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chelseamartinez's review against another edition
3.0
Ok, no lie, I have had this book checked out from the library for more than a year, Thanks COVID! And I didn't read like one page a day but I really did read it in little bits throughout the 12 months
(whoa, 13 months actually)
I've read a fair number of comic artist diaries chronicling the artists travels because of/paid for via conventions and grants, but this one, given its breadth, gives you a sense of a complete "cycle" of busy and fallow periods, periods of feeling productive, of hating the last thing you made, of wanting to party (and having to party) and staying in feeling hungover, sick, or satisfied staying in alone. It seems like the type of year Doucet has had several of but can't go on having forever. She loves drawing shoes but I really enjoyed the images and stories about printmaking and here interspersed political commentary. The pre-cell phone era means she gets locked out of sublets a lot, but other than that and the specific band names it's kinda timeless.
(whoa, 13 months actually)
I've read a fair number of comic artist diaries chronicling the artists travels because of/paid for via conventions and grants, but this one, given its breadth, gives you a sense of a complete "cycle" of busy and fallow periods, periods of feeling productive, of hating the last thing you made, of wanting to party (and having to party) and staying in feeling hungover, sick, or satisfied staying in alone. It seems like the type of year Doucet has had several of but can't go on having forever. She loves drawing shoes but I really enjoyed the images and stories about printmaking and here interspersed political commentary. The pre-cell phone era means she gets locked out of sublets a lot, but other than that and the specific band names it's kinda timeless.
lolaleviathan's review against another edition
3.0
Julie Doucet is known for her crazy, sexually explicit comics about her crazy dreams and health problems and young adulthood. this book has very little of that. instead, it covers a year of Doucet's life as a thirtysomething professional artist. while she travels and socializes a lot, most of the days described in this book are spent screenprinting, carving linocuts and cutting up old magazines while watching old movies on TV. which is kind of more interesting, at least to me. I'm interested in what other people do all day. I can't really fathom it. following someone who supports herself totally with her creative art was totally eye-opening.
and her drawings are endlessly delightful.
something else I found really fascinating about this book was reading about Julie's day-to-day experiences being bilingual--but definitely more comfortable in French--in a bilingual city, and thinking about how she wrote the diary in French and translated it herself.
and her drawings are endlessly delightful.
something else I found really fascinating about this book was reading about Julie's day-to-day experiences being bilingual--but definitely more comfortable in French--in a bilingual city, and thinking about how she wrote the diary in French and translated it herself.
glitterandtwang's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know how it took me so long to discover Julie Doucet. She is an absolute delight and her art inspired me to start making my own again.
jdgcreates's review
2.0
I'd almost go to three stars since I did like what I read of this and I admire Doucet's honesty in her art and her overall perseverance, but after almost half of it, I was ready to move onto a full-fledged story again. (Hello, "The Great Night!")
As it would be if just about anyone documented every day for a year of their life, it got redundant quickly, but it did offer a glimpse of what it could be like to make a living as a non-MFA artist and of the creative process (complete with bouts of self-doubt and exuberant expression) of one artist who is true to herself artistically.
As for her personal life, It was quite sad to note the frequency of her hangovers at age 37 and her desire to change that but continued over-indulgence.
Two things would've made this more readable: take out the fakey blue "journal" lines on the pages as they only dilute and confuse the drawings and text, and give more background on who the people and places are before launching into it.
As it would be if just about anyone documented every day for a year of their life, it got redundant quickly, but it did offer a glimpse of what it could be like to make a living as a non-MFA artist and of the creative process (complete with bouts of self-doubt and exuberant expression) of one artist who is true to herself artistically.
As for her personal life, It was quite sad to note the frequency of her hangovers at age 37 and her desire to change that but continued over-indulgence.
Two things would've made this more readable: take out the fakey blue "journal" lines on the pages as they only dilute and confuse the drawings and text, and give more background on who the people and places are before launching into it.
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