Coming of Age in Words and Pictures
Sunday, May 7 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PMResidence Inn Berkeley - Ballroom 2
- Comics & Graphics
- Memoir
The transition from childhood to adolescence and beyond is a perennial theme in fiction—and for good reason. How many of us still have cringe-worthy moments from our teenaged years seared as indelible images in our brains? Here, three creators take their coming-of-age tales one step further—providing readers with images to make their stories of transition, maturation, and self-discovery that much more vivid. In Different for Boys, Patrick Ness combines inventive narrative techniques with Tea Bendix’s expressive pencil illustrations to create a short novel that’s nevertheless full of ruminations on sexual awakening, sexual identity, and toxic masculinity. In Hungry Ghost, Victoria Ying crafts a heartrending story about disordered eating and cultural identity, using the graphic novel format to great effect to depict the harrowing extent of her protagonist’s condition using spare language and devastating artwork. And in Sunshine, his graphic memoir follow-up to National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo, Jarrett Krosoczka depicts a transformative summer working at a summer camp for children with chronic illnesses, in a vividly illustrated chronicle of an early commitment to finding joy in serving others. Moderated by Berkeley Public Library’s Elaine Tai, author of the forthcoming picture book Yes Means Yes. Ages 14+.
Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue