Alison Bechdel’s latest book is her most autobiographical and it’s also arguably her best. Once again, Ms. Bechdel takes a simple true story and fortifies it with insights and literary references which are both interesting and educational. The result is a graphic novel that entertains, educates and edifies.
While on the surface this is a book about physical fitness, the journey Ms. Bechdel leads us through is toward her own self-acceptance and yes, even contentment. It’s a bumpy, unpredictable, fascinating ride through over five decades of her life. Ms. Bechdel explores how early body image issues led her to a wide variety of sometimes extreme exercise regimes. She is quite frank about her relationships. For this queer reader, the most interesting one was polyamorous. Perhaps because it mirrors the central question of the book. Namely: can a hugely talented individual develop a mature relationship when her first love will always be her own work?
Ms. Bechdel weaves the Romantic poets–Wordsworth and Coleridge, the Transcendentalists–specifically Margaret Fuller and Beat poet Jack Kerouac into this book. This “lineage of progressive writers” informs the action of this remarkable graphic novel. It is a testament to her talent that Ms. Bechdel achieves this so seamlessly. But by now we know Alison Bechdel is a writer and an artist of superhuman strength.
This is the first of Ms. Bechdel’s graphic novels to be published in large format. And this is entirely appropriate. Several of the book’s full-page illustrations are suitable for framing. In particular, Ms Bechdel’s elaborate Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival drawing. Ms. Bechdel rightly credits Holly Rae Taylor for “extensive coloring collaboration”. Part of what makes this book so beautiful.
Needless to say, Queer Reader strongly recommends this intelligent, enlightening, and beautiful book.
Alison Bechdel’s The Secret to Superhuman Strength is published by Houghton Mifflin.
11/28/2021