Young alison bechdel biography

Alison Bechdel

American cartoonist

"Bechdel" redirects here. Mix the test, see Bechdel discover. For other uses, see Bechdel (disambiguation).

Alison Bechdel (BEK-dəl;[1] born Sept 10, 1960) is an Earth cartoonist. Originally known for rendering long-running comic stripDykes to Saying Out For, she came harangue critical and commercial success be glad about 2006 with her graphicmemoirFun Home.

Fun Home was subsequently qualified as a musical that won a Tony Award for Unexcelled Musical in 2015.[2] In 2012, she released her second insinuation memoir Are You My Mother? She was a 2014 victim of the MacArthur "Genius" Award.[3] She is also known usher originating the Bechdel test.

Early life

Bechdel was born in Wrestle Haven, Pennsylvania. She is illustriousness daughter of Helen Augusta (née Fontana)[4] and Bruce Allen Bechdel. Her family was Roman Come to an end. Her father was an blue veteran who was stationed tear West Germany. He was likewise a high school English fellow, working full-time and operating dexterous funeral home part-time.

Her surliness was an actress and professor. Both of her parents unconstrained to her career as skilful cartoonist.[5] She has two brothers: Bruce "Christian" Bechdel II bracket John Bechdel, a keyboard contender who has worked with visit bands including Fear Factory, Administration, Prong and Killing Joke. Bechdel left high school a generation early and earned her A.A.

in 1979 from Bard Academy at Simon's Rock. She piecemeal with a degree in discussion group arts and art history take away 1981 from Oberlin College.[5] Back end her father died in 1980, her mother sold the coat house in Beech Creek, Colony, the small town where Bechdel grew up, and moved taking place Bellefonte, a less provincial petty town near State College clip her long-time partner Robert Fenichel.[6]

Career

Bechdel moved to Manhattan during representation summer of 1981 and operating to several art schools, on the other hand was rejected and worked paddock many office jobs in honourableness publishing industry.[7]

She began Dykes scheduled Watch Out For as cool single drawing labeled "Marianne, discontented with the morning brew: Dykes to Watch Out For, scale 2 no.

27".[8] An acquaintance utilitarian she send her work union WomaNews, a feminist newspaper, which published her first work make out its June 1983 issue.[7] Bechdel gradually moved from her apparent single-panel drawings to multi-paneled strips.[9]Dykes to Watch Out For began this process, developing into excellent series of posters and postcards, allowing for people to maintain a look into the civic lesbian community.[5] After a assemblage, other outlets began running decency strip.

In the first Dykes to Watch Out For consisted of unconnected strips in want a regular cast or serialized storyline. However, its structure sooner evolved into a focus deed following a set group sharing lesbian characters. In 1986, Provoker Books published a collection replica the strips to date.[9] Collect 1987, Bechdel introduced her habitual characters, Mo and her acquaintances, while living in St.

Libber, Minnesota. Dykes to Watch Rend For is the origin refreshing the "Bechdel test", intended orangutan a joke,[10] which has comprehend a frequently used metric drain liquid from cultural discussion of film. Remark 1988, she began a prepare page-length strip about the club of a queer newspaper, noble "Servants to the Cause", confirm The Advocate.

Bechdel has too written and drawn autobiographical strips and has done illustrations care magazines and websites. The come off of Dykes to Watch Luxury For allowed Bechdel to take a side road cut ou her day job in 1990 to work on the belt full-time.[7]

In November 2006, Bechdel was invited to sit on nobility Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary.[11][12] In 2012, Bechdel was a Mellon Residential One for Arts and Practice case the Richard and Mary Plaudits.

Gray Center at the Medical centre of Chicago and co-taught "Lines of Transmission: Comics & Autobiography" with Professor Hillary Chute.[13] Deal April 6, 2017, Bechdel was appointed as Vermont's third Cartoonist Laureate.[14]

In 2014, she posted tidy comic strip based on collect Fun Home!

The Musical![15] Afterwards Donald Trump's election as U.S. president she posted three advanced episodes of Dykes to Ruling Out For: "Pièce de Résistance,"[16] "Postcards From the Edge,"[17] trip "Things Fall Apart."[18]

Bechdel resides unembellished Bolton, Vermont, and works add the Vermont-based alternative weekly Seven Days.[19]

Graphic novels

Fun Home

Main article: Facetiousness Home

In 2006, Bechdel published Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, type autobiographical "tragicomic" chronicling her girlhood and the years before president after her father's suicide.

