Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
ContemporaryComicsbyJewishWomen
HeikeBauer,AndreaGreenbaum,SarahLightman
Abstract
‘ContemporaryComicsbyJewishWomen’bringstogetheressays,interviews
andoriginalartworkbyoraboutJewishwomencomicsartists.Inthis
Introductionwereflectonourownapproachto,andinvestmentin,this
project,andinsodoingalsoexplainthescopeandcontentofthisspecial
issue.
Keywords
Comics;Jewish;Women;Contemporary;GraphicDetails;Autobiography
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
'ContemporaryComicsbyJewishWomen'
“GraphicDetails”,GraphicMeTales
ForthelastfiveyearsIhavebeenprivilegedtotraveltheworldwiththeexhibitionI
haveco-curatedwithMichaelKaminer“GraphicDetails:ConfessionalComicsby
JewishWomen”.Icontinuetobeconstantlydelightedandsurprisedbythevarietyof
sitesandresponsestothework.“GraphicDetails”firstopenedin2010atThe
CartoonArtMuseuminSanFrancisco,andhasintroducedmetomanyaspectsof
internationalcuratorialpractice.Ihaveappreciatedthesupportandingenuityof
venuesastheyensurefundingfortheirlegofthejourney,Ihaveexperiencedfirst
handthepowerofgreatarttorewritepeople’spreconceivednotionsofcomics,and
IhavevisitedmanyfantasticcentresofculturearoundNorthAmerica.
OnamorepersonalnoteGraphicDetailshasbeenthebackdroptosomeofthe
moremomentousyearsofmylife,actingasanillustratedguideto(my)life.I
presentedareadingof“TheStarSapphire”bySharonRudahl,featuringherlost
engagementring,inTheGladstoneHotel,Torontoin2010,whenIhadjustgot
engaged.InNewYorkin2011Italkedaboutanoldbreakupin“DumpedBefore
Valentine’s”justuptownfromanearlierromanticdisaster.IwroteaboutDiane
Noomin’s“BabyTalk:ATaleof4Miscarriages”athomeinLondonin2013whenI
sufferedmyownmiscarriage.AfterthepassingofmyGrandfatherin2011andmy
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
Grandmotherin2014andwhowerebothburiedinBusheyCemetery,immortalised
nowinCorinnePearlman’s“LosingthePlot”,Igainedheirloomsnotdissimilarto
thoseillustratedinIlanaZeffren’scomic“UnderSpagetti’stunaliesadignifiedpast”.
Ihaveonlymissedvisitingtwogalleriesoutofseveninthelastfiveyears,Oregon
JewishMuseum,PortlandwhenIwashomewithamiscarriage,andFloridaJewish
Museum,Miami,whenIwasjustabouttogivebirth.Travellingwithababywould
makelifemuchmorecomplicatedforquitesometime,andIworriedIwouldmiss
moreopportunitiestoseetheshow’scontinuingevolution,soIdoubledmyefforts
tobring“GraphicDetails”closertohome.Ithadbeennoteasytofindasitein
London,andoveranumberofyearstheproposedshowhadbeenrejectedfrom
manyinstitutions.2014wasalsodifficulttimetohaveanexhibitionofartworkby
JewishandIsraeliartists,but,just9monthsafterIgavebirthtoHarry,duringIsrael’s
OperationProtectiveEdge,“GraphicDetails”openedatSpaceStation65,
Kennington.AfteraverysuccessfulrunatTheBillyIrelandCartoonLibraryand
MuseuminOhioStateUniversityin2015,itfeelsveryaptthatthenextstopfor
“GraphicDetails”isIsrael,atTheNegevMuseumofArt,in2016.ThistimeHarry
accompaniedbyhissunhatandspade,isdeterminedtojoinme.
Theexhibitionhasalsoaccompaniedmyowndevelopingacademiccareer,asIhave
forgedmywaythroughmyPhD,learningmoreaboutJewishwomenandtheir,
often,traumaticautobiographies.Oneparticularhighlightswasco-chairingthe
symposiuminNewYork,wheremanyofthosepapersgrewintovolume,Graphic
Details:ConfessionalComicsinEssaysandInterviews(2014).Iwasdelightedto
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
repeatthesuccessofthiseventintheUK,whenIco-chairedthesymposiumwith
HeikeBaueron12November2015atJW3,TheJewishCommunityCentrefor
London.Wewerefortunatetoreceivefundingtobringoveranumberofthe
exhibitingartistsbothforaguidedtouroftheexhibitionandthesymposium,
includingMiriamKatin,DianeNoomin,LaurieSandell,ArielSchrag,IlanaZeffrenas
wellasLondon-basedCorinnePearlmanallofwhompresentedtheirworkinthe
morningofthesymposium.Intheafternoonweheardaseriesofacademicspeakers,
manyofwhosepapersareincludedinthisvolume.Intheeveningherewasaspecial
LaydeezdoComicseventfeaturingSamCowan,DeniseDorrance,JanisGoodman
andmyself.
