Q&A with ... gabrielle bell

long overdue, another Q&A with women in indie comics ...
G A B R I E L L E B E L L



while i discovered gabrielle bell a bit later in her published career, i'm catching up for lost time. my first read, lucky (picked up by drawn and quarterly in 2006), a group of semi-autobiographical stories, holds a cherished place now in my comics collection. cecil and jordan in new york is her newest collection and it packs a punch. i adored the imagery and adventure of "my affliction" and "helpless" brought back the BEST memories of scuffles with my high school friend. (images from "helpless")

a little wikipedia background on her published work ... "From about 1998 to 2002, Bell annually self-published a 32-page comic, each of whose titles began with "Book of...", including Book of Insomnia, Book of Sleep, Book of Black, Book of Lies, and Book of Ordinary Things. Many of the stories from those comics were collected in When I'm Old and Other Stories, published by Alternative Comics in 2003."

read on about gabrielle as she shares her likes, her life and her collaborative film venture with michel gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep and Be Kind Rewind):

1. care to comment on how the collaboration with michel gondry evolved?

He really liked my chair comic, and wanted to make some kind of film
or play with that. The producers approached him to do a thirty minute
segment for the film Tokyo!, and that was one of the ideas he
proposed, and they liked that one.

the on-set filming experience?

It was hectic. I’d never been to Japan before, and never been on a
film set. It was all very unfamiliar. It was a constant anxiety
attack. But I’m really glad to have done it. Michel pushed me into
places I’d never have gone by myself.

will this lead to more film-book adventures?

I am really into comics. I don’t want to do movies. Then again, I
could be tempted back, I’m sure. The glamour of it all is so
alluring.

2. favorite films?
I recently saw Elaine May’s Mikey and Nicky, and really loved that.

books you are reading now?

Lydia Davis, Rabbit Series, John Updike, Alice Munro.

3. early influences? books, comics?

The Freak Brothers…Mad Magazine…Kurt Vonnegut.

4. so the autobiographical nature of your stories -- does that drive
most of your storytelling? how does the revealing nature of the
stories help you?

There is definitely a difference between my autobiographical stories
and my fictional ones. I take a different stance to each.
Autobiography is more like speaking directly to the audience, fiction
is more like playing a part, and not breaking the fourth wall. But I
always use my own life-at least in bits and pieces-because it’s all I
know for sure. Even if I use details of someone else’s life, I try to
draw on my own feelings. There are at least some people in the world
who can relate to me.

5. what prompted your move into self-publishing?

It was-and still might be-the thing to do for indy cartoonists
starting out. It’s easy and fun and cheap to make your own Xeroxed (or
laser printed) mini-comic, and give them out and sell them and trade
them.

how did D & Q find you?

I’d been contributing to anthologies for years, so they’d seen my work
and asked me to contribute something to their showcase anthology.

7. city or country girl?

I grew up in the country and I really miss it but I’m a city girl. I
like good coffee shops and bookstores and bars and a feeling of an
endless choice of those things.

8. where else in the world you would live?

I’m pretty stuck on Brooklyn. I ask myself that question once in
awhile and can’t seem to come up with much. Maybe Tokyo…maybe
somewhere in the South of France…both to learn the languages. Maybe
there’s some place I’ve never been to that I would be totally happy
in, like somewhere in Mexico or in Hawaii or on some remote Island
where I could do my comics in peace, but maybe I’ll never find it.

9. how did your formal education prepare you for this extraordinary career?

Thanks, but my education was pretty informal. I took several classes,
but never finished school. I am not a good academic. I regret that,
actually.

10. your favorite snack food?

I like tarts, or little pies of any kind, sweet or savory…empanadas,
or dumplings, or pierogis, anything with some sort of filling with
some sort of crust or doughy shell of some kind. Even those little
hostess pies, or pop tarts.

thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, gabrielle! looking forward to your next creations!

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL -- NEW JERSEY ARTIST CELESTE RAPONE

"Garden Groomer", oil on canvas, 25" x 50"

one of my favorite jersey artists has a new show ... check it out!

