the opposite of breaking

I am proud to announce that Natalya is now officially hooked on the graphic novel.

for the past year she has been inhaling any copy of Calvin & Hobbes she can find. and she did glance through some of the comics i've thrown her way, but she never paid close attention. that has all changed this last week.

the library across the street has been rapidly expanding the children's comic/graphic novel section.

We picked up a series of 'graphic novels' based on classic fairytales: cinderella, rapunzel, hansel&gretel, beauty& the beast. okay for beginners, but really relies on personal aesthetic and not caring that the narrative (textually) comes across stilted in a few of the books.

natalya has been plowing through the nancy drew graphic novels.. picked up, i think it's called 'reluctant heroes' and liked it..that one is drawn in the tradition of superhero comics. her favorite, however, is Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kibuishi. and i have to say it is beautifully drawn, and tells a great story. Unfortunately, it is the first volume in a series (i think a trilogy). it was sad to tell my tormented daughter that the next book doesn't come out until september. what was fun was talking to her about the medium of graphically rendered story and developing a vocabulary with which to talk about it. i think the graphic novel/comic arena is a great way to introduce/integrate critical approaches to literature, art, and film.

it has felt good to apply my "craft" lately, even as my writer's block is settling in. natalya and i have had long discussions about the processes of creating a story, about stories we've both read, and the adaptiations and structural considerations of bringing literature to film, or the comic medium.

i was telling her a made-up-on-the-spot story the other morning, to cheer her out of a funk and though unfinished we have been trying to draw it out. really the story doesn't adapt well to comic; the narrative style is all wrong...Natalya doesn't care, so we are rescripting the general story arch.

we are also "designing" seasonal fashions, clothes, shoes, and accessories, drawing them and compiling them into a portfolio, or 'look book'. i like fashion, though you wouldn't know it judging by my wardrobe. and i have a limited vocabulary, but i know what i like when i see it, and i am terribly opinionated... but am doing my best sharing what i do know, and tossing out repetitive suggestions that we check out a few books, peruse a few websites, and talk to friends, most specifically Tanya.

I am glad, for many reasons, both obvious and not, to have Natalya with me this year for Spring Break: we've plenty with which to fill our time together. and after a hectic winter term, we are both ready for some good quality time.