So, Sherman Alexie wrote this novel and I did 65 (65!) comics and comic illustrations for it. It’s being published by Little, Brown, and will be on the shelves this fall:
It’s about a 14-year-old boy named Arnold who grows up on an Indian reservation and transfers to a white school. He’s a cartoonist, and I did “his” journal/sketchbook. Frankly, I think it’s a really good book, and so far, everyone seems to agree:
From Alison Bechdel (Fun Home, “Dykes to Watch Out For”):
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is the most delightful tale of adolescence I’ve read in a long time. Junior Spirit is as eager to know everything in the world as Harriet the Spy, as keenly discerning of adult frailty as Holden Caulfield. But if you took Harriet or Holden and plopped them down on the rez? Neither one of them would have lasted a day. Junior, on the other hand, possesses an against-all-odds resilience that stems as much from his brain (water and all) as his capacious, open heart.”
Richie’s Picks says, ” I loved hanging out in Arnold World!” and gives me a nod for my “humorous and telling drawings”.
Publisher’s Weekly sent out an e-newsletter with a glowing review, and here is the paragraph about me:
“Arnold’s confiding, often hilarious, sometimes frighteningly affectless narrative is enhanced by Ellen Forney’s cartoon illustrations, which capture him, his family, and friends with economy and wit.”
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More reviews and news as they pop up!