R.U.R.: A Graphic Novel Adaptation of the Karel Čapek Sci Fi Classic

Congratulations to Nisi Shawl for their starred review for THE DAY AND NIGHT BOOKS OF MARDOU FOX in Publishers Weekly!!!


Shawl (Everfair) wows in this alternate history of the Beat generation told through the diaries of an overlooked Black poet. As a child in the 1940s, Mardou Fox learns she can go “outside”—a dreamlike place beyond reality, ungoverned by space and time—but stifles her ability for fear of making trouble for her family. Still, as Mardou gets older, growing into herself as a Black woman and a poet, the ability follows her and her control of it gradually grows. The narrative spans years, chronicling Mardou’s struggles to be recognized as an author among her white peers, her romances with various other Beat artists, and her relationships with her sisters, one an activist lesbian and the other incarcerated in a psychiatric facility for the same powers that Mardou hides. It’s all delivered through simple yet evocative diary entries that showcase the author’s wit. Mardou’s mysterious abilities almost come second to the fascinating evolution of her personal life, which is loosely based on Alene Lee, a lesser-known Beat figure. This concise novel packs a powerful punch. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Sept.)

https://www.publishersweekly.com/979-8-9866146-6-3


You can pick up MARDOU FOX as part of the Women's Science Fiction level or add it on to your pledge today!

"In its initial sense, a robot was not our modern definition of a metallic, mechanised substitute for a human being, but an artificially-created factory labourer who never needed to eat, sleep or be paid, the perfect workforce to maximise profits. Over a century later, the original play remains sharply relevant and Kateřina Čupová‘s graphic novelisation of it brilliantly captures the urgency of its themes to our present day."


Paul Gravett's is THE mover and shaker on the European comics scene. It is truly an honor to top his list!

http://paulgravett.com/articles/article/top_32_graphic_novels_comics_manga4?fbclid=IwY2xjawE6x1ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHWNjxLsY1ZqZkCgl5-gU31P7GMObhTP5aorkYWqqLCRv5tbS5JLZUvHK8Q_aem_osf8vE0_Uus5bto7HHPRuA



BTW, we are now $1,120 away from hitting our goal. Thanks so much for the support! We are almost there.

Greetings, Party People.

Many of you may already be familiar with the graphic novel that Bizhan Khodabandeh and I did back in 2021, THE DAY THE KLAN CAME TO TOWN (Honorable Mention for Graphic Novel of the Year by Publishers Weekly). For those of you who are not, it's about a Klan riot that happened in my hometown, Carnegie, PA, when, in a show of white supremacist force, the Ku Klux Klan marched 30,000 people on the borough of 10,000, targeting the Irish, Southern and Eastern Europeans who lived there. They outnumbered the immigrants 10 to 1 in the streets, and the Klan lost. However, in a case of purposeful "amnesia," this historic riot became a town secret until Bizhan and I came out with the book.

Well, yesterday was the 101st anniversary of the riot. Last year, Carnegie actually hosted us to commemorate the 100th anniversary This year, we still be offering free, signed (by the author) copies to the next five backers of $30 or more to this campaign!!!

So, if you've been thinking about backing the campaign, this is the time!

You can read more about the riot here.

Greetings, Party People!

It's the dog days of the campaign, where things have slowed down to a trickle and I constantly have to not ask myself, "Are we gonna make it?"

But there's nothing like a new book to get your mind off of things. And what a book it is! THE DAY AND NIGHT BOOKS OF MARDOU FOX! Nisi has really put their foot in this one. I can't speak highly enough about this novella. So, just scroll down below the pictures and read the description and blurbs and keep in mind that you can pick up your copy with the Women's Science Fiction pledge levels or add it to whatever level you choose for for only $10!

Meanwhile, let's get to $3,500 this weekend.

  

“A novel full of art and magic; sex, murder and love, The Day and Night Books of Mardou Fox casts a spell on the reader. Nisi Shawl tells the moving tale of a writer’s life, rich with insight and meaning, pain and pleasure. A short book, but not a small book.”

—Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women

 

“Step back, Kerouac! I loved this fabulist reckoning with the legacy of the Beats from the perspective of an overlooked member of their circle: a singular black writer who is no one’s muse. Shawl’s generous gifts bring ‘Marlene Todd,’ a.k.a. ‘Mardou Fox,’  to complex vibrancy in a brilliant act of literary comeuppance.” 

—Alaya Dawn Johnson, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Trouble the Saints 

A long forgotten Beat poet brought back to life in utterly fantastical fashion.

In beautifully vivid journal entries, Black poet Mardou Fox chronicles her 1950s and ‘60s experiences with the Beat Generation--and her adventures in the mysterious, otherworldly realm “over the fence.” Characters based on star Beat authors like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac fight alongside Mardou or battle against her as she challenges racism and sexism to win happiness, freedom, and respect for her work. Are the answers she’s seeking shrouded in the mists of magic? Inspired by the true story of Alene Lee, whose crucial role is often left out of Beat Generation lore. 

Greetings, Party People!

We're a little over one week in and have raised over $3,000. Thank you so much for your support. Welcome to a regular feature from our Rosy News newsletter: Rollin' with Rosarium. These are some folks that bought books this past Sunday at Eastern Market down in DC. I'm there quite regularly, so if you find yourself in our nation's capitol on a nice Sunday afternoon, stroll on over to the Eastern Market. You might just find me!