"Host" , Oil and Acrylic on Canvas 36" x 40"

CELESTE RAPONE

2008 PHOENIX GALLERY FELLOWSHIP WINNER
"VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL"

NOVEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 20, 2008

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, December 4, 6-8 PM

INSTANT GRATIFICATION: I'm interested in superficial and product-oriented interference in the natural phases of life, as it pertains to childhood encounters with religion and sex. As a girl raised Catholic, I became accustomed to attractive versions of unattractive ideas in vessels that appealed to me at a young age. Storytelling formulas and strategies are used by parents to make certain complexities, such as Catholicism and sex, appear more final and less questionable. At 23, I'm beginning to dissect those issues that were once deemed absolute. My paintings are adult responses to the formulas I was fed as a child; they're about realizing that the notion of the unobtainable being attainable is indeed false. My body of work challenges the Catholic church's myth of accessibility by acknowledging the impossibility of mimicking an ideal Catholic figure, and by exploring a more personal and organic mode of power and sensuality: sex and the female form.


Celeste Rapone was raised in Wayne, NJ and attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she received her B.F.A. degree in 2007. Ms. Rapone is the winner of the 2008 Phoenix Gallery Fellowship Program at the Phoenix Gallery.

PHOENIX GALLERY 210 Eleventh Ave. @ 25th St., Suite 902, New York, NY 10001

Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 – 6:00 PM

212-226-8711 212-343-7303 fax

info@phoenix-gallery.com http://www.phoenix-gallery.com/

http://www.celesterapone.com/

new jersey local boy = literary bad boy

growing up in oakland, new jersey, who knew someone from our boring suburban enclave would become such a literary bad boy? maybe you don't know him, but you should... jonathan ames.

a graduate of indian hills high school (though he graduated several years before me), jonathan ames has become quite the literary star (and he was almost a TV star on showtime but the pilot didn't expand into a series)... now he's delving into the graphic novel format (with illustrator dean haspiel who illlustrated the quitter by harvey pekar, an amazing story)... i couldn't be happier! see a recent story/other illustration collaboration "next door neighborless" here.

more about mr. ames on wikipedia... thanks for making new jersey proud... and showing that the typical suburban upbringing is not so predictable!

here in a publishers weekly article, he discusses his new book:

The Alcoholic ended up as a graphic novel (published by Vertigo, which recently announced a plan to put more focus on original graphic novels) through Ames's friendship with artist Dean Haspiel, a fellow Brooklynite. "I was sitting in a cafe in Brooklyn,” Ames said, “and he came up and introduced himself to me, said he was a fan of my writing, and then we fell in love, and eventually adopted several children. We were kind of like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, except nobody knew it," Ames joked. More seriously, he added, "After meeting at the cafe, we became friends. One of those rare after-age-35 new friendships."

nyc and new jersey local shopping cures a bad day!

on a recent visit to my favorite store in the west village, greenwich letterpress, to pick up birthday cards and mother's day cards, i indulged and bought a beautiful crafty necklace... it was a bad work week and i needed a pick me up... (see my friend sus shopping in this pix at greenwich.)after asking greenwich letterpress owner beth salvini about the necklace's creator, rebecca purcell, i checked out her bio and discovered that she makes clothes and has written books about "modern nostalgia" and "interior alchemy."

here are some necklace pix (mine is similar to this style).

and in light of recent independent store closings in hoboken (good kleen fun, wee beasties, mola, rue du jardin), more than ever we need to support local artists, designers, entrepreneurs and shop owners.

so take a stroll down christopher street to greenwich letterpress, tell beth i sent ya, and find your own local treasure. a sure remedy for any kind of bad day!

Challenger Newell Calls Sheldon Silver on his "Back Room" Dealings

I received this in my mailbox today. I wondered last night what Sheldon Silver's challenger (the SG friend Paul Newell) would say about Silver's shutting down the democratic process over a bill that is clearly in the best interests of the city. I didn't have to wait long, this message was waiting in my email box. Good stuff:

Challenger Paul Newell Criticizes Sheldon Silver's Congestion Dodge

Today, Paul Newell, Sheldon Silver's challenger in this year's 64th Assembly District Democratic Primary, criticized Silver's backroom dealings denying accountable government to New Yorkers, saying "Sheldon Silver's failure to even schedule a vote on congestion pricing shows his contempt for both the democratic process and concerns of Lower Manhattanites."

