Best American Comics 2009 (edited by Charles Burns)

"The Best American Comics" series has been producing annual
volumes since 2006 for the "Best of" in the comics field for each
year. It's an excellent series that highlights predominantly Indy
and alternative/small press comics, as selected by the rotating
editor and series editors Jessica Abel and Matt Madden, and gives
readers the opportunity to sample a wide array of lesser-known
(or less-widely-distributed) talents.

Included in this stellar volume are hundreds of pages of various
styles, insights, and viewpoints, including;

*Tim Hensley's oddly disjointed cross-generational Sixties-send ups,
(featuring 'Gropius',) placing sharply-colored cartoonish Archies/Bingo/
Scooter style kids comics with politically incorrect/incoherent asides.

*Daniel Clowes brilliant as always with a scathing review of a
fictional film critic (Justin M. Damiano.)

*A riveting tale of tape dispensers by R. Crumb and Aline Kominsky-
Crumb. (below)

*Michael Kupperman contributes a hilarious and retro copper buddy
story with beautifully muted colors and crazy 'ads' running alongside the
feature, Twain and Einstein!

*Dan Zettwoch gives flashbacks to some intricate and bizarre old
church bulletins he drew!

*Matt Broersma's "The Company" is a mysterious tale with a noir
quality and a great eye for simplified layouts (think Rizzo from "100
Bullets" or Sale.)

*Adrian Tomine provides one of my favorite (and linear) lengthy
stories about obsession, real life, friends, and reminiscence. (below)

*Mimi Pond details an artist's search for a place to draw from in
 'Over Easy.' (below)

*Art Spiegelman does a brilliant job showcasing the abilities of the
comic as a morphing, living creation, in short order.

*Gabrielle Bell gives a fantastic autobiographical aside with a nice piece
called "When I was Eleven" (Think 'Alison Bechdel.')

*Gary Panter's "Daltokyo" gave my mind a workout!

*Jerry Moriarty's grotesques laid over 1950s imagery (no words) were
extremely powerful and evocative

*Dash Shaw's "The Galactic Funnels" tells a weird story of Dan Dak and
Stan Smart with romance, competition, intellectual property theft,
and science fiction as a few of the cool themes employed.

*Jason Lutes' Berlin is excerpted with its devastatingly realistic slice
of domestic violence in the midst of war-torn Germany. Survival isn't pretty.

*Tony Millionare's quirky monkeys and birds never fail to satisfy.

*Chapter Two of Sammy Harkham's "Black Death" is a two-tone treat
of whimsical art that belies a darker story nature. Some gorgeous work
(think Herve', Peyo, and other masters.)

*Chris Ware's "Jordan W. Lint" is a massive (seemingly) autobio-
graphical journey through some key points of the man's life, with
extraordinary layouts and structure as we have come to expect from Ware.

*A warm and nicely developed story of some latchkey kids, "Freaks" by
Laura Park is a great piece. (below)

*An excerpt from the awesome graphic novel "Skim" (previewed by me
here:"Skim" ) by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki is also included.

*Appropriately titled (har har!) 'Antoinette' by Koren Shadmi is a hoot.

*Al Columbia gives a shocking and subtle insight into a dark side of the
American dream, with a scant few panels and no words, merely intricate,
spookily-detailed art that paints a picture that draws you in.

*A disturbing journey from Gilbert Hernandez called 'Papa' details a
man's difficult trip filled with hardships and maladies surreal and scary.

*Anders Nilsen does a beautiful job of creating a macabre and mysterious
scene with a style reminiscent of Moebius.

*"Glenn Ganges in 'Pulverize'" by Kevin Huizenga is a wonderful tale of
the appeal of video games to grown men, a sliver of the dot com bubble's
impact, an indictment of bosses who want to be your friends, and other
joys of auto-biographical comics. (below)

Best to read one at a time, so the taste savors. Reading through causes the
bleed and every tale has such a distinctly different feel it's not as satisfying.

I do love crazy and discombobulated flotsam and jetsam, and art for
art's sake, but I'm still predominantly a fan of actual stories, points of
views, tales. This has plenty...but it also has anthropomorphic hi jinks
and acid-tripping wing nuts depicting chaos-filled minds, too!

A splendid collection showcasing the diversity of sequential art story-tellers
and a great introduction for someone who still doesn't realize the depth that
'mere comics' can have.

