hard to distinguish themselves from the folks they look like), but here, with the folks who have a Carribbean background, I experienced just a totally different world view from anything I'd seen in the US (can be cool but can also be very anti-female). And I don't know who the "whites" are here, either. It's all just another ticky-box. Are you native or not native? Emigrant? Visitor? First or second generation? Religious or not religious? Ultimately the concept of "my people" for me has to travel pretty far down the ticky box tree, and the big upper categories are pretty useless.
That said, my rowing instructor back in Seattle said, "Yeah, I'm the black woman who works here. Don't be afraid to say it, I am the only one in about the entire United States." It may be something that makes you stand out in a crowd when we're reduced to describing people on visual cues, but it doesn't necesssarily have much to say about who you are. I try to use my hair to help people figure out "which one is me," but at work it's just about as easy to say, "I'm the girl," though it says little to nothing about me as a person, really.
God, I hope I'm not rambling. I've spend a lot of time thinking about these issues. Yeah, she was a moron, you should have pushed her down the stairs. Hopefully I don't deserve the same push.
Re: ICA
Date: 2006-10-25 04:35 pm (UTC)It reminds me of something my sister told me not so long ago. She was on a course recently and one of the particpants, a middle aged white woman, had said to her "I notice that you have a gap in your front teeth, just like Bishop Sentamu, the Bishop of York. I was wondering, is that a racial thing, are you from the same tribe?" Since they were in training to become InterFaith Ministers my sister resited the urge to punch her in the mouth welcome her into the gap tooth tribe.
Anyway, your friend should totally respond and I don't think anyone who spends time thinking desrves a push down the stairs
no subject
Date: 2006-10-24 09:41 pm (UTC)On the DTWO4 site, you mentioned that you thought you'd missed her at Bailey Coy in Seattle this year. Actually, she did a signing at the U Bookstore, which I saw, and one at the Wildrose of all places -- I did not go but heard it was a lovefest. And of course she was at Bumbershoot, which I also missed ($25 a day!)
If you've got a story in you, the time to draw it is now. Don't wait! Don't hide your light under a bushel, as they say. Draw!
story
Date: 2006-10-25 09:32 am (UTC)Hmm, it appears the Wild Rose appearance was sponsored by Bailey Coy, so I almost had it right.
Five or so years ago I took a comics class with Ellen Forney and managed to get a 30 or so panel cartoon done documenting a road trip to New Orleans I took in '89. I thought, and still do, that I really get the "story" part of graphic novels, though my art lags behind. (Ah, to be Harvey Pekar ...) I'm thinking maybe I'll spend some time working on the story part (see the "Gooseberry Jam" entry from yesterday) and then slowly fill in the pictures. With Ellen and Allison as my models, I'm afraid I've set my bar really high ... it was sure easier getting the drawing done when I had no job!
Re: story
Date: 2006-10-25 02:21 pm (UTC)Don't worry about being as slick as Ellen or Alison. I was talking to my good friend Harvey on Monday night (well, he was signing a book for me at the time), and he told me that he thought Alison's early stuff was sort of crude, but that she worked up to her current level of amazing skill through sheer force of will and practice. You've got to start somewhere.
Did you do anything with the road trip story -- did your class put together a minicomic or anything?
Re: story
Date: 2006-10-25 03:21 pm (UTC)We did not put together a mini-comic but I've still got my originals, and I made a copy of them to give to my class, and then did a second edition (of one) to give to my best friend, the other "star" of the adventure. Right now all of that stuff is on the docks at Seattle, waiting to get loaded onto a boat and sent to England. I ought to scan them and upload them. Even though many of the drawings are awful, I think the story is interesting. And hey, the more you draw, the better you get - people will be able to trace my progress as I work through my story.
Re: story
Date: 2006-10-25 07:24 pm (UTC)Re: story
Date: 2006-10-26 12:45 pm (UTC)Re: story
Date: 2006-10-26 02:13 pm (UTC)