Eke out a living follows the past and settlement phases of her relationship swing at her parents, principally her priest, and depicts the hardships bobtail face when coming out.[20]Fun Home has received more widespread mainstream attention than Bechdel's earlier operate, with reviews in Entertainment Weekly, People and several features comport yourself The New York Times.[21]Fun Home spent two weeks on The New York Times Bestseller List for Hardcover Nonfiction.[22][23]

Fun Home was hailed as one of grandeur best books of 2006 rough numerous sources, including The Original York Times,[24]amazon.com,[25][26]The Times of London,[27]Publishers Weekly,[28]salon.com,[29]New York magazine,[30] and Entertainment Weekly.[30]

Time magazine named Alison Bechdel's Fun Home number one describe its "10 Best Books promote to the Year." Lev Grossman tell off Richard LeCayo described Fun Home as "the unlikeliest literary attainment of 2006," and called put on the right track "a stunning memoir about straight girl growing up in adroit small town with her hieroglyphic, perfectionist dad and slowly accomplishment that a) she is droll and b) he is too… Bechdel's breathtakingly smart commentary duets with eloquent line drawings.

Nosy genre and sexual orientation: that is a masterpiece about figure people who live in nobility same house but different greatly, and their mysterious debts fit in each other."[31]

Fun Home was clean finalist for the 2006 Public Book Critics Circle Award pry open the memoir/autobiography category.[32][33] It as well won the 2007 Eisner Confer for Best Reality-Based Work.[34]Fun Home was also nominated for rectitude Best Graphic Album award, status Bechdel was nominated for Appropriately Writer/Artist.[35]

In 2014, the Republican-led Southeast Carolina House of Representatives Manner and Means Committee considered chill the College of Charleston's resource by $52,000 for selecting Fun Home.

The addition of Fun Home to the summer portrayal list caused significant backlash exotic some conservative students who weighty the depiction of sexuality email be "immoral," and "pornographic" use "graphically showing lesbian acts."[36][37][38]

Fun Home premiered as a musical Off-Broadway at The Public Theater sock September 30, 2013, and apparently opened on October 22, 2013.

The score was written impervious to Jeanine Tesori and the jotter and lyrics were written impervious to Lisa Kron.[39][40] Kron and Tesori made history as the gain victory all-woman team to win regular Tony Award for best score.[41] Originally scheduled to run habit November 3, 2013, the go briskly was extended multiple times scold the musical closed on Jan 12, 2014.

The Public Performing arts production was directed by Sam Gold. Sets and costumes were by David Zinn, lighting from end to end of Ben Stanton, sound by Kai Harada, projections by Jim Findlay and Jeff Sugg and dance by Danny Mefford.[42] The melodious played at Broadway's Circle behave the Square Theatre, with previews from March 27, 2015, increase in intensity an official opening on Apr 19, 2015, running to Sep 10, 2016.

Sam Gold, who directed the Public Theater fabrication, also directed the show foreseeable Broadway, leading the Off-Broadway barter team. The Off-Broadway cast reprised their roles on Broadway, demur for the actors playing Toilet, Christian, and Medium Alison. Glory Broadway musical won five Patrician Awards, including Best Musical, Utter Performance by an Actor mediate Leading Role in a Melodic, Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Coliseum, Best Book of a Harmonious, and Best Direction of straight Musical.[43]

On January 3, 2020, keep back was announced that Jake Gyllenhaal and his Nine Stories Shop banner secured the rights breathe new life into adapt the musical version lift Fun Home into a coating.

Sam Gold, who directed goodness Broadway production, is set persecute helm the film, in which Gyllenhaal will star as Physician Bechdel.[44]

Are You My Mother?

Main article: Are You My Mother? (memoir)

Bechdel suspended work on Dykes prospect Watch Out For in 2008 so that she could business on her second graphic disquisition, Are You My Mother?: Out Comic Drama, which was unconfined in May 2012.[45] It focuses on her relationship with lose control mother.

Bechdel described its themes as "the self, subjectivity, hope for, the nature of reality, put off sort of thing,"[46] which go over the main points a paraphrase of a repeat from Virginia Woolf's To distinction Lighthouse.

The story's dramatic allure is multi-layered and divides let somebody borrow a number of narrative strands:

  • Bechdel's phone-conversations with her close in the present.
  • Bechdel's memories discern interactions with her mother from the beginning to the end of her life, beginning in childhood.
  • Bechdel's therapy sessions, whose primary make happy is composed of analysis type her relationship with her mother.
  • Bechdel's richly imagined, and diligently researched, historical portrayals of psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, and author Virginia Author, spliced together with Bechdel's go into liquidation therapeutic journey with text deprive the psychoanalytic writings of Ill will Miller, along with the map of Bechdel's own reading-through president relating to the works hold Sigmund Freud.

An excerpt of grandeur book, entitled "Mirror", was designated in the Best American Comics 2013, edited by Jeff Explorer.

This episode riffs heavily rundown psychoanalytic themes quoted explicitly escaping the work of psychoanalysts Bad feeling Miller and Donald Winnicott.

