Part One
HOW IS IT already April? I'm not sure what happened to March, it seemed to fly by. Maybe because I spent so much of it fighting off one virus after another. Or traveling, which I do so rarely these days.
Me: I'm going to make a comic about having ADHD.
Michaela: Are you going to write about me?
Me: Can I?
Michaela. Yeah. I don't mind that I have it anymore.
This was an actual conversation I had with Michaela earlier this week. I'm taking a brief break from Study Hall in order to figure out the next chapter/section. I decided instead to do a comic about my ADHD diagnosis, which led indirectly to Michaela's ADHD diagnosis. But I felt uncomfortable writing about her situation without her permission. So, I asked, and she said yes. I also asked if she would like to help me make other comics about having ADHD. Hopefully that will work out and you will see her hand in future issues.
To be continued...
I should note that Chad thinks this comic makes him look bad, and I fear that I did set him up to be the straw man. I told him his character is asking the same questions that any reasonable person would ask. And there are legitimate reasons to want to avoid getting the diagnosis (the test is prohibitively expensive, for one). What do you think? Was I too hard on him? I hope not. He is my everything.
Three Things That Kept Me Going This Past Week
Is there anything easier than roasting a bunch of stuff on a sheet pan and eating that for dinner? I made three recipes from this cookbook, none of which required much prep, and the results were solid.
The premise of this series is deceptively simple: everyone gets a superpower when they turn 18, except for the main character, Jen. The superpowers range from obvious (flying, super-strength), to silly (Jen's mom, played by Siobhán McSweeney, has the ability to control technology, but still struggles to master the latest gadget). The cast is delightful, the soundtrack is fire, and McSweeney makes me laugh just by showing up. Great escape-your-life viewing.
I have this app on my phone which makes it extremely easy to call my elected officials and demand that the US stop sending bombs to Israel and support a ceasefire. Doing even one thing a week, however small, helps me feel a bit better.
Letters
Thank you to Lisa C., who pointed me to this show, Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris, after I mentioned Laurencin in last week's Mushroom Head! I think I may have to buy the catalogue, or go to Columbus to see the show there.
And thank you Michele A., who, after reading "Forces of Will," gently wondered whether or not the Thompson Center had commercial tenants prior to being bought by Google. The answer is no, it was strictly a government building (though I think there was a food court, so maybe that counts as commercial?). It made me wish that I had used the entire space of the comic to just talk about the Thompson Center since obviously there is so much to say about it. Actually, a small booklet would probably be more suitable. If anyone out there is interested in commissioning a series of comics on buildings such as the Thompson Center, I am available for hire!
That's all for this week. Sorry this is coming late in the day instead of the morning and also if it is a little more disjointed than usual. The reason is that I got a part-time job! I think that is a pretty good excuse, don't you? By next Friday I should be back to sending it in the AM.
Enjoy the weekend, and, for those of you lucky enough to be in the path of totality, Monday's eclipse! Here is Annie Dillard's classic essay on why a total eclipse is worth traveling to see.
Claire