Embodied: An Intersectional Feminist Comics Poetry Anthology

by A Wave Blue World Inc (Other), Wendy Chin-Tanner (Editor), Tyler Chin-Tanner (Editor)

Overview

"Verse and visuals meet, with spectacular results." — FOREWORD (Starred Review)

“A thoughtful and vibrant dive into the art of cis female, trans, and nonbinary poets.” - BOOKLIST

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"Pairing poetry with art highlights the imagery in a fuller way, which is where . . . Embodied finds its greatest success." — COMICS BEAT

"There's nothing quite like Embodied in the comics world." — WOMEN WRITE ABOUT COMICS

Poetry and comics collide in this intersectional feminist anthology featuring twenty-one stories that explore the relationship between gender, identity and the body. A diverse array of award-winning contemporary poets and comic book artists who identify as cis women, trans, and non-binary, work together to create sequential art poems showcasing the relevance, urgency, and power of both genres.

Beautifully illustrated and bracingly written, EMBODIED is a memorable collaboration between cis female, trans, and non-binary poets and comics artists showcasing the power of both forms in a stunningly unique keepsake volume that will be treasured for ages.

Mystical, rooted, painful, joyous, and ecstatic; visions of the body, our genders, and our very identities from across the spectrum of contemporary poetry come together in this monumental intersectional feminist anthology where verse and comics unite in spectacular new ways.

Featuring poetry by national bestseller Maggie Smith, Pulitzer Prize finalist Diane Seuss, and National Endowment of the Arts fellowship recipients Kendra DeColo, Jennifer Givhan, Vanessa Angelica Villarreal, Kayleb Rae Candrilli, Ruth Awad, and Paul Tran.

This edition includes a study guide and a process art section.

A percentage of the proceeds will benefit International Women's Health Coalition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781949518139
Publisher:	A Wave Blue World Inc
Publication date:	05/11/2021
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	665,543
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	16 Years

Editorial Reviews

04/05/2021

This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars in some selections. Each chapter opens with a short comic, which interprets a poem, which is replicated as original text following the comic. Every talent assembled, from the poets to the illustrators to the letterers, identifies as a woman or as nonbinary, and the ground they cover is vast, touching on the exhilaration of childbirth, the alienation of immigration, and the timelessness of great art. There are successes here: the “University Toxic” comic by Kaylee Rowena uses vibrant color to drive home the realities of workplace harassment as portrayed in Laura Hinton’s poem, while Y Sanders’s comic “Drown” packs eroticism into intricate inking that expresses a fulsome narrative arc with a mere handful of panels, representing the poem by Venus Thrash. But in other pairings, ironically more prosaic visual interpretations of a poem’s dominant images elide their textual complexity (Maggie Smith’s “Good Bones” is interpreted literally in the comic by Carola Borelli as a real estate transfer), while meter, text alignment, and deliberate use of letter case disappear when poems are adapted into comics panels. The artistic fusion, when it works, offers a theatricality akin to a slam poet playing on stage. These moments could serve to pique the interest of comics fans in poetry—or perhaps vice versa; it’s a curious experiment, in any case. (May)

Publishers Weekly

One more to add.

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY





One more to add.

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY





"There were some entries that I didn't feel a connection to. Maybe it was the approach or maybe the topic is something I can't relate to due to my own experience and background, but that may be the best thing about this anthology. That's what makes it inclusive and necessary. There is a story in there for everyone and an art style to suit different tastes, moods, and aesthetics. If you are looking for representation, it is in here. We are currently in a period of history where so much is changing but resistance against acceptance is still present. Works such as this, however, are a step in the right direction." - THE BEAT





"There were some entries that I didn't feel a connection to. Maybe it was the approach or maybe the topic is something I can't relate to due to my own experience and background, but that may be the best thing about this anthology. That's what makes it inclusive and necessary. There is a story in there for everyone and an art style to suit different tastes, moods, and aesthetics. If you are looking for representation, it is in here. We are currently in a period of history where so much is changing but resistance against acceptance is still present. Works such as this, however, are a step in the right direction." - THE BEAT





"There were some entries that I didn't feel a connection to. Maybe it was the approach or maybe the topic is something I can't relate to due to my own experience and background, but that may be the best thing about this anthology. That's what makes it inclusive and necessary. There is a story in there for everyone and an art style to suit different tastes, moods, and aesthetics. If you are looking for representation, it is in here. We are currently in a period of history where so much is changing but resistance against acceptance is still present. Works such as this, however, are a step in the right direction." - THE BEAT





One more to add.

