Alison Bechdel's dyke memoir called "pioneering" by The New York Times

It’s not often that I let In This Moment veer away from politics and into culture, but I had to make note of a marvelous New York Times review of cartoonist Alison Bechnel’s graphic memoir Fun Home.

That’s “graphic” as in a book of drawings as well as words. The Times reviewer praises Bechdel for her writing as well as her art. It’s a review, and I suspect, a book that is well worth reading.

I picked up a copy of Fun Home when I was at WisCon, but haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. The Times reviewer has renewed my urge to crack it open and partake of its depths. I have been a long-time admirer of Bechdel’s delightful “Dykes To Watch Out For” cartoons, but judging from the review, her memoir is not the romp I was expecting.

It’s a serious examination of her complex relationship with her family, and particularly, her father. He died in a car accident that Bechdel believes may well have been a suicide brought on by her admission that she is a lesbian.

I don’t believe there’s a human being on this planet who hasn’t struggled with her life. I look forward to reading Bechdel’s exploration of her journey.