Order "Best American Comics 2009" online

**********************************************************

Veteran's Day for All

How We Won

Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the U.S. Military

Ask and Tell

Secret Service: Untold Stories of Lesbians in the Military

Unfriendly Fire

Our Time

***

Books About Mittens

Two Books Reveal Romney's Truth

***

"Mississippi Mud: Southern Justice and the Dixie Mafia" by Edward Humes

Mississippi Mud is a true story revolving around the mysterious murders
of two  prominent Biloxi, Mississippi residents in the late 1980s. The book
painstakingly and dramatically reenacts the goings on in the underbelly
of this Southern Strip of corruption and crime (run by the 'Dixie Mafia')
and the murky interactions of a handful of southern undesirables that led
up to the deaths of husband and wife, Vincent and Margaret Sherry.

Through the eyes of police detectives, con artists, lifers, hired killers, and, most poignantly--the tireless avenger of the Sherrys, their eldest
daughter, Lynne--a storyline is set up that will keep readers rapt. (At
one point, the information presented seemed to indicate rather an
extensive selection of potential suspects.)

Humes beautifully orchestrates the manipulation of timeline and massive
amounts of information. Taken from interviews, transcripts, testimony,
public records, newspaper articles, police reports, news reports, and a good
bit of detective work, the voluminous information is presented in a pot-boiler
manner so that you are unable to predict what will happen next.

And yet there is a comprehensible, easily-absorbed sense as he makes
the torrent of information seem effortless. There is such a rich, vast story
here, painting the humanity of the Sherrys and connecting the readers to
them as if they were our own family...as though we are the ones gnawing
and climbing the walls over the frustrating lack of justice and the far reaches
of the city's corruption.

This is the exhaustive study of how two lives of essentially regular
people can become trivialized by a system filled with corruption,
incompetence, and intimidation. The Southern mafia, perhaps seemingly
a joke at first, becomes a very real and frightening wall of power that,
as anyone who has lived in the south for five minutes can attest, is a
very real and frightening thing.

Kirksey Nix with all his swagger and charm and homilies and smarts
doesn't have anything on Stalin or Mussolini in the sociopath depart-
ment, and he's an all-too common face of the new criminal. The 
devastation of all the harm done by his schemes--from the comfort
of a prison cell--is staggering.

The heroine of the book, Lynne Sposito (daughter of the murder victims) pushes on well past the point most would have dissolved into
tears or fallen to pieces; facing death threats, the concerns for family
safety, stress and grief, and a burden that seemed as though it might
never end...her parents possibly never receiving closure on their lives.

(Note of warning: DON'T look at the photos included in the book
until you've read it! Even though placed in the middle, the captions
accompanying the photos for the central characters gave away
results not found until the end of the book, destroying much of
the suspense!)

Banned Books Week

Do yourself, your mind, your family,

and your community a favor and help

support "Banned Books Week."

Order yourself a banned or challenged

book you've never read, or pass on

a copy of a banned book to a new reader.

Get informed about the extensive history

of censorship and the fight against

intellectual freedom that has gone on

for so long.

Recommend a banned or controversial

book for a book club, or start up

a book club!

Here are a few of my favorite books which have

been censored, banned, or challenged

at one time or another:

"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

"Brideshead Revisited" by Evelyn Waugh

"The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Order from your library, local bookseller, or online resource

today and support these great works;

Celebrate your right and ability to read!

Be intellectually free and uninhibited--

don't let anyone tell you what to think,

how to feel, or what your interests 'should' be!

ALA.ORG : Banned Books Week Info

***

"The City and the Pillar" by Gore Vidal

I read the 1965, revised edition, including an afterword and

an essay by Vidal, "Sex and the Law," taken from the 1964

Partisan Review. (The essay is, in itself, worth picking up

the book for; like the novel, it is fascinating, and still highly

relevant as it discloses how religion and 'morality' colors

the law of sex--and why that is inappropriate!)

The novel is of historical significance as it is lauded as the first

fiction book to deal directly and even explicitly with homosexuality

as a matter-of-fact condition, gay relations, and gay sex.

One consistent thought while reading this prose was how aptly

the humanity was portrayed, and how timeless the human experience

is; the book was written by Vidal in 1946 and published in 1948,

yet remains relatable today..

I should point out that the depiction of gay life is not only

'no picnic,' but there is an unsettling and vile edge to much

of the book. The ending in particular is quite unpleasant--

to say the least--and this was the revised edition. The original's

'resolution' was far more damning.

(I don't say this to prevent anyone from reading it; I actually

feel it's a poignant and truthful view of what growing up

as an outsider in one's own body--and own country--does

to us. But it is stark, and not for the feint of heart.)

The story centers on a young man from Virginia who

becomes obsessed about a relationship with a childhood friend

in the 1930s/1940s. As the primary youngster (Jim Willard)

leaves home and begins to live his life and explore his

feelings, his path alters from expectation...but the idealistic

notion of reuniting with his first love is never far from mind.

Throughout the course of several years and several

dissatisfying relationships, Jim grows up and becomes

fairly hardened by the nature of 'the gay life.' (However,

as in real life, he is hyper-critical of others while always failing

to see his culpability in these matters! I imagine there's quite

a bit of Vidal's hubris inherent there.)

I don't want to give away the plot turns, so I'll say no

more as to the details. But this is a rich, provocative,

simply--yet elegantly--written work that captures

your attention and keeps you attuned to the developments

in this troubled young man's life, and the lives of those

whose path he crosses.

***

"The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain" by Tali Sharot

"The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain"

Tali Sharot is a neuroscientist grad from New York University

who for years has studied the effect on neural biology and

emotional landscapes and how other factors influence

and determine people's sense of optimism and hopefulness

(or lack thereof.)

This book deals with the scientific through studies, surveys,

animal research, and other methods including analogy and case

studies, but never becomes tedious. The way she develops

her theories and layers her insights is interesting, and the facts

and findings are of use to anyone who has dealt with

negativity, hopelessness, depression, or passiveness.

Some of the findings might seem banal (as well as obvious) on the

surface, but then the way the information is applied and connected to other

findings is what stands out. For example, one section tells how those with

privilege have hope and optimism, more so than those without, and how

those without comforts have a realistic view of the world. But despite

the insightfulness of a realistic view, is it preferable?

This is more than sociology and psychology; this is delving into the

workings of the brain, and how it is designed to safeguard us from being

whelmed by our human ability to anticipate and expect and plan.

What happens when the understood threat of death, disease, frailty, loss, and

more become too loud in our heads, no longer distracted by the brain's

fail safe of hope and optimism?

Depression.

Sharot delineates one of the most masterful explanations of how

depression develops and how it can be combated that I have

read in the last 25 years.

One area of particular note; Expectations. A person's

expectations weigh heavily on outcomes--their own and other

people's. Expectation of a positive result breeds more positive

mood, despite the actual eventual result. Thus who are falsely positive

benefit from reduced anxieties, depressive moods, worry, and other

problems that assault someone who tends to picture the worst

case scenarios--no matter that it may be more likely!

If you've ever wondered why your mindset of worry can't

seem to be changed, or just how and why  'Ignorance is bliss,'

check out this fascinating read.

Sample Reading

***

"Going Solo" by Eric Klinenberg

"Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal

of Living Alone" is a tremendously interesting and

(perhaps more importantly) helpful read.

Eric Klinenberg uses statistics and the history of

Singletons (people living on their own, as he coins it)

in such an insightful and fascinating way that you never

feel as though you're reading a non-fiction book.

Because it's not a matter of dry textual analysis, but

rather an exploration of the sociology behind living solo,

and it's populated by tales of people in all manner of situations

throughout the past 100 years, delving into minds and

emotions and social trends.

It showed me a whole new aspect of our modern lifestyle

as well as the development of this country over time.

What it also did, though, was make me feel better

about my choice to live single, and solo.

Klinenberg is very adept at walking a middle-ground

with his presentation;

very fair-minded and even-handed with his findings,

even though he does obviously hold his own perspective.

The reasons for the trend in people deciding to live alone is

respectfully handled, and the advocacy for more

understanding of the lifestyle is promoted. By penetrating

the veil of society's (somewhat weakening) antagonism

against people who don't marry/start families/have

roommates (it's still alive and well in many areas,

including the Bible-swamped South where I live,)

there is a new sense of acceptance and tolerance
that has been lacking.

This is definitely a reality of our world that has

not seen adequate coverage in media.

(From a non-biased POV, at least!)

