Beats me, but he's been doing some nice work for the City Paper. This is the second article he's illustrated in recent months - iirc he did one on the night life of Adams Morgan, such as it is.
Actually a quick Google search reveals his website and the fact that he's a Baltimore-based illustrator. He's got quite a few images on his site, including a Venom and a Batman, for us comic book fans.
I'll be keeping my eyes open for his work. The cover of this week's City Paper really stood out but they don't seem to have put it up on their website.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Off topic - Von Allan interview
Longtime (hah!) readers of this blog might recall that Von Allan sent us a press release before his SPX appearance. I stopped by to meet him and enjoyed talking to him and seeing previews of his comics. I know he's a reader of the blog because he keeps posting comments asking how to pronouce "Marjane" as in Marjane Satrapi. Since I haven't answered that yet, here's a link to a recent interview with him.
Nov 25 - Booksigning Sean Delonas
The Washington Post's Book World lists a signing by New York Post cartoonist Sean Delonas and his son Ryan. They've coauthored a children's book, Scuttle's Big Wish. The signing is at Aladdin's Lamp Children's Bookstore, 2499 N. Harrison St, Arlington at 11 am. For some reason they're asking for an RSVP (I've not been to the store - perhaps it's small) - 703-241-8281. I'm not familiar with Delonas' work, but I think I'll try to attend this.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Minor Washington Post comics bits
Two Post strips this week have a bit of interest. Dave Astor does an excellent column on newspaper syndicates, and I'm not just saying that because he just quoted this blog. He pointed out earlier in the week that Hilary Price, Rhymes with Orange cartoonist, is on her honeymoon, and Mary Lawton is doing the strip for two weeks, a fact that complete escaped me even though I read the darned thing. (For those reading between the lines of Dave's story, yes, Price is an out of the closet lesbian).
Ok, a third thing before the second - The Other Coast alternates with another panel in the Post, annoyingly enough, but as Dave points out Raeside really bit the hand that feeds him yesterday. Good for him. "Peanuts out of the Post!" could be my rallying cry.
The second thing is that Stephan Pastis' Pearls Before Swine strip is doing another of those breaking the fourth wall bits and swapping into his strip bits of Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley (who's on vacation).
Any further interest in posts like this where I just note what struck me about a comic? I read the Post, City Paper, Blade, Examiner, Express and Washington Times* (when I get it for free) as well as the NY Times (brag, brag) so I might have something to note if there's any interest.
*It's that Comics Research Bibliography thing that drives me.
Ok, a third thing before the second - The Other Coast alternates with another panel in the Post, annoyingly enough, but as Dave points out Raeside really bit the hand that feeds him yesterday. Good for him. "Peanuts out of the Post!" could be my rallying cry.
The second thing is that Stephan Pastis' Pearls Before Swine strip is doing another of those breaking the fourth wall bits and swapping into his strip bits of Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley (who's on vacation).
Any further interest in posts like this where I just note what struck me about a comic? I read the Post, City Paper, Blade, Examiner, Express and Washington Times* (when I get it for free) as well as the NY Times (brag, brag) so I might have something to note if there's any interest.
*It's that Comics Research Bibliography thing that drives me.
Post mentions American Born Chinese at National Book Awards
National Book Awards Honor 'Echo Maker,' 'Worst Hard Time' By Bob Thompson, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, November 16, 2006; Page C01 has a little bit on Gene Yang's nomination. To wit:
In his acceptance speech, [Young people's literature award winner M.T.] Anderson made a point of noting that Gene Luen Yang's "American Born Chinese" was the first graphic novel nominated for a National Book Award. "There is a lot of dithering in the blogosphere," he said, about whether graphic novels are worthy. This can now be laid to rest.
and
Yang said he thinks we're "in the middle of a renaissance for the graphic novel" -- finally seeing "an entire body of work" in the form that aspires to be literature.
Nothing world-shaking, but perhaps of interest.
In other news, as I was driving home tonight I was behind a silver Pacifica SUV with a license plate that read "DC Comic" - it was driven by a black man in a military uniform, and judging from the frequency of shows advertised at Walter Reed, I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's a comedian. I was excited for a minute though.
In his acceptance speech, [Young people's literature award winner M.T.] Anderson made a point of noting that Gene Luen Yang's "American Born Chinese" was the first graphic novel nominated for a National Book Award. "There is a lot of dithering in the blogosphere," he said, about whether graphic novels are worthy. This can now be laid to rest.
and
Yang said he thinks we're "in the middle of a renaissance for the graphic novel" -- finally seeing "an entire body of work" in the form that aspires to be literature.
