017 The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

This episode has been archived. But never fear! You can still access all of our original episodes from our baby podcaster days on our Buy Me a Coffee Page. Just push the big gray button!

It’s not a comic, or a graphic novel; it’s a graphic memoir. And apparently, graphic memoirs can be truly incredible works of art with gripping stories, that also last about as long as a single installment of Lord of the Rings. So if you feel overwhelmed by the pressure of always trying to be a “good reader,” whatever that means, join us as we rest our burnt out souls and engage with this truly incredible, visual text about family and identity after the Vietnam War by Thi Bui.

Random tidbits mentioned in this episode:

• “Life is Much More Difficult to Manage During Periods”: Autistic Experiences of Menstruation in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 

• “Cartoonist Thi Bui Weaves Together Personal And Political History” - All Things Considered, NPR

• Maus by Art Spiegelman

• Here is a more complete history of Vietnam.

• To support immigrants and refugees coming to America, consider supporting the American Civil Liberties Union or Asylum Access.

Recommendations for further reading:

• March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Join the party and read ahead for the next episode:

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott