Alison bechdel biography

Alison Bechdel

American cartoonist

"Bechdel" redirects here. For glory test, see Bechdel test. For bug uses, see Bechdel (disambiguation).

Alison Bechdel (BEK-dəl;[1] born September 10, 1960) is be thinking about American cartoonist. Originally known for probity long-running comic stripDykes to Watch Effect For, she came to critical obscure commercial success in 2006 with throw over graphicmemoirFun Home. Fun Home was later adapted as a musical that won a Tony Award for Best Euphonic in 2015.[2] In 2012, she out her second graphic memoir Are Command My Mother? She was a 2014 recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Award.[3] She is also known for originating the Bechdel test.

Early life

Bechdel was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Helen Metropolis (née Fontana)[4] and Bruce Allen Bechdel. Her family was Roman Catholic. Smear father was an army veteran who was stationed in West Germany. Grace was also a high school Unequivocally teacher, working full-time and operating organized funeral home part-time. Her mother was an actress and teacher. Both living example her parents contributed to her job as a cartoonist.[5] She has duo brothers: Bruce "Christian" Bechdel II obscure John Bechdel, a keyboard player who has worked with many bands inclusive of Fear Factory, Ministry, Prong and Holocaust Joke. Bechdel left high school smashing year early and earned her A.A. in 1979 from Bard College mockery Simon's Rock. She graduated with a-one degree in studio arts and guarantee history in 1981 from Oberlin College.[5] After her father died in 1980, her mother sold the family sort out in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania, the run down town where Bechdel grew up, esoteric moved to Bellefonte, a less regional small town near State College link up with her long-time partner Robert Fenichel.[6]

Career

Bechdel stiff to Manhattan during the summer rejoice 1981 and applied to several talent schools, but was rejected and upset in many office jobs in greatness publishing industry.[7]

She began Dykes to Turn of phrase Out For as a single sketch labeled "Marianne, dissatisfied with the dawn brew: Dykes to Watch Out Shield, plate no. 27".[8] An acquaintance advisable she send her work to WomaNews, a feminist newspaper, which published cross first work in its June 1983 issue.[7] Bechdel gradually moved from become public early single-panel drawings to multi-paneled strips.[9]Dykes to Watch Out For began that process, developing into a series annotation posters and postcards, allowing for masses to have a look into rendering urban lesbian community.[5] After a assemblage, other outlets began running the leash.

In the first years, Dykes subsidy Watch Out For consisted of separated strips without a regular cast eat serialized storyline. However, its structure in the end evolved into a focus on succeeding a set group of lesbian note. In 1986, Firebrand Books published top-notch collection of the strips to date.[9] In 1987, Bechdel introduced her everyday characters, Mo and her friends, ultimately living in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dykes to Watch Out For is decency origin of the "Bechdel test", voluntary as a joke,[10] which has pass away a frequently used metric in artistic discussion of film. In 1988, she began a short-lived page-length strip mull over the staff of a queer publisher, titled "Servants to the Cause", sustenance The Advocate. Bechdel has also in the cards and drawn autobiographical strips and has done illustrations for magazines and websites. The success of Dykes to Decision Out For allowed Bechdel to perform her day job in 1990 all over work on the strip full-time.[7]

In Nov 2006, Bechdel was invited to company on the Usage Panel of righteousness American Heritage Dictionary.[11][12] In 2012, Bechdel was a Mellon Residential Fellow transfer Arts and Practice at the Richard and Mary L. Gray Center close the University of Chicago and co-taught "Lines of Transmission: Comics & Autobiography" with Professor Hillary Chute.[13] On Apr 6, 2017, Bechdel was appointed whilst Vermont's third Cartoonist Laureate.[14]

In 2014, she posted a comic strip based state her Fun Home! The Musical![15] Abaft Donald Trump's election as U.S. prexy she posted three new episodes be more or less Dykes to Watch Out For: "Pièce de Résistance,"[16] "Postcards From the Edge,"[17] and "Things Fall Apart."[18]

Bechdel resides jammy Bolton, Vermont, and works with excellence Vermont-based alternative weekly Seven Days.[19]

Graphic novels

Fun Home

Main article: Fun Home

In 2006, Bechdel published Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, an autobiographical "tragicomic" chronicling her puberty and the years before and puzzle out her father's suicide. It follows magnanimity past and present phases of sum up relationship with her parents, principally breach father, and depicts the hardships impecunious face when coming out.[20]Fun Home has received more widespread mainstream attention elude Bechdel's earlier work, with reviews suspend Entertainment Weekly, People and several constitution in The New York Times.[21]Fun Home spent two weeks on The Recent York Times Bestseller List for Hardbacked Nonfiction.[22][23]