Nothing world-shaking, but perhaps of interest.
In other news, as I was driving home tonight I was behind a silver Pacifica SUV with a license plate that read "DC Comic" - it was driven by a black man in a military uniform, and judging from the frequency of shows advertised at Walter Reed, I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's a comedian. I was excited for a minute though.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Nov 18 - Academic panels - “Comics, Graphic Novels, and the Bible” REPOST
This has gotten closer, so I'll repeat the information.
A. David Lewis reports that he will be speaking at the following session. More details if I get them, but it sounds interesting. Besides the obvious issue of the propriety of the Danish Islam cartoons, there has been a lot of growth in Christian and Jewish comics in the US. (BTW, I think that's Andre, not Andrea).
Program for 2006 National Academy of American Religion/Society of Biblical Literature
SBL Forum Special Session, Nov. 18, 1pm – DC Convention Center
“Comics, Graphic Novels, and the Bible”
Dan W. Clanton, Jr., Presider
Papers
G. Andrew Tooze, Winston-Salem, NC, “Do Superheroes Read Scripture? The Bible and Comic Books” (30 minutes)
Terry Clark, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, “Biblical Graphic Novels: Adaptation, Interpretation, and Pedagogy” (30 minutes)
Andrea Molinari, Creighton University, “Climbing the Dragon’s Ladder: Perpetua, Felicitas, Graphic Novels and the Possibility of Modern Hagiography” (30 minutes)
Panel Discussion (60 minutes)
Greg Garrett, Professor of English, Baylor University
A. David Lewis, author of The Lone and Level Sands
Steve Ross, author of Marked
JT Waldman, author of Megillat Esther
A. David Lewis reports that he will be speaking at the following session. More details if I get them, but it sounds interesting. Besides the obvious issue of the propriety of the Danish Islam cartoons, there has been a lot of growth in Christian and Jewish comics in the US. (BTW, I think that's Andre, not Andrea).
Program for 2006 National Academy of American Religion/Society of Biblical Literature
SBL Forum Special Session, Nov. 18, 1pm – DC Convention Center
“Comics, Graphic Novels, and the Bible”
Dan W. Clanton, Jr., Presider
Papers
G. Andrew Tooze, Winston-Salem, NC, “Do Superheroes Read Scripture? The Bible and Comic Books” (30 minutes)
Terry Clark, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, “Biblical Graphic Novels: Adaptation, Interpretation, and Pedagogy” (30 minutes)
Andrea Molinari, Creighton University, “Climbing the Dragon’s Ladder: Perpetua, Felicitas, Graphic Novels and the Possibility of Modern Hagiography” (30 minutes)
Panel Discussion (60 minutes)
Greg Garrett, Professor of English, Baylor University
A. David Lewis, author of The Lone and Level Sands
Steve Ross, author of Marked
JT Waldman, author of Megillat Esther
Library of Congress announces Swann Fellowship applications
This just in from the Library. Note that the grant supports doing research in the Library's collections, which have grown quite a bit. In addition to the donation/purchase of Art Wood's collection which is the basis of the Cartoon America exhibit, the Library also picked up the Harry "A" Chesler collection from Fairleigh Dickenson University in 2001.
November 15, 2006
Public contact: Martha Kennedy (202) 707-9115, mkenn@loc.gov
SWANN FOUNDATION ACCEPTING FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS
Foundation Supports Research in the Humorous Arts of Caricature and Cartoon
The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship for the 2007-2008 academic year. Applications are due by close of business on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007, and notification will occur in the spring.
The Swann Foundation awards one fellowship annually (with a $15,000 stipend) to assist in continuing scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon.
As part of the fellowship, the Swann Foundation will support a required two-week residency at the Library of Congress, where the fellow will use the Library’s extensive collections and deliver a public lecture at the Library on his or her work. The fellow must also provide a copy of his or her dissertation, thesis or postgraduate publication upon completion, for the Swann Foundation Fund files.
Guidelines and application forms are available through the Swann Foundation’s Web site www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swann-fellow.html, by e-mailing swann@loc.gov or by calling Martha Kennedy in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library at (202) 707-9115.
