On Tuesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m., Vermont Cartoonist Laureate Tillie Walden will speak at Putney Public Library about "Comics and Queerness in Vermont and Beyond."
From Charles Schulz's Peanuts to Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, say organizers, "comics have been a part of American culture since print first began." But comics are no longer relegated just to the newspaper, and "as books like Maus or Persepolis have proven," we are currently experiencing a "golden age for graphic novel storytelling."
What is even more exciting, they say, is how the comics industry is currently championing narratives for all identities and ages.
Those attending the talk can explore process and power through visual narrative and learn why comics are relevant. Walden presents a look at the intersection of indie comics with queer identity through her many graphic novels - including science fiction, memoir, and historical retelling.
Walden's published works include Spinning, Are You Listening?, On a Sunbeam, and Clementine.
This talk is part of the Vermont Reads program. Since 2003, Vermont Humanities Council has invited students, adults, and seniors across the state to read the same book and participate in a variety of community activities related to the book's themes.
Over 200 different Vermont towns, cities, and villages have participated in Vermont Reads to date.
The 2024 Vermont Reads book is Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Melinda Ho, and explores themes of self-acceptance, familial and cultural ties, U.S./China relations, LGBTQ+ and feminist history, McCarthyism and xenophobia, music of the 1940s and '50s, and the Asian American experience, among others.
Copies of this book are available for checkout at the Putney Library. This talk is free, and the space is accessible to those with disabilities. All ages welcome. For more information, contact Putney Public Library at 802-387-4407 or [email protected].
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.