Blog

summertime

August 12th, 2006

I’ve been slowly hacking away at my overgrown thatch of email, but I’ve given up on my lawn. In fact, my mower died. I’m considering getting a scythe, one of those grim reaper things. That seems like it would be a lot more pleasant than a noisy stinking mower.

I feel bad that I haven’t been keeping up the regular posts I was managing on my travels. But I’ve been working, which pretty much precludes blogging, but of course is what ultimately gives me something to blog about.

Here’s a story about me and Fun Home that ran this week in my local daily paper, the Burlington Free Press.

DTWOF 492

August 12th, 2006

Here’s the latest strip. It should have gone up Wednesday. Sorry about that.

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Pine Street Art Works Show

August 3rd, 2006

Hi, Katie here. Alison and her pal Phranc are teaming up for a joint show called “Paper Play” at Pine Street Art Works. You can look at the brief descriptions of Alison’s and Phranc’s works on the Pine Street Site. The show starts September 8th.
The show exhibits Alison’s recent project of large, freehand drawings of people and other creatures. Alison describes this project as her chance to momentarily transcend the small boxes that bound much of her work. Phranc’s project transforms mild-mannered pieces of paper into objects such as shoes and shirts. Alison and Phranc combine their media to create life-size people drawn by Alison who wear paper clothing created by Phranc. In addition to that, Alison will present some DTWOF originals and artwork from Fun Home. Here’s a sneak-peek:

If you’re in the area, don’t miss this chance to see Alison and Phranc break out of their usual mediums!

New Tour Dates!

August 3rd, 2006

While we’re on this updating spree, you should all know Alison’s new tour dates!

Atlanta:
Outwrite Bookstore, 991 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA 30039. September 26, 8pm

Miami:
Books & Books, Miami Beach, speaking/signing, Thursday, September 28, 8:00pm
St. Louis, MO
Left Bank Books, speaking/signing, September 30, 7pm

Washington, DC:
Politics and Prose, October 2, 8:00pm

Details are forthcoming about Cleveland and Toronto– we’ll flesh out the information as soon as it comes.
These will be added to the tour schedule as well for your reference convenience. Hope to see you at these events!

Home and Garden

August 3rd, 2006

There’s a story about Fun Home in today’s New York Times Home and Garden section. I drove to my home town a couple weeks ago to meet Ginia Bellafante, the reporter, at the house I spent my childhood dusting. The place is on the market, and a lot of my dad’s decorating is still intact.

Tour de France

July 26th, 2006

Fun Home is being published serially, two pages a day for the rest of the summer, in the French newspaper Liberation. Unfortunately, you can only see it in the actual paper, not the online edition. “Fun Home; Une Tragecomedie Familiale” will be published in book form in October. Aren’t you impressed that I spoke such fluent French as a child?

I don’t really get myspace.

July 24th, 2006

I think I’m too old. But they have Fun Home listed as one of their featured books.

Episode 491

July 21st, 2006

God. I’ve been meaning to put this up since yesterday. Finally, at 4pm, I’ve gotten around to it. Thanks, as ever, to Nichael for hosting the large-print version. [Episode 491 is now visible here.]

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weeding

July 21st, 2006

On Monday I drove nine hours to Pennsylvania. On Tuesday I met a reporter who’s doing a story about Fun Home and wanted to see the actual house I grew up in, and that my father so painstakingly restored. The place is for sale. It was very odd being there because in many ways, it’s just the same as it was when my mom sold it over twenty years ago. The trees and shrubs and flowers are badly in need of pruning, though. They’re threatening to swallow the place up.

Just like, upon my return to Vermont, my sadly neglected email and lawn are threatening to swallow me up. I have so many things to do, I can’t seem to begin any of them.

Peace and Justice Store, Burlington VT

July 15th, 2006

I had a very pleasant, intime reading in Burington last night at the good old Peace and Justice Store.

Today’s the first day I haven’t had to go anywhere in quite a while. Here I am studiously attacking my staggering backlog of email.

I’m trying to keep doing that and resist being sidetracked by the extremely interesting discussion going on in the last post. But thanks to everyone who’s been contributing to that. Yeah, at my readings, lots of people have been pointing out the way I’ve ended up mirroring many of my dad’s neuroses in the creation of the book. The obsession with detail, the compulsive collecting (he collected antiques, I collect ephemera and documents), the escape into literature. I have to confess, I didn’t really see this clearly until after the book was done. Okay. Back to work.