Pretty much all aspects of the phenomenon are covered--

from the elderly to post-divorce singles to

the new trend for all kids in a family having their own rooms.

The way this book helped me was to show me that invisible pocket

of humanity that lives and believes and works the same

way as I do. Sometimes the idea of being the only person

on the planet that feels or lives a certain way can be stifling.

There is a definite sense of camaraderie in feeling

'together in our aloneness!'

***

"The Sense of an Ending" - Julian Barnes

"The Sense of an Ending" is a gripping reflection

of a life half-lived, as the title character notes the

changes in his life and the impending nature

of the grave.

In his sixties now, Tony has begun excavating his

past in hopes of finding some answers, spurred on

by a mystery surrounding a former

lover and events of a lifetime ago.

What bearing does the suicide of a college

friend have on the present? Will history repeat itself?

Is Tony's life salvageable?

What are the motivations behind his

ex and her angry, aloof, ominous presence?

Though intriguing, the mystery and the unveiling

of secrets actually took a backseat to what was the preeminent

feature of the book; Barnes' retrospective of a life

half-lived. Or, at least, lived in a fugue state.

The commentary on memory, perspective, aging,

and obsolescence is remarkable...absolutely

spot-on and mesmerizing. Better than any self-help

book or psychological treatise on the matter.

The honesty and depth of the shares are

extraordinary.

The circuitousness of the story, flashing back on events--or is

it merely remembrances--of time as a college man, of his

marriage, of trying to love...it all makes for a beautiful

flow, each non-event later underscoring something significant.

A beautiful and haunting search for meaning and truth...

identity and understanding.

"Lost Saints of Tennessee" by Amy Franklin Willis

"Lost Saints of Tennessee" is a story about a man-- who's

fallen from grace-- attempting to pick up the pieces of his life.

In  the wake of his divorce, a high school reunion, an

inability to overcome his brother's death, and all the

regular hard bits of life, he is running from life and his

own feelings.

That journey takes him to an old safe house where he attempts

to reconcile what he wants and how--or whether--he can continue.

Through flashbacks and letters, and later through another

character's recounting, we discover how a life can become

so fractured and lost.

In the present, he attempts to grow and overcome the

burden of his past...with his mother, his ex-wife, his daughters,

and his own failures and inescapable grief.

It's the ultimate mid-life crisis survival guide!

This is a great character piece, delving into true Southern

living as family drama, small town worries, and earlier

days are the inspiration for a captivating tale.

(Willis is an eighth-generation Southerner, and

many of the stories are based on her father's stories

of his life.)

Taking place in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia,

there is plenty of adventure and drama throughout,

and in one of my favorite writing 'tricks,' we

get to see events from the different perspectives

that make up the whole.

We get to see how our subjective views so often distort

reality.

A beautiful story of redemption, soul-searching,

fear, forgiveness, and love.

Read an excerpt from the book

***

Books; The only positive binding

Free access to all works, always.

Banned Books & Authors

***

Insight

A Novel Concept

The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins

I'm not usually one for following fanfare to discover a new

book, but I heard so many adults proclaiming what an

addictive treat this series was, I finally gave it a try....

and I'm thrilled I did.

The Hunger Games is a wonderful allegory for class

warfare, and the timing of it's advanced popularity (and movie

release) is appropriate, with the '99' and anti-Wall Street/Big

Business sentiment sweeping this country.

Like its predecessor, 1984, it's a dystopian future where

the problems of the present socio-political landscape have

worsened in a science-fiction landscape several years removed

from our present. (But really, the modern-day similarities

are chilling!) It's an apt indictment of our lop-sided economic

system through a creative and blunt allegorical bent.

Given the proclamation of the individual's strength and the

outsider status of the lead character, Katniss, being celebrated,

you can easily imagine why conservatives and religious sorts--

the very ones whose totalitarian rule is questioned and challenged

in the series--are against kids reading the series.

There's a reason books like The Hunger Games, 1984, Lord

of the Flies, and others are attacked; it's the same reason they

are selected as required and recommended reading by

educators. They speak to the very nature of the human

experience. That's enough to make some folks very uncomfortable.

The problems inherent in the series are not those singularly

experienced by tweens and teens, whom the book features/and

targeted; it addresses family obligation, unfairness of life, brutality,

oppression, finding one's voice, facing what comes, determining

one's worth, and, yes...love.