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY





One more to add.

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY





One more to add.

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY





"There were some entries that I didn't feel a connection to. Maybe it was the approach or maybe the topic is something I can't relate to due to my own experience and background, but that may be the best thing about this anthology. That's what makes it inclusive and necessary. There is a story in there for everyone and an art style to suit different tastes, moods, and aesthetics. If you are looking for representation, it is in here. We are currently in a period of history where so much is changing but resistance against acceptance is still present. Works such as this, however, are a step in the right direction." - THE BEAT





"There were some entries that I didn't feel a connection to. Maybe it was the approach or maybe the topic is something I can't relate to due to my own experience and background, but that may be the best thing about this anthology. That's what makes it inclusive and necessary. There is a story in there for everyone and an art style to suit different tastes, moods, and aesthetics. If you are looking for representation, it is in here. We are currently in a period of history where so much is changing but resistance against acceptance is still present. Works such as this, however, are a step in the right direction." - THE BEAT





One more to add.

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY





"There were some entries that I didn't feel a connection to. Maybe it was the approach or maybe the topic is something I can't relate to due to my own experience and background, but that may be the best thing about this anthology. That's what makes it inclusive and necessary. There is a story in there for everyone and an art style to suit different tastes, moods, and aesthetics. If you are looking for representation, it is in here. We are currently in a period of history where so much is changing but resistance against acceptance is still present. Works such as this, however, are a step in the right direction." - THE BEAT





One more to add.

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY





One more to add.

"This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY





"There were some entries that I didn't feel a connection to. Maybe it was the approach or maybe the topic is something I can't relate to due to my own experience and background, but that may be the best thing about this anthology. That's what makes it inclusive and necessary. There is a story in there for everyone and an art style to suit different tastes, moods, and aesthetics. If you are looking for representation, it is in here. We are currently in a period of history where so much is changing but resistance against acceptance is still present. Works such as this, however, are a step in the right direction." - THE BEAT





"There were some entries that I didn't feel a connection to. Maybe it was the approach or maybe the topic is something I can't relate to due to my own experience and background, but that may be the best thing about this anthology. That's what makes it inclusive and necessary. There is a story in there for everyone and an art style to suit different tastes, moods, and aesthetics. If you are looking for representation, it is in here. We are currently in a period of history where so much is changing but resistance against acceptance is still present. Works such as this, however, are a step in the right direction." - THE BEAT

From the Publisher

05/01/2021

Gr 10 Up—Focusing on sexuality, gender, identity, and nature, this graphic novel anthology of 23 feminist poems also explores related mature or emotionally heavy topics: sexual harassment, pregnancy and parenthood, miscarriage, and the implied violence of war, racism, or political upheaval. The artwork features some nudity in various poems, including at least one depiction of an explicit sexual act between two consenting adults. The lines of poetry are included in narrative boxes strategically placed throughout the illustrations, and are also shared immediately afterward as plain but intentionally formatted text. Though the illustrations are by different artists, the styles nevertheless complement one another through often cool palettes, occasionally relying on watercolor and colored pencil. The crisp blue of large bodies of water shows up in multiple poems, as do deeper-hued blues as they begin to approach the darker indigo depths of the night sky, occasionally punctuated by the warmth of a desert scene or a setting sun. The complexity of the artwork varies greatly, from simple loose, sweeping lines in front of color block backgrounds to intricate pieces with details that draw the eye to every inch of the imagery. Study guide questions and creator biographies can be found in the back matter, alongside samples of the process art. Creators and characters depicted are diverse in race, gender, and sexual identity. VERDICT Given the combination of topic and format, this likely isn't one most teens will pick up on their own. Still, this varied collection of illustrated poetry has depth to both words and illustrations. High school collections where poetry is in demand, or where educators need texts for poetry units, will find it useful.—Alea Perez, Elmhurst P.L., IL

School Library Journal