To be eligible, an applicant must be a resident of the United States and a candidate for a master’s or doctoral degree at a university based in the United States, Canada or Mexico. The applicant must be working toward completion of a dissertation or thesis for that degree or be engaged in postgraduate research within three years of receiving an M.A. or a Ph.D. Individuals who are not U.S. residents but who otherwise meet these academic qualifications may also apply and be considered for a fellowship, contingent upon the applicant’s visa eligibility.
The applicant’s research must be in the field of caricature and cartoon. There are no restrictions on the place or time period covered. To encourage research in a variety of academic disciplines, any university department may oversee a project proposed for the fellowship, provided the subject pertains to caricature or cartoon art.
Requirements for the fellowship applications include a statement of qualifications, a one-page abstract of the proposed project, a project description that specifies research needs and a budget, two letters of reference and official transcripts.
The Swann Foundation fellowship in caricature and cartoon is the only scholarly fellowship that provides direct support for continuing graduate research in the field. It has supported groundbreaking research on caricature and cartoon that focuses on a variety of subjects and topics such as the Cold War; representations of race, class conflict and disease; and the early origins of caricature.
The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon is overseen by an advisory board composed of scholars, collectors, cartoonists and Library of Congress staff members. The foundation’s activities support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world. New York advertising executive Erwin Swann (1906-1973) established the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon in 1967.
# # #
PR06-212
11/15/06
ISSN: 0731-3527
November 15, 2006
Public contact: Martha Kennedy (202) 707-9115, mkenn@loc.gov
SWANN FOUNDATION ACCEPTING FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS
Foundation Supports Research in the Humorous Arts of Caricature and Cartoon
The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship for the 2007-2008 academic year. Applications are due by close of business on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007, and notification will occur in the spring.
The Swann Foundation awards one fellowship annually (with a $15,000 stipend) to assist in continuing scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon.
As part of the fellowship, the Swann Foundation will support a required two-week residency at the Library of Congress, where the fellow will use the Library’s extensive collections and deliver a public lecture at the Library on his or her work. The fellow must also provide a copy of his or her dissertation, thesis or postgraduate publication upon completion, for the Swann Foundation Fund files.
Guidelines and application forms are available through the Swann Foundation’s Web site www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swann-fellow.html, by e-mailing swann@loc.gov or by calling Martha Kennedy in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library at (202) 707-9115.
To be eligible, an applicant must be a resident of the United States and a candidate for a master’s or doctoral degree at a university based in the United States, Canada or Mexico. The applicant must be working toward completion of a dissertation or thesis for that degree or be engaged in postgraduate research within three years of receiving an M.A. or a Ph.D. Individuals who are not U.S. residents but who otherwise meet these academic qualifications may also apply and be considered for a fellowship, contingent upon the applicant’s visa eligibility.
The applicant’s research must be in the field of caricature and cartoon. There are no restrictions on the place or time period covered. To encourage research in a variety of academic disciplines, any university department may oversee a project proposed for the fellowship, provided the subject pertains to caricature or cartoon art.
Requirements for the fellowship applications include a statement of qualifications, a one-page abstract of the proposed project, a project description that specifies research needs and a budget, two letters of reference and official transcripts.
The Swann Foundation fellowship in caricature and cartoon is the only scholarly fellowship that provides direct support for continuing graduate research in the field. It has supported groundbreaking research on caricature and cartoon that focuses on a variety of subjects and topics such as the Cold War; representations of race, class conflict and disease; and the early origins of caricature.
The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon is overseen by an advisory board composed of scholars, collectors, cartoonists and Library of Congress staff members. The foundation’s activities support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world. New York advertising executive Erwin Swann (1906-1973) established the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon in 1967.
# # #
PR06-212
11/15/06
ISSN: 0731-3527
Washington Examiner dropping comics followup
Today the Examiner ran the letter on the left. I'd call it disingenous since the Pooch Cafe website shows no signs of the strip being discontinued, and it ran today in the Post's free Express paper. And of the strips the Examiner ran, it duplicated Over the Hedge in Overboard's space.Also in today's Examiner is Brian Truitt's New Comic Book Releases column which I always enjoy.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Washington Examiner dropping comics?
Since the middle of last week, the Examiner appears to have dropped a page of comics. On October 14th, a paper I happened to have lying around the house, they had two pages of strips. These were Adam@Home, Frazz, Overboard, The Duplex, Pooch Cafe, Jump Start, Prickly City, Rose is Rose, Over the Hedge, The Buckets, Monty, Spot the Frog, Marmaduke, and Herman. In other words, a good middle-of-the-road selection.