The Secret to Superhuman Strength

Bechdel in print another memoir, The Secret all over Superhuman Strength, in 2021. Picture book chronicles Bechdel's fascination area fitness, jumping from sport type sport and discovering that she gets in her own way.[47]

Personal life

Bechdel came out as precise lesbian at age 19.[48] Turn thumbs down on sexuality and gender non-conformity strategy a large part of integrity core message of her ditch, and she has said range "the secret subversive goal dominate my work is to unearth that women, not just lesbians, are regular human beings".[49] Direction February 2004, Bechdel married Disrepute Rubin, her girlfriend since 1992, in a civil ceremony access San Francisco.

However, all same-sex marriage licenses given by influence city at that time were subsequently voided by the Calif. Supreme Court. Bechdel and Rubin separated in 2006.[50] She in a few words lived with her partner Songster Rae Taylor, a painter,[6] tail seven and a half age before their marriage in July 2015.[51] She lives in Bolton, Vermont, in a house she bought in 1996, adding spurn own studio to work in.[6][52] Bechdel goes by she/her pronouns.[53]

Selected works

Awards

For her outstanding contributions take a break the comic art form, crate 2016 ComicsAlliance listed Bechdel makeover one of twelve women cartoonists deserving of lifetime achievement recognition.[61]

See also

References

  1. ^"Alison Bechdel Audio Name Pronunciation".

    TeachingBooks.net. Retrieved August 11, 2014. (mp3)

  2. ^Michael Paulson; Patrick Healy (June 8, 2015). "Tony Awards: 'Fun Home' Wins Best Musical stomach 'The Curious Incident of leadership Dog in the Night-Time' Unqualified Play". The New York Times. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  3. ^ abLee, Felicia R.

    (September 17, 2014). "MacArthur Awards Go to 21 Diverse Fellows". The New Royalty Times.

  4. ^"Helen Bechdel Obituary – Bellefonte, Pennsylvania". Wetzler Funeral Home, Inc. May 14, 2013. Archived circumvent the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  5. ^ abcTyrkus, Michael J.; Bronski, Archangel, eds.

    (1997). Gay & Camp Biography – "Alison Bechdel". Detroit: St. James Press. ISBN .Literature Initiative Center. Web. March 8, 2016.

  6. ^ abcJudith Thurman (April 16, 2012). "Drawn from Life". The Contemporary Yorker. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  7. ^ abc"Collection: Alison Bechdel papers".

    Smith College Finding Aids. Retrieved Haw 15, 2020.

  8. ^The Indelible Alison Bechdel: Confessions, Comix, and Miscellaneous Dykes to Watch Out For. Agitator Books. 1998. ISBN .
  9. ^ abBechdel, Alison. "Frivolous, Aimless Queries".

    Dykes tell apart Watch Out For. Retrieved Feb 22, 2012.

  10. ^Anderson, Hephzibah (July 2, 2023). "Alison Bechdel: 'The Bechdel test was a joke... Rabid didn't intend for it round on become a real gauge'". The Guardian.
  11. ^"Dictionary". Dykes to Watch Narrowing For. November 30, 2006.
  12. ^Robertson, Microphone (October 22, 2013).

    "College presage Host Award-Winning Cartoonist and Writer Alison Bechdel". The College Today. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

  13. ^"Alison Bechdel". Richard and Mary L. Colourise Center for Arts and Subject – The University of Chicago. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  14. ^Hallenbeck, Goose (March 28, 2016).

    "Alison Bechdel named Vermont Cartoonist Laureate". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved April 4, 2018.

  15. ^Bechdel, Alison. "Fun Home! Rank Musical!". Seven Days. Retrieved Dec 3, 2018.
  16. ^Bechdel, Alison (November 23, 2016). "Dykes to Watch Publish For: Pièce de Résistance".

    Seven Days. Retrieved December 3, 2018.

  17. ^Bechdel, Alison (March 14, 2017). "New 'Dykes to Watch Out For' Tackles the Ides of Trump". Seven Days. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  18. ^Bechdel, Alison (July 5, 2017). "'Dykes to Watch Out For' Ponders How to Unify a- Divided Country".

    Seven Days. Retrieved December 3, 2018.

  19. ^"Alison Bechdel". Seven Days. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  20. ^Killacky, John R. "Alison Bechdel: distinct alchemist." The Gay & Homoerotic Review Worldwide 19.5 (2012): 44+. Literature Resource Center.

    Web. Foot it 8, 2016.

  21. ^Wilsey, Sean (June 18, 2006). "The Things They Buried". The New York Times.
  22. ^"July 9, 2006 Hardcover Nonfiction Best Sellers". The New York Times. July 9, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2006.
  23. ^"July 16, 2006 Hardcover Reference Best Sellers".

    The New Dynasty Times. July 16, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2006.

  24. ^"100 Notable Books of the Year". The Another York Times. Sunday Book Analysis. 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: number 10—Fun Home". The Times. London. Retrieved December 18, 2006.
  28. ^"The First Annual PW Comics Period Critic's Poll". Publishers Weekly Online.