Newell continued to criticize Silver's deceptive approach. "New Yorkers deserve a legislature that openly debates issues rather than quietly killing them behind closed doors. After 32 years in Albany, Sheldon Silver's culture of failure denies accountability and representation to 19 million New Yorkers, and stifles innovative policy solutions. Congestion Pricing is too important an issue to be swept under the rug by Sheldon Silver".

Silver's secretive pre-emption of any vote on the issue comes on the heels of his refusing to disclose his highly suspicious side income with a powerful NY law firm. "Silver's continuing trend of secrecy and his subversion of the voter's right to have their leaders actually lead had caused too much damage to our state," Newell added.

Congestion pricing is of vital concern to Lower Manhattan. Newell pointed out that the 64th Assembly District includes the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, with the Holland Tunnel just a few blocks away, saying "There is no community in New York State more directly impacted by traffic congestion than ours".

Only 2.3% of Lower Manhattanites drive to work and the vast majority of Downtowners use public transportation. These riders stood to gain from congestion pricing with urgently needed improvements at the Brooklyn Bridge, Whitehall Street, East Broadway, Bowery, Grand Street and South Ferry subway stations and increased service on the M15 bus line.

Noting that all three Lower Manhattan City Councilmember supported the home rule message, Paul Newell asked why Silver is so out of step with the district's needs. "It's clear that Silver views his constituency as the caucus in Albany and not the people of Lower Manhattan What is the point of being represented by the Speaker when he fails to stand up for our vital concerns?".

###
Campaign for New York's Future AD 64 fact sheet: http://www.e-benchmarks.com/congestion/factsheets/mh/silver64.pdf

Daily News on Asthma zones 6/17/2007 - http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2007/06/17/2007-06-17_citys_worst_asthma_zones_sniffed_out.html

Tri-State Transportation Campaign and the Pratt Center for Community Development on AD 64 - http://www.tstc.org/reports/cpsheets/NYCassembly_factsheet_district%2064.pdf

NY Post 2/29/08 on Silver's side income- http://www.nypost.com/seven/02292008/news/regionalnews/silver_picks_crony_for_judge_panel_99783.htm

IF IT WASN'T FOR VAGINAS ...

What follows is an educational anecdote from my friend Sandy.

Tonight on the way home from school, Bayard and I witnessed a very large white man out in the street yelling at a taxi driver who had apparently just rear-ended his car, although there didn't appear to be any real damage. I couldn't actually see inside the taxi, but if you've ever been in NYC, you know who was likely driving the taxi.

The big guy in the street was screaming, "You fucking pussy! You fucking step out of that taxi you fucking pussy!" He screamed it many times.

As we walked by, I said to Bayard, "Hmm, it sounds like someone's really mad." Pause. "Did you hear what that guy was yelling?" Bayard nodded quietly, "He said the "F" word." "Right," I said, "And he said 'pussy.' Do you know what that means?"

Bayard said no, he didn't.

I said, "Well. You know how boys have penises and girls have vaginas? Pussy is another name for vagina. And when a man says it Really Loudly like that to another man, in an angry voice, he's putting down the other man, he's telling that other man he's a woman." [Yes, I know that the vagina is not the instrumental equivalent of the penis, but I'm not ready to explain orgasms to an eight-year old.]

Bayard looked up at me. "Bayard," I asked, "Do you think there's anything wrong with being a woman?" Bayard looked sort of blank, "No mom." Which under the circumstances was an extremely wise and correct choice on Bayard's part.

I said, "It's kind of sad that angry man was calling that other man a vagina. He's calling that man a female sexual organ! I don't think that's a put-down."

And Bayard replied confidently, "Really, mom. If it wasn't for vaginas, none of us would be here."

Regime change begins at home.