Today's paper though only has Frazz, Over the Hedge, Overboard, Spot the Frog, Adam@Home, and Prickly City (which also runs in the Post). And this has been the case for a few days now. So have they cut almost 2/3 of their strips with no notice? Perhaps some more journalistically-inclined soul will look into it.
Today's paper though only has Frazz, Over the Hedge, Overboard, Spot the Frog, Adam@Home, and Prickly City (which also runs in the Post). And this has been the case for a few days now. So have they cut almost 2/3 of their strips with no notice? Perhaps some more journalistically-inclined soul will look into it.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Nov 27 KAL speaks in Baltimore
The Daily Cartoonist reported that KAL will be speaking in Baltimore soon, and KAL's website has the details:
The League of Woman Voters is sponsoring a special event with KAL on Monday November 27
A lecture titled KAL Draws Criticism: Political Cartoons and The Democratic Society will begin at 6PM at Sheppard Pratt Conference Cente, 6501 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD
Tickets are $10.00
For more information call the League office, 410-377-8046 or email lwvbaltimore@verizon.net
The League of Woman Voters is sponsoring a special event with KAL on Monday November 27
A lecture titled KAL Draws Criticism: Political Cartoons and The Democratic Society will begin at 6PM at Sheppard Pratt Conference Cente, 6501 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD
Tickets are $10.00
For more information call the League office, 410-377-8046 or email lwvbaltimore@verizon.net
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Cartoon America opening photographs
The exhibit opening in the Library of Congress' Members Room was marked with speeches from various luminaries like Librarian of Congress James Billington (I only partially envy him his job), Jules Feiffer, Kevin KAL Kallaugher, Harry Katz, Ann Telnaes, Brian Walker and Art Wood. I'll try to update this entry to post some comments they made that struck me, but in the meantime, here's some pictures that Richard Thompson requested.
Jules Feiffer
Brian Walker
Kevin KAL Kallaugher
Ann Telnaes
Warren Bernard, volunteer cartoon cataloguer, and curators Martha Kennedy and Sara Duke.
Richard Thompson talking to the former manager of the Susan Conway gallery, as the signing line goes on.
Jules Feiffer
Brian Walker
Kevin KAL Kallaugher
Ann Telnaes
Warren Bernard, volunteer cartoon cataloguer, and curators Martha Kennedy and Sara Duke.
Richard Thompson talking to the former manager of the Susan Conway gallery, as the signing line goes on.
Cartoon America review in Washington Post
The Post ran a good review in yesterday's paper, albeit in the Weekend section instead of Style -
Cartoons That Draw You In
By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 10, 2006; Page WE48
The pull quote would be, "Tightly yet smartly organized by curators Sara W. Duke and Martha H. Kennedy, this cream-of-the-crop-style survey showcases a collection that is not just vast but deep, featuring a 1743 etching, "Characters & Caricaturas," by satirical printmaker William Hogarth along with examples of original work by Bill Griffith ("Zippy the Pinhead") and Lynn Johnston ("For Better or for Worse"), two contemporary masters of the daily comic strip."
As I've said before, this is an excellent show. I attempted to take my daughter to see it yesterday, but the LoC was closed for the holiday, which is today, and it's open today of course. And don't forget to see Martha and Sara's fine little Herblock show which is upstairs in the American Treasures exhibit.
Nov 25 Booksigning by Ted Hake at Geppi's Museum
Since this is essentially a press release, I don't think they'll mind if I reproduce it in full.
GEM's Inaugural Signing with Ted Hake
Superstars, Scoop, Friday, November 10, 2006
http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=13776&si=122
As announced in last week's Scoop, Geppi's Entertainment Museum has developed an author signing series and is proud to announce that Ted Hake will be the inaugural featured guest author on Saturday, November 25, 2006. Ted will be the guest of Geppi's Entertainment Museum Store from 1 to 4 pm on the second floor of historic Camden Station in downtown Baltimore, MD on the Camden Yards campus.