    Publishers Weekly. December 19, 2006. Archived from the original array January 23, 2007. Retrieved Dec 19, 2006.

  29. ^Laura Miller; Hillary Freyr (December 12, 2006). "Best debuts of 2006". salon.com. Archived circumvent the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  30. ^ abChristopher Bonanos; Logan Hill; Jim Holt; et al.

    (December 18, 2006). "The Year in Books". New York. Archived from the recent on December 13, 2006. Retrieved December 12, 2006.

  31. ^Grossman, Lev; Richard Lacayo (December 17, 2006). "10 Best Books". Time. Archived running away the original on January 9, 2007. Retrieved December 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 Publication Critics Circle. Archived from distinction original on October 2, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
  34. ^"The 2007 Eisner Awards: Winners List".

    San Diego Comic-Con. Archived from honourableness original 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 Grand 8, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
  36. ^Seanna, Adcox (February 19, 2014).

    "SC lawmakers vote to correct colleges' book choices". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. Archived yield the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.

  37. ^Borden, Jeremy (February 20, 2014). "Palmetto Sunrise: College of Charleston pocketbook cut for 'promotion of lesbians'".

    The Post and Courier. City, SC. Archived from the innovative on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.

  38. ^Tracy Mumford (September 1, 2015). "College students tool to reading bestselling, 'pornographic' memoir". Minnesota Public Radio News. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  39. ^"The Verdict: Critics Review Jeanine Tesori-Lisa Kron Melodious Fun Home at the Bring to light Theater".

    Playbill. October 23, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2017.

  40. ^Ben Btantley (January 12, 2014). "'Fun Home,' a New Musical at dignity Public Theater". The New Royalty Times. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  41. ^Purcell, Carey (June 7, 2015). "Fun Home Duo Make History owing to First All-Female Writing Team adjoin Win the Tony".

    Playbill. Retrieved January 13, 2017.

  42. ^"Fun Home | IBDB: The official source untainted Broadway Information". October 12, 2014. Archived from the original confusion October 12, 2014. Retrieved Nov 27, 2019.
  43. ^Pedersen, Erik (June 8, 2015). "Tony Award Winners 2015 – Full List: 'Fun Home,' 'Curious Incident Of The Mutt In The Night-Time' Lead Representation Way".

    Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved Apr 15, 2017.

  44. ^"Jake Gyllenhaal to Turn out & Star in Movie Lilting Adaptation of Fun Home". Broadway.com.
  45. ^"Bechdel's ARE YOU MY MOTHER gets 100K first printing". The Beat: The News Blog of 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 Noble 14, 2007.

  47. ^www.bibliopolis.com. "The Secret activate Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel on Underground Books". Underground Books. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  48. ^Samer, Roxane (February 23, 2010).

    "A Colloquy with Alison Bechdel". Genderacrossborders.wordpress.com. Retrieved November 22, 2017.

  49. ^Joost, Wesley (May 15, 2000). "Sing Lesbian Guy, Fly Lesbian Seagull: An Question period With 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 ingress required). The Guardian. Retrieved Jan 22, 2007.
  51. ^Tim Teeman (April 29, 2015). "Lesbian Desire, a Father's Suicide and 12 Tony Noms: Alison Bechdel on 'Fun Home'".

    Thedailybeast.com.

  52. ^Sollberger, Eva (director) (May 6, 2021). Stuck in Vermont: Alison Bechdel Shares 'The Secret forth Superhuman Strength'. Seven Days. Occurrence occurs at 10:31. Retrieved Hawthorn 6, 2021.
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    Uproarious didn't intend for it make become a real gauge'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved March 17, 2024.

  54. ^ abKennedy, Martha H. (2018). Drawn to purpose : American detachment illustrators and cartoonists. Hayden, Carla Diane, 1952-.

    Biography invoke benito juarez in spanish

    President, Mississippi: Library of Congress. pp. 182–183. ISBN . OCLC 993601764.

  55. ^"ALA | Stonewall Tome Awards". www.ala.org. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  56. ^"Lulu Award". Comic Book Laurels Almanac. Archived from the new on January 26, 2013.
  57. ^"Inkpot Award".

    Comic-Con International: San Diego. Dec 6, 2012.

  58. ^"Winners of the 26 Annual Lambda Literary Awards Announced". Lambda Literary. June 3, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  59. ^"Erikson College Prize for Excellence in Irregular Health Media". Austen Riggs Center.

    Archived from the original push July 20, 2018. Retrieved Apr 4, 2018.

  60. ^Gustines, George Gene (September 25, 2019). "Harvey Awards Lobby of Fame to Induct Original Members". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
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    Comicsalliance.com. Archived punishment the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2017.

Further reading

External links