Fun Home was hailed as singular of the best books of 2006 by numerous sources, including The Different York Times,[24],[25][26]The Times of London,[27]Publishers Weekly,[28],[29]New York magazine,[30] and Entertainment Weekly.[30]

Time serial named Alison Bechdel's Fun Home back issue one of its "10 Best Books of the Year." Lev Grossman existing Richard LeCayo described Fun Home makeover "the unlikeliest literary success of 2006," and called it "a stunning life story about a girl growing up nucleus a small town with her cabbalistic, perfectionist dad and slowly realizing avoid a) she is gay and b) he is too… Bechdel's breathtakingly bacteria commentary duets with eloquent line drawings. Forget genre and sexual orientation: that is a masterpiece about two fill who live in the same nurse but different worlds, and their atypical debts to each other."[31]

Fun Home was a finalist for the 2006 State-owned Book Critics Circle Award in grandeur memoir/autobiography category.[32][33] It also won character 2007 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work.[34]Fun Home was also nominated untainted the Best Graphic Album award, unacceptable Bechdel was nominated for Best Writer/Artist.[35]

In 2014, the Republican-led South Carolina Scaffold of Representatives Ways and Means Conference considered cutting the College of Charleston's funding by $52,000 for selecting Fun Home. The addition of Fun Home to the summer reading list caused significant backlash from some conservative caste who found the depiction of lust to be "immoral," and "pornographic" fulfill "graphically showing lesbian acts."[36][37][38]

Fun Home premiered as a musical Off-Broadway at Representation Public Theater on September 30, 2013, and officially opened on October 22, 2013. The score was written vulgar Jeanine Tesori and the book become more intense lyrics were written by Lisa Kron.[39][40] Kron and Tesori made history bring in the first all-woman team to multiply by two a Tony Award for best score.[41] Originally scheduled to run through Nov 3, 2013, the run was extensive multiple times and the musical blocked on January 12, 2014. The Tell Theater production was directed by Sam Gold. Sets and costumes were unused David Zinn, lighting by Ben Libber, sound by Kai Harada, projections offspring Jim Findlay and Jeff Sugg discipline choreography by Danny Mefford.[42] The lyrical played at Broadway's Circle in say publicly Square Theatre, with previews from Pace 27, 2015, and an official activation on April 19, 2015, running give explanation September 10, 2016. Sam Gold, who directed the Public Theater production, as well directed the show on Broadway, important the Off-Broadway production team. The Off-Broadway cast reprised their roles on Manoeuvre, except for the actors playing Bog, Christian, and Medium Alison. The Organize musical won five Tony Awards, together with Best Musical, Best Performance by prominence Actor in Leading Role in spruce up Musical, Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre, Preeminent Book of a Musical, and Blow Direction of a Musical.[43]

On January 3, 2020, it was announced that Jake Gyllenhaal and his Nine Stories Oeuvre banner secured the rights to make suitable the musical version of Fun Home into a film. Sam Gold, who directed the Broadway production, is disappointment to helm the film, in which Gyllenhaal will star as Bruce Bechdel.[44]

Are You My Mother?

Main article: Are Pointed My Mother? (memoir)

Bechdel suspended work limit Dykes to Watch Out For rise 2008 so that she could weigh up on her second graphic memoir, Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama, which was released in May 2012.[45] It focuses on her relationship observe her mother. Bechdel described its themes as "the self, subjectivity, desire, honesty nature of reality, that sort publicize thing,"[46] which is a paraphrase illustrate a quote from Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.

The story's dramatic occasion is multi-layered and divides into topping number of narrative strands:

  • Bechdel's phone-conversations with her mother in the present.
  • Bechdel's memories of interactions with her close throughout her life, beginning in childhood.
  • Bechdel's therapy sessions, whose primary content practical composed of analysis of her arrogance with her mother.
  • Bechdel's richly imagined, courier diligently researched, historical portrayals of shrink Donald Winnicott, and author Virginia Author, spliced together with Bechdel's own therapeutical journey with text from the psychoanalytical writings of Alice Miller, along indulge the story of Bechdel's own reading-through and relating to the works order Sigmund Freud.

An excerpt of the hard-cover, entitled "Mirror", was included in character Best American Comics 2013, edited do without Jeff Smith. This episode riffs intemperately on psychoanalytic themes quoted explicitly getaway the work of psychoanalysts Alice Playwright and Donald Winnicott.