Ted Hake is recognized as the founding father of America's collectibles industry. He began Hake's Americana & Collectibles in 1967, the first auction house to specialize in 20th century American popular culture. His early initiatives in hundreds of collecting areas contributed significantly to establishing collectibles as a major pastime for millions of Americans. Over the years, Hake has shared his expertise by writing seventeen reference/price guides covering such subjects as presidential campaign artifacts, pinback buttons and vintage collectibles in the areas of advertising, comic characters, cowboy characters and television. His lifelong interest in Disneyana culminated in 2005 with the comprehensive (9,000 pictured items) Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles 1st Edition (Random House). He is a frequent guest on radio, was an appraiser on the first two seasons of the PBS series The Antiques Roadshow and is a featured expert on the History Channel's 2003 program History of Toys. In March 2004, Hake sold his business which is now a division of Diamond International Galleries and he continues as Chief Operating Officer.
Hake's four annual catalogue and internet (www.hakes.com) auctions, sales lists and books are produced at the company's home office in Timonium, Maryland.
GEM's Inaugural Signing with Ted Hake
Superstars, Scoop, Friday, November 10, 2006
http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=13776&si=122
As announced in last week's Scoop, Geppi's Entertainment Museum has developed an author signing series and is proud to announce that Ted Hake will be the inaugural featured guest author on Saturday, November 25, 2006. Ted will be the guest of Geppi's Entertainment Museum Store from 1 to 4 pm on the second floor of historic Camden Station in downtown Baltimore, MD on the Camden Yards campus.
Ted Hake is recognized as the founding father of America's collectibles industry. He began Hake's Americana & Collectibles in 1967, the first auction house to specialize in 20th century American popular culture. His early initiatives in hundreds of collecting areas contributed significantly to establishing collectibles as a major pastime for millions of Americans. Over the years, Hake has shared his expertise by writing seventeen reference/price guides covering such subjects as presidential campaign artifacts, pinback buttons and vintage collectibles in the areas of advertising, comic characters, cowboy characters and television. His lifelong interest in Disneyana culminated in 2005 with the comprehensive (9,000 pictured items) Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles 1st Edition (Random House). He is a frequent guest on radio, was an appraiser on the first two seasons of the PBS series The Antiques Roadshow and is a featured expert on the History Channel's 2003 program History of Toys. In March 2004, Hake sold his business which is now a division of Diamond International Galleries and he continues as Chief Operating Officer.
Hake's four annual catalogue and internet (www.hakes.com) auctions, sales lists and books are produced at the company's home office in Timonium, Maryland.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Steve Geppi interview podcast
I haven't made it to his new museum in Baltimore yet, but I'm looking forward to going.
Zurzolo, Vincent. 2006.
Steve Geppi interview
World Talk Radio's Comic Zone (November 1):
http://www.worldtalkradio.com/archive.asp?aid=8307
Steve Geppi -comic Collector, founder of Diamond Distribution and the Geppi Entertainment Museum joins Vincent Zurzolo to talk about his illustrious career in the world of comics!
Zurzolo, Vincent. 2006.
Steve Geppi interview
World Talk Radio's Comic Zone (November 1):
http://www.worldtalkradio.com/archive.asp?aid=8307
Steve Geppi -comic Collector, founder of Diamond Distribution and the Geppi Entertainment Museum joins Vincent Zurzolo to talk about his illustrious career in the world of comics!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Nov 9 - articles in today's papers
Besides the Chast article, the Express has wire stories about SpongeBob and the new animated penguin movie, Happy Feet. The Examiner has an AP story about the new Disney biography that's about to come out.
Nov 16: Roz Chast speaks and sells
The Express has an article on New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast speaking at the Smithsonian's Residents Associates Program. The lecture, presumably part of her book tour, is $25 or 15 bucks if you're a RAP member. While I've paid for one of these in the past, notably Mankoff and the other New Yorker cartoonists that were touring with the complete cartoon book a couple of years ago, in general it pisses me off to pay someone to be sold something by them. So I won't be attending this. On the other hand, it appears to be sold out so apparently they didn't need me anyway.
Satrapi at Politics and Prose followup
Tom Spurgeon linked to this site which reproduces a State Dept information piece on Satrapi, quoting from her talk at Politics and Prose on Halloween. This struck me as slightly odd, but not inappropriate. She's certainly an articulate advocate for her point of view.
Since works by the US Gov't are in the public domain, here's the whole piece:
06 November 2006
Book About Wartime Iran a Statement Against Dictatorships:
Graphic novel explains experiences of Iranians during revolution and war
Washington -- Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, a four-volume series that first was published in 2000, has become one of the most influential graphic novels in the past 10 years and is a cornerstone of curricula being taught at U.S. universities, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the premier institution for training U.S. Army officers.
