Titled “Lesbian Cartoonist Alison Bechdel Counters Dad’s Secrecy by Being Out and Open,” this book explores dualites like open/closed, honest/secretive, shown/hidden, and alive/dead. It hinges on the line from the musical made out of Bechdel’s graphic memoir “Fun Home”:
“My dad and I both grew up in the same small Pennsylvania town.
And he was gay, and I was gay.
And he killed himself. And I… became a lesbian cartoonist.”
One major motif, the floral wallpaper, conveys these themes through layering effects. Interspersed throughout the book are panels from Bechdel’s graphic memoir “Fun Home” and song lyrics from the subsequent musical on colorful shortsheets. Photography juxtaposes past with present, and much of it shows Alison Bechdel’s accomplishments (winning awards, having a wife, being alive and happy).
The book is 7 by 10.375 inches with 5.5 by 10.375 inch shortsheets. The main pages are printed on thinner paper than the shortsheets to acheive different tactile experiences and layering. To expose the