Ithasbeenapleasuretoco-editthisspecialeditionwithHeikeandAndreaaswe
contributeanotherresourcetothestilllimitedacademicarchiveonJewishwomen’s
comics.Aswellasarticlesandinterviews,ourjournalrecordsthetalksandeventsof
14Novemberintheformofbeautifulartworkdrawnonandaftertheday,byother
comicartistsinspiredbytheoccasion.Thesymposiumwasadaydescribedbyan
attendeeasthe“mostamazingconference[s]I'veeverattended[…an]opportunity
oftalkingtosomanyartistsIadmire!”andI,motherandcurator,shleppnuchas,
fromthecontinuingsuccessandimpactof“GraphicDetails”.
GraphicLives
Theessays,interviewsandartworkgatheredinthisspecialissueareinspiredby,and
continue,theprojectof“GraphicDetails”.IfirstmetSarahinMontreal,atthe
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
NeMLA(NortheastModernLanguageAssociation)conference2010whereIwas
givingapaperontheNaziattackagainsttheworkofJewishsexologistMagnus
HirschfeldandSarahhadastalladvertisingtheabout-to-open“GraphicDetails”
exhibition.Asalifelongcomicsfanwhohadgrownup,queerlyspeaking,withAlison
Bechdel’sDykestoWatchOutFor,Iwasamazedtofindsuchasubstantialbodyof
autobiographicalcomicsandgraphicnarrativesbyJewishwomen–andalsothat
manyofthem,includingSarahLeavitt,ArielSchragandIlanaZeffren,wroteabout
theirownqueerlives.WhydidInotknowaboutthisworkalready?Thechance
meetinginCanadahasledmetodevelopnewresearchoncomicsbywomen
includingincollaborationwithSarah,and,morerecently,withAndreaGreenbaum
whoseexpertiseinputtingtogetherthisspecialissuehasbeeninvaluable.
Ifthereisaqueerpromptformyresearch,thequestionofJewishidentityoccupiesa
morecomplexrole.UnlikeSarahandAndreaIhavenotbeenbroughtupinaJewish
family.GrowingupinwhatwasthenWestGermanyinthe1970sand80s,Iusedto
believethatmyownparentshadbeenactiveinNaziparty,abeliefwhichdeveloped,
Inowthink,becausemyparentsstaunchlyrefusedtodiscussWorldWarIIorthe
Holocaust.Ofcourse,asmanyrecentgraphicmemoirsshow,therootcausesof
familysecretsandthesilencestheyproducearerarelysostraightforward.EvenasI
worriedaboutmyparents’Nazipast,Iknewthatbothofthemwereborninthe
thirties,andthattheyhadnotevenbeenclosetoreachingtheirteensbythetime
thewarended.Iwasalsodimlyawarethattheirownfamilieshadbeenuprooted,
andthatmymother’sfamilyhadsufferedmanytraumasduringthewaryears.Yet
theunwillingnessofmyparentstodiscussthepastoutweighedallotherfacts.I
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
remainedconvincedthattheyhadbeeninvolvedinsomereal,ifill-definedway,in
theNaziregime.OnlyquiterecentlydidIcometounderstandthatitwasfamily
secretsthathadmadethemsotongue-tied(andsometimesangryandashamed).
Myfather,broughtupinaconservativeCatholicenvironment,struggledwiththe
upsethefeltatbeinganillegitimatechild,whichwasfurtherexacerbatedbythe
rumorsthathisgrandfatherhadbeenanitinerantworkerfromtheMediterranean
orNorthAfrica.Mymother,whorejectedherEastPrussianbackgroundand
assimilated,atleastintermsoflanguage,fullyintosouthernvillagelife,nevertheless
remainedan‘incomer’,hauntedbythedisappearanceofherfatherwhowent
missinginthe1940s.GrandfatherKirsteinhasneverbeenfound.ButwhenIwasin
mytwenties,avisitingcousinofmymother’stoldusthatshehadfoundJewish
ancestryintheKirsteinfamilyhistory.Mymotherdeniedanyconnections.Buta
Jewishfamilybackgroundwouldcertainlyhelptoexplainwhywordssuchas
meshuggahstillpepperherhard-wonsouthernGermandialect–althoughgiven
thattheBalticstateswereameltingpotoflanguages,itishardtoknowifheruseof
Yiddishwordsissignificantornot.Itmightultimatelynotbepossibletosolvethe
riddleofher–my–familyhistoryfromthefragmentsandoftencontradictory
accountsthatstillexist.ButwhatIhavelearnedfromthegraphic(family)historiesI
readinthelastyearsisthatallowingmultiplestoriestostandcanbejustas
importantasbeingabletodrawthelineundercertainevents.