The series, which tells the story of Satrapi's life in revolutionary and wartime Iran, has educated and inspired a wide range of readers, including pro-democracy activists from China to Chile.
“Suddenly it became the story of all dictatorships and it put me in a situation that suddenly, despite myself, I became the voice of a generation or the population,” Satrapi said in Washington October 31.
She said she wrote the book to help outsiders understand the Iranian people and their experience during the revolution and war with Iraq, adding that with the current tensions between Iran and the outside world, “there is a lot of need of this book today.”
“This whole work … [was] to try to show the human part of us, to say hey, these people that are so much misjudged, they are human beings exactly like you with family stories, with hopes, and you can identify with them and it might be you today.”
She said a whole generation of Iranians went through this, and now after a period of reflection “it is the right moment” to talk about these events.
Satrapi is among a growing number of women of Persian heritage living in the United States and elsewhere who are seizing upon the opportunity to tell their own stories, taking advantage of new freedoms and an increased feeling of comfort in their new societies. (See related article.)
For more coverage, see Women in the Global Community and The Arts.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
and here's a second article from the same session:
06 November 2006
Iranian Women in Exile Finding Voices Through Literature: Lack of censorship spawns creative outlet for women to tell their own stories
By Stephen Kaufman
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Women of Persian heritage living in the United States and elsewhere are seizing upon the opportunity to tell their own stories, taking advantage of new freedoms and an increased feeling of comfort in their new societies, and the literary world in turn has begun to respond with interest.
Persis Karim, associate professor of English and comparative literature at San Jose State University in California, said that in the past five years to six years there has been “an explosion” of memoirs written by women of Iranian heritage that discuss the loss and nostalgia from having to leave their home country, as well as taboo topics such as sexuality and love.
Speaking at the University of Maryland November 2, Karim attributed the surge of activity in the United States to “a real desire for people to narrate their own story, and a curiosity on the part of Americans -- readers and publishers -- to know something about Iranian women in particular.”
Women in the Iranian Diaspora are “remak[ing] themselves anew,” and Karim said they feel more of an urgency than men to represent themselves to the outside world. She said this stems in part from a reaction to the media’s depiction of Iranian women concealed by veils and seemingly without a voice. But they also want to represent themselves “because they, in some ways, never had that opportunity.”
Karim said the freedom in the Diaspora to write without censorship “is a really important part” of the new wave of literature, and in her compilation, Let Me Tell You Where I Have Been, she includes poems and stories by women written without the knowledge or approval of their families, including topics that explore wide-ranging sexual themes that are typically restricted in Iran’s conservative, traditional culture.
“[W]hat’s exciting and interesting about it is people are writing about sexuality and marriage and love in ways that are very difficult, particularly at the present moment, to write about in Iran,” she said. “It’s a very interesting moment in terms of the literature.”
These women are asking “hard questions about American culture and about Iranian culture,” and Karim said “they’re willing to do it in writing and I think obviously, with the issue of censorship not being there, it affords them some of those opportunities.”
PATRIARCHAL CULTURE SEEN AS INHIBITING DEMOCRACY
Marjane Satrapi, a graphic novelist living in France, has achieved tremendous international recognition, especially for her book, Persepolis, which tells the story of her life in revolutionary and wartime Iran. (See related article.)
Her book Embroideries concerns the situation of women and the topic of sex in Iran, which she describes as “a big taboo in any country in which you don’t have democracy.” Satrapi was speaking in a Washington bookstore October 31.
Among other themes in Embroideries, she discusses the issue of virginity and the cultural importance and pressure that it places on women.
“[It] is the first key to the open door of freedom and democracy because until this problem is solved, of course we cannot talk about democracy,” she said, explaining that she was seeking to discuss “in a nonaggressive way” the right of women to enjoy sexual gratification.
“I really certainly believe that the biggest enemy of democracy is the patriarchal culture,” Satrapi said. Authoritarian and oppressive leaders cannot stop democracy, she argued, but the culture can. In many countries, “half of the society is repressed by the other half of the society,” and it is often enforced through popular notions that women are less intelligent than men or are too sensitive by nature to accomplish what men can.
Democracy is “an evolution,” she said. In Iran, although women “have half of the rights of the men,” 70 percent of Iranian students are women. Satrapi suggested change could occur when educated women become economically independent, but until then “our government is really not representative of us.”
