Environmental and racial injustice, a complicated relationship involving the founder of psychoanalysis, female bare-knuckle boxers, struggles with eating disorders, and an enigmatic Japanese artist round up this batch of non-fiction highlights.
(Note: A chunk of these are already out, I fell behind in spotlighting Non-Fiction but still thought these should all get some attention!)
CRUDE A MEMOIR GN
(W) Pablo Fajardo (A) Damien Roudeau
Oil waste was everywhere - on the roads, in the rivers where they fished, and in the water that they used for bathing, cooking, and washing. Children became sick and died, cases of stomach cancer skyrocketed, and women miscarried or gave birth to children with congenital disorders. The American oil company Texaco extracted crude out of the ground in Amazonian Ecuador - and left behind millions of gallons of spilled oil and more than eighteen million gallons of toxic waste. Ecuadorian lawyer and activist Pablo Fajardo gives his first-hand account of Texaco's involvement in the Amazon, as well as the ensuing legal battles between the oil company, the Ecuadorian government, and the region's inhabitants.
Crude brings to light one of the least well-known but most important cases of environmental and racial injustice of our time.
APR219872
Why this caught my eye:
As it says, one of the least well-known cases and it sounds like a pretty horrible event worth learning about.
FRINK & FREUD GN
(W) Pierre Peju (A) Lionel Richerand
In 1909, while on a fundraising lecture tour in America, Sigmund Freud met Horace Frink, an early disciple of his theories of psychoanalysis, whose traumatic childhood and complicated personal life later cast a shadow over Freud's professional career - and came close to destroying his reputation. This little-known and ultimately tragic true story of two divorces, three deaths, and a ménage à quatre, as well as the questionable motives behind Freud's involvement in it, is the subject of a groundbreaking collaboration between artist and animator Lionel Richerand and the prize-winning philosopher, biographer, and novelist Pierre Péju.
FEB211513
Why this caught my eye:
I generally always like to give SelfMadeHero publications a shot because of their overall high quality, plus I really like Richerand's art.
CHAMPIONESS GN
(W) Tarun Shanker, Kelly Zakas, (A) Amanda Perez Puentes
Based on a true story, in eighteenth century London, Elizabeth Wilkinson struggles to make ends meet for her and her sister Tess while facing the fiercest female bare-knuckle boxers of her day.
FEB211395
Why this caught my eye:
'Based on a true story' probably means it's on the verge of really being non-fiction, but a 18th century ladies fight club just sounds like a great time. Plus Puentes' art is pretty amazing.
FAT GN
(W) Regina Hofer (A) Regina Hofer
At sixteen, Regina began cutting back on meals to the point where her hair started to fall out. Later, she began to secretly binge at night while her family slept. For a long time, she was able to keep her eating disorder a secret, though hiding her problem didn't stop it from harming her emotional and physical well-being. The pressures of wanting to succeed as an artist led her to a nervous breakdown and finally a strong desire to start from scratch. Regina Hofer documents her battle with anorexia and bulimia.
APR219873
Why this caught my eye:
It's pretty important to highlight and stock books that tackle these sort of issues whenever we can, especially if there's the slightest chance of reaching out to anyone else dealing with the same problems.
HOKUSAI GRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY
(W) Francesco Matteuzzi (A) Giuseppe Lantazi
Enter the world of Katsushika Hokusai, the enigmatic creator of Japanese art's all-time most iconic image. Telling the story of both his eccentric (and incredibly productive) life, while simultaneously painting a fascination picture of his wider cultural legacy, this book is ideal for both those new to Hokusai's work and his biggest fans. This vivid graphic biography tells the story of Hokusai's intriguing life and pioneering works, details the fascinating historical context of Edo-era Japan, and explains how Hokusai forged an image of his country that still resonates across the world today.
FEB211394
Why this caught my eye:
The subject matter is just my jam, and I'm curious about Lantazi's artwork as I can find very little online at the moment.
Next rounds gonna be more non-fiction, like I said I'm pretty behind and there's some interesting looking books worth checking out.