ThemultiplicityofvoicesisimportantalsointhediscussionofcomicsbyJewish
women.ManydebatesaboutJewishnessinthetwenty-firstcentury–includingin
thisissue-centreonissuesofZionismand/orIsrael.AndreaGreenbaum,for
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
example,informedbyherexperiencesoftheriseinanti-Semitisminrelationtothe
BDSMovement,makesapassionatecaseinthisIntroductionforunderstandingthe
consciousnessofZionismasananalyticalandpoliticaltool.FormeZionisminthe
presentdaycannotbethoughtwithoutalsothinkingabouttheroleitplayedinthe
colonizationofPalestineandIsraelistateviolence.Tobeclear,thisisnotan
argumentagainsttheexistenceofIsrael,but‘forsolidaritythatisagainstallformsof
subjugation’(ButlerinTruthout,2014).AccordingtoJudithButler,findingwaysof
relatingtooneanotherisanecessarypreconditionforsocialtransformation(Butler,
PartingWays,2013:5-7).Byexaminingthecreativeandcriticalcontributionof
comicsbyandaboutJewishwomen,thisSpecialIssueprovidesarangeof
perspectivesonthemanywaysinwhichJewishnessconnectsindividualand
collectiveidentities,bothinovertandmorecovertways.
‘ContemporaryComicsbyJewishWomen’bringstogetheressaysonartistsas
diverseasAlineKominskyCrumb,SarahGlidden,LianaFinck,MiraFriedman,Miriam
Libicki,andAnyaUlinich.ItfurtherincludesinterviewswithSarahLeavittandAriel
SchragandoriginalartworkbySamCowan,RachaelHouse,CorinnePearlman,Keara
StewartandSarahLightmanherself.Iftherearemanythemesaddressedinthis
diversebodyofworkonesharedconcernthatemergesisthedocumentationofthe
Jewishpastandpresentincludingintermsoftheanxietiesthatsurroundthe
categoryof‘confession’,asillustratedbyRachaelHouse,Artistandco-Directorof
SpaceStation65,andinrelationtothe“GraphicDetails”symposium,drawnhereby
SamCowanandKearaStewart.WhereSarahLightman’sdeeplypersonaldrawings
reflectonthebirthofherchild,theessaybyDanaMihăilescu(onFinck)examines
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
thehistoryandaffectivepresenceoftheEasternEuropeanshtetl.BothBrauner(on
Ulinich)andPrecup(onKominskyCrumb)exploreissuesrelatingtocontemporary
JewishlifeandcultureinNorthAmerica,thelocalethatalsoframestheinterviews
withLeavittandSchrag.NinaFischer(onGlidden,FriedmanandLibicki),Laini
Kavaloski(onLibicki)andCorinnePearlmaninturnareallconcernedwiththe
difficultrealitiesofpresent-dayIsrael.WhereKavaloskiexaminestheviewfrom
insidetheIsraeliarmy,Fischer’sstudyofJerusalemconsidershowtheOtheringof
ArabexistenceinthecitycanmakePalestiniansufferinginapprehensible,while
PearlmanreflectsontheethicsofexhibitingherworkinIsrael.
ThecomicsbytheJewishwomengatheredherethusreflectonthecontingenciesof
gender,identity,andtheexperientialdimensionsofhistory,politicsandeveryday
life.Theyalsomakeanimportantculturalintervention.Fordespitetherecent
successesofwomencomicsartists–andtheriseinwomen’scomicsscholarship
notwithstanding–womenarestillalltoooftenpushedtothemarginsofthecomics
industryandcomicsscholarship.Soformeperhapsthegreatestaimofthisprojectis
thatitchallengestheprevalentmisconceptionthatcomicsarethebusinessofmen:
byinsistingonaJewishwomen’spresence,theessaysandartistsincludedinthis
SpecialIssuealsoredrawtheboundariesofcontemporarycomicsculture,andthus
letuslookforwardtothefuture.