LIFE IN EXILE CREATES BOTH NOSTALGIA AND CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
Karim said Iranian Americans are beginning “to write themselves back into the narrative” of the recent events in Iran, and their work is marked by a confidence in English language expression.
“What I see coming through in the writing is a real attempt to grapple with how one situates oneself between that culture in Iran and the United States and/or other countries,” she said. Many younger Iranian Americans are claiming their cultural heritage, but are “also recognizing that they do stand outside of it to some degree.”
Simultaneously, she said, there is “a whole generation of young people growing up in the United States who are influenced and interested in Iranian culture and who are trying to find ways to address that interest.”
Karim said life in the United States, a country of immigrants, has created what she termed “hybrid literature.” The situation of living in a new place gives space for people to “reinvent themselves and maybe revisit their traditions and create new bodies of knowledge based on the experience of immigration.”
It also creates room to depart from the burden of tradition, addressing the writers’ desire to “create something new, with a new language, [and] a new experience.”
Literature by Iranian-American women is also “part of a conversation that’s much bigger than just the United States,” she said, because Iranians now are living all over the world.
“I think that that inability to comfortably go back to Iran without problems or concerns, or feeling somewhat cut off from that ability to have regular engagement with the culture … makes people want to talk about it and write about it and see themselves in some relationship to it,” she said.
For more information, see Women in the Global Community and The Arts.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Since works by the US Gov't are in the public domain, here's the whole piece:
06 November 2006
Book About Wartime Iran a Statement Against Dictatorships:
Graphic novel explains experiences of Iranians during revolution and war
Washington -- Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, a four-volume series that first was published in 2000, has become one of the most influential graphic novels in the past 10 years and is a cornerstone of curricula being taught at U.S. universities, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the premier institution for training U.S. Army officers.
The series, which tells the story of Satrapi's life in revolutionary and wartime Iran, has educated and inspired a wide range of readers, including pro-democracy activists from China to Chile.
“Suddenly it became the story of all dictatorships and it put me in a situation that suddenly, despite myself, I became the voice of a generation or the population,” Satrapi said in Washington October 31.
She said she wrote the book to help outsiders understand the Iranian people and their experience during the revolution and war with Iraq, adding that with the current tensions between Iran and the outside world, “there is a lot of need of this book today.”
“This whole work … [was] to try to show the human part of us, to say hey, these people that are so much misjudged, they are human beings exactly like you with family stories, with hopes, and you can identify with them and it might be you today.”
She said a whole generation of Iranians went through this, and now after a period of reflection “it is the right moment” to talk about these events.
Satrapi is among a growing number of women of Persian heritage living in the United States and elsewhere who are seizing upon the opportunity to tell their own stories, taking advantage of new freedoms and an increased feeling of comfort in their new societies. (See related article.)
For more coverage, see Women in the Global Community and The Arts.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
and here's a second article from the same session:
06 November 2006
Iranian Women in Exile Finding Voices Through Literature: Lack of censorship spawns creative outlet for women to tell their own stories
By Stephen Kaufman
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Women of Persian heritage living in the United States and elsewhere are seizing upon the opportunity to tell their own stories, taking advantage of new freedoms and an increased feeling of comfort in their new societies, and the literary world in turn has begun to respond with interest.
Persis Karim, associate professor of English and comparative literature at San Jose State University in California, said that in the past five years to six years there has been “an explosion” of memoirs written by women of Iranian heritage that discuss the loss and nostalgia from having to leave their home country, as well as taboo topics such as sexuality and love.
Speaking at the University of Maryland November 2, Karim attributed the surge of activity in the United States to “a real desire for people to narrate their own story, and a curiosity on the part of Americans -- readers and publishers -- to know something about Iranian women in particular.”
Women in the Iranian Diaspora are “remak[ing] themselves anew,” and Karim said they feel more of an urgency than men to represent themselves to the outside world. She said this stems in part from a reaction to the media’s depiction of Iranian women concealed by veils and seemingly without a voice. But they also want to represent themselves “because they, in some ways, never had that opportunity.”
Karim said the freedom in the Diaspora to write without censorship “is a really important part” of the new wave of literature, and in her compilation, Let Me Tell You Where I Have Been, she includes poems and stories by women written without the knowledge or approval of their families, including topics that explore wide-ranging sexual themes that are typically restricted in Iran’s conservative, traditional culture.