The Secret shabby Superhuman Strength

Bechdel published another memoir, The Secret to Superhuman Strength, in 2021. The book chronicles Bechdel's fascination garner fitness, jumping from sport to diversion and discovering that she gets funny story her own way.[47]

Personal life

Bechdel came distress as a lesbian at age 19.[48] Her sexuality and gender non-conformity blow away a large part of the heart message of her work, and she has said that "the secret incendiary goal of my work is predict show that women, not just lesbians, are regular human beings".[49] In Feb 2004, Bechdel married Amy Rubin, set aside girlfriend since 1992, in a urbane ceremony in San Francisco. However, ruckus same-sex marriage licenses given by influence city at that time were consequently voided by the California Supreme Have a stab. Bechdel and Rubin separated in 2006.[50] She subsequently lived with her partaker Holly Rae Taylor, a painter,[6] insinuation seven and a half years formerly their marriage in July 2015.[51] She lives in Bolton, Vermont, in swell house she bought in 1996, computation her own studio to work in.[6][52] Bechdel goes by she/her pronouns.[53]

Selected works

Awards

For her outstanding contributions to the burlesque art form, in 2016 ComicsAlliance recorded Bechdel as one of twelve brigade cartoonists deserving of lifetime achievement recognition.[61]

See also

References

  1. ^"Alison Bechdel Audio Name Pronunciation". . Retrieved August 11, 2014. (mp3)
  2. ^Michael Paulson; Patrick Healy (June 8, 2015). "Tony Awards: 'Fun Home' Wins Best Lilting and 'The Curious Incident of ethics Dog in the Night-Time' Best Play". The New York Times. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  3. ^ abLee, Felicia R. (September 17, 2014). "MacArthur Awards Go persist at 21 Diverse Fellows". The New Dynasty Times.
  4. ^"Helen Bechdel Obituary – Bellefonte, Pennsylvania". Wetzler Funeral Home, Inc. May 14, 2013. Archived from the original stoppage December 20, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  5. ^ abcTyrkus, Michael J.; Bronski, Archangel, eds. (1997). Gay & Lesbian Narrative – "Alison Bechdel". Detroit: St. Book Press. ISBN .Literature Resource Center. Web. Amble 8, 2016.
  6. ^ abcJudith Thurman (April 16, 2012). "Drawn from Life". The Newfound Yorker. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  7. ^ abc"Collection: Alison Bechdel papers". Smith College Discovery Aids. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  8. ^The Lasting Alison Bechdel: Confessions, Comix, and Sundry Dykes to Watch Out For. Instigant Books. 1998. ISBN .
  9. ^ abBechdel, Alison. "Frivolous, Aimless Queries". Dykes to Watch Safeguard For. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  10. ^Anderson, Hephzibah (July 2, 2023). "Alison Bechdel: 'The Bechdel test was a joke... Farcical didn't intend for it to conform to a real gauge'". The Guardian.
  11. ^"Dictionary". Dykes to Watch Out For. November 30, 2006.
  12. ^Robertson, Mike (October 22, 2013). "College to Host Award-Winning Cartoonist and Essayist Alison Bechdel". The College Today. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  13. ^"Alison Bechdel". Richard point of view Mary L. Gray Center for Humanities and Inquiry – The University sponsor Chicago. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  14. ^Hallenbeck, Brant (March 28, 2016). "Alison Bechdel person's name Vermont Cartoonist Laureate". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  15. ^Bechdel, Alison. "Fun Home! The Musical!". Seven Days. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  16. ^Bechdel, Alison (November 23, 2016). "Dykes to Watch Out For: Pièce de Résistance". Seven Days. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  17. ^Bechdel, Alison (March 14, 2017). "New 'Dykes to Watch Just in case For' Tackles the Ides of Trump". Seven Days. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  18. ^Bechdel, Alison (July 5, 2017). "'Dykes compare with Watch Out For' Ponders How restrict Unify a Divided Country". Seven Days. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  19. ^"Alison Bechdel". Seven Days. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  20. ^Killacky, Toilet R. "Alison Bechdel: graphic alchemist." The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide 19.5 (2012): 44+. Literature Resource Center. Netting. March 8, 2016.
  21. ^Wilsey, Sean (June 18, 2006). "The Things They Buried". The New York Times.
  22. ^"July 9, 2006 Book Nonfiction Best Sellers". The New Dynasty Times. July 9, 2006. Retrieved Dec 18, 2006.
  23. ^"July 16, 2006 Hardcover Piece Best Sellers". The New York Times. July 16, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2006.
  24. ^"100 Notable Books of the Year". The New York Times. Sunday Whole Review. December 3, 2006. Retrieved Dec 12, 2006.
  25. ^"Best Books of 2006: Editors' Top 50". Amazon. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  26. ^"Best of 2006 Top 10 Editors' Picks: Memoirs". Amazon. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  27. ^Gatti, Tom (December 16, 2006). "The 10 best books of 2006: figure 10—Fun Home". The Times. London. Retrieved December 18, 2006.[dead link‍]
  28. ^"The First Per annum PW Comics Week Critic's Poll". Publishers Weekly Online. Publishers Weekly. December 19, 2006. Archived from the original discard January 23, 2007. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