Although a little over 300 pages, this was an especially quick read

since I was so captivated I could not stop reading.

Behind the Scenes

***

"Food and Loathing" by Betsy Lerner

Betsy Lerner presents a deceptively simple tale

of her life over many years as it relates to

addiction, recovery, and self-discovery.

It is not a pretty story.

It's brutally honest, giving a front row seat

to her self-loathing and generalized discomfort, detailing

in excruciating accuracy how one can feel so totally

displaced while often not understanding why.

Her saga covers food addiction, substance abuse,

and other self-harming issues, and tells the story

of how people tend to be cross-addicted in a

matter-of-fact way that doesn't preach, judge,

nor pull punches. She gets to what's behind

the problems that manifest; self worth.

Mental illness and the struggle to find a correct

label so she could receive appropriate treatment

is also a big part of the picture. Just as much

abuse happened during her institutionalization

as it did at her own hands.

Learn what it took for one women to find her

voice, her truth, and her life.

***

"Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott

("Some Instructions on Writing and Life")

Anne Lamott has an incredibly engaging style

and a simple descriptive narrative that truly

feels conversational, like you're right there in

the room witnessing her insights yourself.

"Bird by Bird" is about stories from her life,

from teaching, from others, as she explores

what makes a good story (and what the process

of writing entails to actually produce a good story.)

It isn't all sunshine and roses, but it's always refreshing

and honest and necessary. It's an intervention when

seeing things as they are may not be what you're after.

She's clever and incisive without being preachy or smug,

and plenty self-deprecating (not, as some imagine, a

trait all writers share...and certainly not one they

reveal to others!)

This is a great read whether you're a writer, a lover of books,

curious about the creative process, or simply enjoy life stories.

****

"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Many of us have notions about what makes a success

that are long held and possibly outdated (or just plain wrong.)

Others give no conscious thought to what pushes some

people to succeed while others languish.

The studies incorporated in this book reinforce some old

adages, shatter others, and present some new spins on

things that have been revolutionary.

Have you considered the importance of the time of year you

were born in determining your potential success?

What about your family of origin?

Your geographic location?

The number of hours you work at something?
(Well, okay, that last one is sort of a given...although

perhaps not so much in today's instant-success media

flukes.)

The entire book is fascinating and compelling in its exploration of 

the reasons behind success, but one bit stood out for me in particular.

As a child of the South, Chapter Six in the book (dealing with Legacy,)

and in particular the whole "culture of honor" that is outlined,

was remarkably revealing.

The intensity behind generational imprints, decades-long feuds,

anger at the drop of a hat, and much of the south's insanity

is explained in a gripping way. I was unfamiliar with this

particular aspect of our history, though I have been

unfortunately well-apprised of the end results.

The point of this book is not to deduce that you

don't have a shot based on statistics or studies,

but rather to understand the prevailing factors and

learn how to achieve and accomplish in spite of

the odds. Persistence is, after all, at the heart of

most every success story, no matter the history or

resources available.



***

"Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff

("A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction")

"Beautiful Boy" is a riveting and unapologetic true story

about David Sheff and his son, Nic, and their years of struggle

and heartache dealing with Nic's methamphetamine addiction.

It is also the story of Daisy and Jasper and Karen and Vicki,

and all the other loved ones affected and abused by Nic's

choices in active addiction.

It is a story of lives, before, during, and after addiction,

and how quickly things change. During the course of his own

personal path of worry and fear and chaos, David seeks

balance to keep his own life going, and deals with an

avalanche of questions and guilt.

This story grabbed me on several levels; from the exquisite portrait

of a loving and affluent family (a life unknown to me,) to the

intimately detailed particulars of a young man's downward

spiral in his progressive illness (all too often witnessed by me

and millions more,) to the honest sharing of a father's journey

through guilt, resentment, and

soul-wrenching love.

Whereas Sheff has a very different view of some matters (like 12

Step programs) than I do, his convictions are well spoken,

and--again with that exception--well researched and well documented.

(He does explore the disease model of

addiction, but unfortunately comes out with a

perspective I don't share.)

Equal time seems given to all sides and all persons,

and he does a good job of showcasing just how cruel

drug use and addiction are, as well as how unique every

manifestation of it can be.

A gripping exploration of addiction, meth, a man,

his family, and the tenuous nature of life.

And thankfully, a lot of hope and learning.

***