ALICE'S RESTAURANT REVIEWS... SUSHI!

our guest columnist, ms. alice, shares some of her favorite nyc sushi spots...

yummy sushi village

The sushi quality is pretty good and it is pretty reliable. The price is very reasonable especially for the quality of the food. The atmosphere is fairly low key and for the NYU crowd. They have a sushi eating contest that is worth checking out, but beware that if you don't finish, u r gonna have to pay for all the pieces that u pick to eat.

avenue a sushi

Their special boats are a great deal. You get lots of sashimi and oysters! I didn't expect to get oysters but i enjoyed those little morsels very much. The uni, which is the yardstick i use to measure the quality of a restaurant's sushi, did not disappoint. You get a lot of food for the value and the fish is very fresh. The only criticism that I have is that the bathroom could have been cleaner but i think that one should overlook it simply because the food is amazing and u can't beat the value.

fusia

We came here because we heard that the chef formerly worked at nobu. We wanted to eat at place with nobu quality, but without the high costs. We ordered the omakase and the chef was willing to reveal what he was going to include in his omakase, unlike other restaurants, which like to play hide the ball. Although we had to wait awhile for our food, we were treated to complimentary edamame and miso soup. Our omakase was worth the wait. The arrangement of the fish was on ice cubes in a big bowl. The sashimi pieces were very fresh and there was plenty of it. Sometimes, sashimi can be overwhelming, but the arrangement here was just right. Also there were some original pieces in there. Next, came the nigiri pieces, which were equally fresh and innovative. This was all for $60 per person.

and, a word to the wise...

East 53

The food is simply gross. The rice crumbled apart immediately and the fish tasted frozen and unfresh. Also, there was an omnipresent fly lurking around the window, near where I ate. Do not come here for good food.

women for barack obama

ok, a few days past super tuesday but check out this clip, women for barack obama rally, and listen to samantha power (pulitzer prize winner and barack's foreign policy advisor) inspire the crowd.

GET YOURSELF SOME ART

bags, by beth dow

i recently visited the jen bekman gallery on 6 spring street in nolita (i guess that's the neighborhood's trendy name) for the obsessive consumption exhibit. it's a tiny space but she packs a punch of art in there. i'm eager to check out the new photography exhibit by beth dow. i love the stark image with puffy white flower-like plastic bags.

(but hurry... it ends next saturday!)

"This photographer's New York début is smartly understated—modest but memorable. Dow's images of woods and fields nod to the landscape tradition reaching from Eugène Atget to Robert Adams, and their quiet beauty is underlined by the richness of her platinum-palladium prints. Dealing with the over familiar subject of man's rude intrusion into the natural world, she's not always subtle—stacked logs and felled limbs abound—but she knows when to step back and allow an image to breathe. Her pictures of a lone tree in a row of stumps and a pile of smoking stubble under a sad gray sky aren't just taken; they're felt."


more info on the artist here. and if you love her work, you can get a small print for only 20 bucks or a medium sized one for 200. see the 20 x 200 buying art blog for details. add some art to your home...

get the F*** out of my office!

as glory to the union said so well, imagine if he got interviewed by Borat!

check out republican James Oddo from Staten Island, the minority leader in the NYC Council... who can't take a joke from a Norwegian comedian... and loses it!


more about oddo here.

forget the mega-bookstores... buy some books at your local bookstore

sunday -- a perfect spring day to wander the city streets and browse in my local bookstores. if heaven exists (which i think not), my version would look like three lives & company...

the moment you step into the cozy little corner store in the west village on a quiet block, you feel at home. the space is small (the anti-megastore to be exact), selection of books superb... and not overwhelming. narrow shelves of memoirs, nyc history, travel, politics, poetry, art with only a few or even just one copy awaiting the lucky searcher. i often order books there from helpful and informed staff. every time i walk in the store to browse, buy or bring someone (see cousin marc entering the store at right), i feel as if i walked into the home of good friends.

three lives hosts monthly in-store readings, which take place in the back section of the store. a small chair and mini table, that's it! an intimate setting, casual, just like your living room. months ago, i heard nell freudenberger (see photo above) read from her novel, the dissident. we all sat together, so close, nell looking at me as i nodded to the familiar words she spoke. after the reading, several of us stayed to talk to the author. in such a comfortable setting, we chatted like long lost friends and shared the names of books we were currently obsessed with... take that, barnes and noble! but i can't lie, i do (rarely) attend b & n readings (james mcgreevey, marjane satrapi) because i must see them. however, not a purchase for me! i save my pennies for three lives. i hope you will too... support your local bookstores, it's essential!