Hazel Newlevant

If this is to be our lives, we must live them, with compassion and pride
- Desiree Rodriguez, co-editor

Puerto Rico Strong: A Comics Anthology Supporting Puerto Rico Disaster brings together many of Puerto Rico’s best comics creators in response to the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year. As in any anthology, I liked some of the stories better than others and that is also true of the art. Some of the stories are personal, even romantic but the majority and the ones I show more most appreciated highlight the culture, the history, and the diversity of the Puerto Rican people. And, of course, the beauty of the island that is reflected in the colouring that is vibrant throughout.

There are also stories about the effects of the hurricanes and the dismal response of the American government as well as many in the US population who seem to be unaware that Puerto Rico is a part of the US. Sadly, as some of the stories about the history of the island show, this response was not an aberration limited only to this time period or this Administration perhaps because Puerto Rico, as an unincorporated territory can't vote. One story especially, The Puerto Rican Birth Control Trials by Ally Schwed was particularly shocking as well as poignant; I was previously aware of coerced sterilization not only of Puerto Rican women but of African American, First Nations, and even poor whites but I was completely unaware of these tests.

For anyone interested in the culture and/or the history of Puerto Rico as well the government”s response to the disaster last year, this is a must-read. And to make it even better, the monies earned from the sale of this graphic novel will go to UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program to Support Puerto Rico.

Thanks to Netgalley and Diamond Distributors/Lion Forge for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

A large part of this graphic memoir is about homeschooling, and I must be up front and admit that I have a knee-jerk negative reaction whenever I'm confronted with that subject. I hear homeschooling, and my first thought is of parents who are religious fundamentalists like in the recent book Educated or weirdos like in Glass Castle. This book adds a couple new wrinkles that do not help improve my opinion.

Frankly, the first half of the book is pretty dull as Newlevant slowly establishes her show more homogenous homeschool friends and the many diverse coworkers at her summer job weeding invasive ivy out of a large Portland, Oregon, municipal park. There's pretty standard coming-of-age stuff like crushes and social anxiety, but in the second half there is some sexual harassment that topples dominoes leading to Newlevant having to confront her white privilege and one of the reasons behind her parents' decision to homeschool. This turn elevated the book from ho-hum to worthwhile for me. show less

An anthology means something for everyone, and that's especially true of a comics anthology, because in addition to the different subject matter each story tackles, there are different artistic styles as well. Most of the stories are personal to some degree or another, delving into family history and heritage and the ways that Puerto Ricans remain connected to the island even when they aren't living there.

The topics in this anthology range from Taino mythology to the brutal history of the show more Spanish conquistadors, who largely wiped out the Taino people on Boriken and then replaced the Taino population with enslaved West Africans. Poor treatment of Puerto Rico continues through to the present day, as is evident by the U.S. response to the destruction of Hurricane Maria (especially compared to the U.S. response to the Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas). Puerto Rico Strong also includes family histories - many Puerto Ricans have worked on the mainland, served in the military, and many women were the subjects of early birth control tests (unknown to them, a major violation of informed consent).

One hopes that this collection will do at least a small part to inform readers of the strength of Puerto Rico and its people - these unique Americans - despite the ways they've been taken taken advantage of and mistreated for centuries.

Quotes

What unites us as a people isn't just the culture we come from, but the one we carry with us. (Alan Medina, 18)

"I'm learning that they tell us a lot of stuff...For real, there's a lot of stuff that's not in our books..." (Javier Cruz Winnick, 146)

There's nothing you can do about the past. You can only remember it and use it to shape your tomorrows. (Amparo Ortiz,198, inspired by the poetry of Julia de Burgos) show less

#shoutyourabortion, now in graphic novel format!

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through Edelweiss.)

In the editor's note, Hazel Newlevant explains the genesis of Comics for Choice: Illustrated Abortion Stories, History and Politics:

Comics for Choice was sparked by my outrage at the clinic closures and suffocating restrictions on abortion rights in states like Texas. It is not enough for abortion to remain technically legal; it is a moral imperative for abortion show more care to be accessible to all who need and want it. The right to abortion is the right to bodily autonomy, and to determine one's own life path. When our 45th president was elected, and the future of abortion rights seemed more uncertain than ever, I couldn't wait any longer. The very next morning, my co-editors and I set the wheels in motion to create the book you now read.

The result is, sadly, both relevant and timely; in the words of badass old broads everywhere, "I can't believe I still have to protest this fucking shit."



The anthology brings together more than sixty contributors - including women (and some trans and nonbinary folks) who have had abortions; women who were born after their mothers chose to terminate a previous pregnancy; reproductive rights advocates; clinic escorts; abortion doulas; and other feminist activists - to share their stories about abortion. Comics for Choice aims to destigmatize abortion, birth control, and family planning (but mostly abortion) by sharing personal stories from those who have undergone the procedure, as well as historical context, scientific information, and (in an especially touching piece by Jennifer Camper and Katie Fricas) a memorial to those murdered by anti-choice terrorists in the United States.

Like many anthologies, collection is somewhat uneven. Unlike most anthologies, the breadth of voices is also the book's greatest advantage: if nothing else, Comics for Choice underscores the fact that abortion cuts across myriad lines - race, class, politics, sexuality, even gender. One in four women will undergo an abortion at least once in her lifetime; countless others will be forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term due to unequal access. Comics for Choice gives people from divergent backgrounds the chance to share their stories, sometimes pairing artists with regular folks to better convey their experiences. Representation matters, and the editors have taken care to make this mantra the backbone of Comics for Choice.

As for my favorites, one piece that stands out - and will probably haunt my dreams throughout the Trump presidency - would have to be "Horror Stories" (as in "Do It Yourself Abortion Horror Stories") by Jennifer Camper. Simple yet horrifyingly effective, the one-page comic portrays fourteen methods of DIY abortion with stark and chilling brevity. Dr. Cynthia Greenlee and Jaz Malone's portrait of Dorothy Brown, Tennessee's fist black woman legislator ("They Called Her Dr. D"), follows "Horror Stories" and provides a nice, fist-pumping counterpoint.

Mick Moran shares her experiences as an abortion doula in "Bearing Witness," which had me convinced that abortion doulas must make the best, most empathetic friends ever. The last comic, Vreni's "Nothing Feels Real (an abortion diary)" is also one of the most powerful contributions, offering an intimate look at funding, undergoing, and recovering from a surgical abortion.

Perhaps the most surprising piece, for me, was "Abortion Trials." Based on transcripts of abortion trials from the post-WWII era, Rickie Solinger and Rachael Morrill explore how women were routinely slut-shamed and demonized - "thoroughly degraded and humiliated" - often for public entertainment, and when they were not necessarily the ones on trial. In many cases, it was their doctor's own defense attorney dishing out the abuse.



Comics for Choice isn't always an easy read, but it's a necessary one - and a much-needed addition to the swell of women's voices that continues to rise into 2017 and beyond.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/02/06/comics-for-choice-illustrated-abortion-stor... show less