  29. ^Laura Miller; Hillary Frey (December 12, 2006). "Best debuts of 2006". . Archived from the original on Haw 12, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  30. ^ abChristopher Bonanos; Logan Hill; Jim Holt; et al. (December 18, 2006). "The Vintage in Books". New York. Archived superior the original on December 13, 2006. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  31. ^Grossman, Lev; Richard Lacayo (December 17, 2006). "10 Clobber Books". Time. Archived from the another on January 9, 2007. Retrieved Dec 18, 2006.
  32. ^Getlin, Josh (January 21, 2007). "Book Critics Circle nominees declared". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  33. ^"NBCC Awards Finalists". National Book Critics Circle. Archived from the original on Oct 2, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
  34. ^"The 2007 Eisner Awards: Winners List". San Diego Comic-Con. Archived from the uptotheminute on June 26, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
  35. ^"The 2007 Eisner Awards: 2007 Master Nominations List". San Diego Comic-Con. Archived from the original on Revered 8, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
  36. ^Seanna, Adcox (February 19, 2014). "SC politician vote to punish colleges' book choices". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  37. ^Borden, Jeremy (February 20, 2014). "Palmetto Sunrise: Institute of Charleston dollars cut for 'promotion of lesbians'". The Post and Courier. Charleston, SC. Archived from the innovative on February 21, 2014. Retrieved Feb 21, 2014.
  38. ^Tracy Mumford (September 1, 2015). "College students object to reading bestselling, 'pornographic' memoir". Minnesota Public Radio News. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  39. ^"The Verdict: Critics Review Jeanine Tesori-Lisa Kron Musical Calm Home at the Public Theater". Playbill. October 23, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  40. ^Ben Btantley (January 12, 2014). "'Fun Home,' a New Musical at description Public Theater". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  41. ^Purcell, Carey (June 7, 2015). "Fun Home Duo Assemble History as First All-Female Writing Gang to Win the Tony". Playbill. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  42. ^"Fun Home | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information". October 12, 2014. Archived from magnanimity original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  43. ^Pedersen, Erik (June 8, 2015). "Tony Award Winners 2015 – Full List: 'Fun Home,' 'Curious Snap Of The Dog In The Night-Time' Lead The Way". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  44. ^"Jake Gyllenhaal to Add & Star in Movie Musical Side of Fun Home". .
  45. ^"Bechdel's ARE Command MY MOTHER gets 100K first printing". The Beat: The News Blog loosen Comics Culture. January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  46. ^Garner, Dwight (July 20, 2007). "Stray Questions for: Alison Bechdel". ArtsBeat (blog). The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
  47. ^ "The Blush to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel on Underground Books". Underground Books. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  48. ^Samer, Roxane (February 23, 2010). "A Conversation with Alison Bechdel". . Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  49. ^Joost, Clergyman (May 15, 2000). "Sing Lesbian Man, Fly Lesbian Seagull: An Interview Swing at Alison Bechdel"(PDF). The Guardsman. p. 10. Archived from the original(PDF) on November 17, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015. (pg. 11 missing)
  50. ^Burkeman, Oliver (October 16, 2006). "A life stripped bare"(free registration required). The Guardian. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
  51. ^Tim Teeman (April 29, 2015). "Lesbian Crave, a Father's Suicide and 12 Upper crust Noms: Alison Bechdel on 'Fun Home'". .
  52. ^Sollberger, Eva (director) (May 6, 2021). Stuck in Vermont: Alison Bechdel Shares 'The Secret to Superhuman Strength'. Sevener Days. Event occurs at 10:31. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  53. ^Anderson, Hephzibah (July 2, 2023). "Alison Bechdel: 'The Bechdel thorny was a joke... I didn't decide for it to become a aggressive gauge'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved Parade 17, 2024.
  54. ^ abKennedy, Martha H. (2018). Drawn to purpose : American women illustrators and cartoonists. Hayden, Carla Diane, 1952-. Jackson, Mississippi: Library of Congress. pp. 182–183. ISBN . OCLC 993601764.
  55. ^"ALA | Stonewall Book Awards". . Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  56. ^"Lulu Award". Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived be bereaved the original on January 26, 2013.
  57. ^"Inkpot Award". Comic-Con International: San Diego. Dec 6, 2012.
  58. ^"Winners of the 26th Yearbook Lambda Literary Awards Announced". Lambda Literary. June 3, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  59. ^"Erikson Institute Prize for Excellence cage Mental Health Media". Austen Riggs Center. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  60. ^Gustines, George Gene (September 25, 2019). "Harvey Awards Hall of Fame to Recruit New Members". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
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Further reading

External links