The Miami Book Fair is a beautiful meeting of literary minds, scholars, writers, cartoonists and readers. This year, the fair will be graced by four brilliant minds, who also happen to have Fantagraphics books out. They are all appearing on some apenls on Saturday, November 22nd at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus. Most of the comics panels take place in room 1365 in building 1 (see map below) at the intersection of NE 1st Ave and NE 3rd Street.
Joyce Farmer's recent reprint from Fantagraphics is her original graphic novel called Special Exits. It is a touching, heartwarming and melancholy look at the grace and diginity we can honor our elders with as they take their leave of this world. Drawn in her emotive black lines, you can feel the frays on the couch arms and feel the warm, wrinkled hands in a perfect reading experience.
Marguerite Van Cook and James Romberger will be debuting their new book, The Late Child and Other Animals, hitting some hard notes on WWII and European feminism. The journeys and struggles over decades of a mother and daughter (in this case, Van Cook) are linked in five episodes that veer between lyricism, wry wit, and harrowing suspense.
And Ed Piskor will be winding down his Hip Hop Family Tree Vol. 2 tour with Miami Book Fair. Book 2 covers the early years of 1981-1983, when Hip Hop has made a big transition from the parks and rec rooms to downtown clubs and vinyl records. As meticulously documented in Piskor's panels, the performers make moves to separate themselves from the paying customers by dressing more and more flamboyantly until a young group called RUN-DMC comes on the scene to take things back to the streets.
Saturday, Nov 22
11 a.m. Lives to the Contrary: Al Capp, Andre the Giant and the 80s Hip Hop Pantheon A lively discussion on going against the grain…at least for a bit with Denis Kitchen, Box Brown and Ed Piskor, moderated by Joan Hilty. Room 1365
11 a.m. Lives to the Contrary: Al Capp, Andre the Giant and the 80s Hip Hop Pantheon A lively discussion on going against the grain…at least for a bit with Denis Kitchen, Box Brown and Ed Piskor, moderated by Joan Hilty. Room 1365
12:30 p.m.
Best American Comics 2014 A talk with cartoonists Charles Burns, Ben Katchor, Aydin Koch, Ed Piskor, and Raina Telgemeier, moderated by series editor, Bill Kartapoulos.
2:00PM
In Sickness and in Health: Joyce Brabner, Mark Zingarelli and Joyce Farmer Two remarkable new graphic novels explore mortality, courage and the bonds of family in the face of disease. Brabner and Zingarelli discuss the remarkable true story behind their Second Avenue Caper: When Goodfellas, Divas, and Dealers Plotted Against the Plague, and Joyce Farmer discusses her new book Special Exits. Moderated by independent editor Joan Hilty. Room 1365
3 – 4:30pm
Of Love and Other Stories Liana Finck on A Bintel Brief: Love and Longing in Old New York, Ray Fawkes on The People Inside, and Marguerite Van Cook and James Romberger on The Late Child and Other Animals will each take turns discussing their new work, then will share time for Q&A. The presentation is followed by a signing. Room 1365
Of Love and Other Stories Liana Finck on A Bintel Brief: Love and Longing in Old New York, Ray Fawkes on The People Inside, and Marguerite Van Cook and James Romberger on The Late Child and Other Animals will each take turns discussing their new work, then will share time for Q&A. The presentation is followed by a signing. Room 1365
3:15 – 3:45pm
Ed Piskor Signing In-booth autographing in Destination: Comics. Autographing table located in Tate's Comics booth.
Ed Piskor Signing In-booth autographing in Destination: Comics. Autographing table located in Tate's Comics booth.
