Cristy C. Road

To say that “Spit and Passion” is unlike any graphic narrative I’ve ever read would be a gross understatement. Cristy C. Road might very well have invented a unique genre with this book: the genderqueer Latina Bildungsroman (facilitated via punk pop—namely, Green Day) graphic narrative.

And it’s very good. And very frank. Her language is rather salty, and her images are sometimes quite…well, graphic. Road does not hold back one iota as she traces the myriad sources of anxiety show more that bedeviled her middle school years. From her Latina heritage and the simultaneous love/condemnation she received from the adult women in her family to the unrequited crushes on female teachers to the excruciatingly cruel torment that is middle school (even for kids who are NOT genderqueer and/or bisexual) and the sweet temptation of a real-life girl crush, Road endures a gauntlet of emotional angst that rings true. Add to that her contemplative nature and her tireless quest to figure out why she’s feeling what she’s feeling and why she feels so bad about feeling what she’s feeling—and the result is a very powerful story of queer youth.

All of its merits notwithstanding, I would certainly hesitate to teach this book to adolescents. Although it would be appropriate for mature adolescent readers, it would definitely be problematic as a class read. Just as some adult novels might be appropriate for young adult readers, “Spit and Passion” is a young adult graphic narrative that is appropriate for more adult readers. I hope that the teens who need to read this tale will seek it out and find it—but I doubt they will do so in an academic setting. show less

When I first started to read this book I wanted to love it. I enjoy Cristy Road's illustrations, liked her other graphic novel and loved the issues of her zine that I had read. But at first I couldn't get behind the way this book was written. At first I thought the writing was all over the place which made it harder for me to read. However, once I got more involved the writing made sense for all the love, drugs and chaos that ensues in the book. In fact the writing is perfect for the these show more three things. Of course her illustrations are amazing so for that I I gave it an extra star. I think she captures the confusion and disappointments that come with falling in love too easily while being broke, doing drugs, being young and living in a city. Any way you mix them it's a recipe for heartache.

"Then I had a realization- that a good lover, a destructive bender, or a bottle of pills may pick up some loose ends, but wars still run rampant whether or not we take note of them. Our only choice is to trudge valiantly and figure shit out in the least destructive way possible. We fumble night and day for that serenity that only exists in short spurts of sanity and beauty; these biological spurts of love, unassisted by drugs, that happen imperfectly, but often" (158) show less

[Review originally published in 2006 on NewPages.com]

I would guess that by now most people in the zine community have either read Cristy Road’s writing in Greenzine, or at the very least seen some of her prolific artwork (possibly without even knowing it). If not, you’re missing out and should buy this book in order to get a healthy sampling of both. I had the good fortune of doing a reading with Cristy in New York earlier this year, during which she read excerpts from the book, and so I show more was really looking forward to reading this. It’s being classified as a novel, but it’s an autobiographical one, with stories rearranged for the purposes of clarity and conveyance of meaning. If you’ve read Greenzine, you probably know what you’re in for. For others, this is a tale of being teenaged in Miami, questioning race and gender, all wrapped up in a messy punk rock package. It’s great, and a steal at five bucks. show less

One of the finest new(ish) voices to come out of the anarchist communities in a long time, this queer Latina mixes her gorgeous (and instantly recognizable) artwork with passionate, sharp, and articulate commentaries on the personal, the political, and much in between--AK Press
"Cristy Road has always brought us breathtaking artwork along with literary stories that remind us of the strength and ability of punk youth. This new issue is more of the same with some reflection of Cristy's various show more homes between Miami and Philadelphia, racism in her communities, the strength of her friends, coming to terms with assault, gender, sexuality, identity, and much more." --Joe Biel, Microcosm show less