“[W]hat’s exciting and interesting about it is people are writing about sexuality and marriage and love in ways that are very difficult, particularly at the present moment, to write about in Iran,” she said. “It’s a very interesting moment in terms of the literature.”
These women are asking “hard questions about American culture and about Iranian culture,” and Karim said “they’re willing to do it in writing and I think obviously, with the issue of censorship not being there, it affords them some of those opportunities.”
PATRIARCHAL CULTURE SEEN AS INHIBITING DEMOCRACY
Marjane Satrapi, a graphic novelist living in France, has achieved tremendous international recognition, especially for her book, Persepolis, which tells the story of her life in revolutionary and wartime Iran. (See related article.)
Her book Embroideries concerns the situation of women and the topic of sex in Iran, which she describes as “a big taboo in any country in which you don’t have democracy.” Satrapi was speaking in a Washington bookstore October 31.
Among other themes in Embroideries, she discusses the issue of virginity and the cultural importance and pressure that it places on women.
“[It] is the first key to the open door of freedom and democracy because until this problem is solved, of course we cannot talk about democracy,” she said, explaining that she was seeking to discuss “in a nonaggressive way” the right of women to enjoy sexual gratification.
“I really certainly believe that the biggest enemy of democracy is the patriarchal culture,” Satrapi said. Authoritarian and oppressive leaders cannot stop democracy, she argued, but the culture can. In many countries, “half of the society is repressed by the other half of the society,” and it is often enforced through popular notions that women are less intelligent than men or are too sensitive by nature to accomplish what men can.
Democracy is “an evolution,” she said. In Iran, although women “have half of the rights of the men,” 70 percent of Iranian students are women. Satrapi suggested change could occur when educated women become economically independent, but until then “our government is really not representative of us.”
LIFE IN EXILE CREATES BOTH NOSTALGIA AND CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
Karim said Iranian Americans are beginning “to write themselves back into the narrative” of the recent events in Iran, and their work is marked by a confidence in English language expression.
“What I see coming through in the writing is a real attempt to grapple with how one situates oneself between that culture in Iran and the United States and/or other countries,” she said. Many younger Iranian Americans are claiming their cultural heritage, but are “also recognizing that they do stand outside of it to some degree.”
Simultaneously, she said, there is “a whole generation of young people growing up in the United States who are influenced and interested in Iranian culture and who are trying to find ways to address that interest.”
Karim said life in the United States, a country of immigrants, has created what she termed “hybrid literature.” The situation of living in a new place gives space for people to “reinvent themselves and maybe revisit their traditions and create new bodies of knowledge based on the experience of immigration.”
It also creates room to depart from the burden of tradition, addressing the writers’ desire to “create something new, with a new language, [and] a new experience.”
Literature by Iranian-American women is also “part of a conversation that’s much bigger than just the United States,” she said, because Iranians now are living all over the world.
“I think that that inability to comfortably go back to Iran without problems or concerns, or feeling somewhat cut off from that ability to have regular engagement with the culture … makes people want to talk about it and write about it and see themselves in some relationship to it,” she said.
For more information, see Women in the Global Community and The Arts.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
International Journal of Comic Art out now
The new issue of the International Journal of Comic Art is out now. An academic journal published and edited by John Lent, the current issue has an excellent piece on Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's Batman graphic novel, Arkham Asylum by Howard University professor Marc Singer. It's also got an interview with Harvey Pekar, Josh Neufeld, Dean Haspiel and Ed Piskor by yours truly from last year's Small Press Expo. The Exhibition Reviews section which I edit has my comments on recent local shows "Drawing Back" at Provisions Library, "Miguel Covarrubias" at the Cultural Institute of Mexico, and "Mightier than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of Kal" at the Walters Art Museum.
Buy your copy today!
Buy your copy today!
Nov 7 - Richard's Poor Alamanac snuck in Post
This is a day late because my modem refused to recognize my internet service last night. The Post snuck a Richard Thompson cartoon, "An Introduction to Electronic Voting", in color on the front page of Style yesterday. The panel usually appears on Saturday.
Matt Wuerker becomes staff cartoonist on Nov 21
Tom Spurgeon at the Comics Reporter picked this bit up from the AAEC website - local freelance cartoonist Matt Wuerker, whose work is infrequently seen in the Washington Times, and in political ads in the Washington Post, will become the staff cartoonist of the new Capitol Leader paper. The AAEC also reports that you can see Wuerker's Flash-animated cartoons here.
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