FindingtheAfikomen:ComicsandJewishIdentity
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
MymotherusedtokeepMolotovcocktailsinherbedroomcloset,thewaysome
womenstashboxesofshoes,oroldbeadedpurses.Theyweren’texactlyMolotov
cocktails,atleastnotyet—thegasolineandragwicksneedtobeassembled,butthe
casesandcasesofemptyCokebottleswerelinedup,likesoldiersinformation,at
theready.Mymother,Elizabeth,wasamemberoftheJDL—theJewishDefense
League,thegrassroots,militantorganization,whoselogowassymbolizedbyafist
throughaJewishstar.Inthelate60’s,theJDLwasledbythehandsome,
charismatic,andradicalMeirKahane.TheJDL’sphilosophywassimple:protectJews
fromAnti-Semitismbywhatevermeansnecessary.BeforetheJDLwasdeclareda
hategroupbytheFBI;beforetheyfirebombedahallwheretheSovietState
SymphonyOrchestrawasperforming;beforeKahanemovedtoIsrael,becamehead
ofthenotoriousKach,andbeforetheirracistanti-Arabrhetoricdismantledtheir
organization,theiroriginalgrassrootsactivismwasnoble:protectthe“little”Jewsin
theirneighborhoodsfromdailyharassment.So,elderlyJewswhoweregetting
muggedinBedfordStuyvesantinBrooklyn,NewYork,werenowbeingescortedby
JDLmemberstothegrocerystore;Jewishteenswhowereharassed,called“dirty
Jew”and“kike,”whentheywalkedalongthestreetwearingtheirkippot,were
signedupforself-defenseclasses;SovietJews,whowereprohibitedfromemigrating
toIsrael,becamethemovement’sraisond’etre,sparkingmajorprotestsatthe
Sovietembassy,urgingthemto“LetMyPeopleGo.”
Inthespiritofconfessionaldisclosure,IhaveMeirKahanetothankformyJewish
education.Asawidowed,single-mother,mymomcouldn’taffordthetuitionatmy
JewishDayschool,ChaimNachmanBialk(namedafterIsrael’snationalpoet),andit
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
wasKahanewhowentwithmymothertoappearbeforetheschool’sscholarship
committee,makingapassionatepleaabouttheobligationtoeducateafellowJew.
Hewasarockstarandwasabletopersuadethecommitteetoreducethetuition,
whichresultedinsecuringmenineyearsofaHebrewDay-Schooleducation.Kahane
inscribedacopyofhisbook,NeverAgain,tomymother.Itreads:“Inevery
generationthereisafewwhounderstand.Neverforget.”And,forevensecular,
assimilatedJews,thisspecterofanti-SemitismandtheHolocaustremaininthe
comicnarrativesexploredinthisspecialissue.
Sarah,Heike,andIbringupourownbriefnarrativesaboutpersonalJewishidentity
because,as“GraphicDetails”articulates,Jewishwomen’scomicnarrativeshavenot
beenpartofthecomiccanon,anditsabsence,eitherthroughacademicneglector
intentionalpoliticalerasure(asSarahnotes),meansapieceofthepuzzleismissing.
Jewishidentity,asthewritersinthisspecialissueillustrate,isacomplexcultural,
political,andreligiousweb,andthecomicauthorsshowcasedintheseessays
strugglewithclaiminganddisavowingassociation--sometimessimultaneously.As
LainiKavaloskiwritesinhercontributiontothisissuein“ContestedSpacesin
GraphicNarrative:ExploringHomelandthroughMiriamLibicki’sJobnik!:An
AmericanGirl’sAdventuresintheIsraeliArmy,“Thenarrativelayeringtechniquesin
thisfirstintroductiontoMiriam’spersonalandnationalistidentityistellingforthe
restofthetext,notonlybecauseitrepresentsherintimateencounterswithinthe
contextoftheIsraelimilitary,butbecauseitdemonstratesarenderingofidentity
connectedtospecifichistoricalmomentsofcollectiveculturalmemory.”This
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
wrestlingwith“collectiveculturalmemory”radiatesthematicallythroughoutthis
specialissue.
AccordingtoareportreleasedbyTelAvivUniversity’sKantorCenterfortheStudyof
ContemporaryEuropeanJewry,incooperationwiththeEuropeanJewishCongress,
2012sawanupsurgeofanti-Semiticattacks.Thereportstated:“Followingatwoyeardeclineinthefigures,theannualreportonworldwideanti-Semiticincidents
recorded686attacksin34countries,rangingfromphysicalviolencetovandalismof
synagogueandcemeteries,comparedto526in2011”(EuropeanJewishCongress).
AsSarahnotes,theseattacksreachedafeveredpitchduringIsrael’sOperation
ProtectiveShieldin2014.Moreover,manyofthecomicauthorsinthisissueaddress
Zionism,andnotinthepredictablebinarynarrativeofOppressor/Victim,butrather
theconsciousnessofZionism,thehistorical,politicalreality,asamarkerofboth
identityandconflict.Itseemstousthatsucha“rhetoricofdisaster”touseMichael
Bernard-Donals’term,determinesnotsimplyouranalysisofpastJewish
historiographyandconsciousness,butintheageofanti-Israelsentimentequally
forcesJewishconsciousnesstohide,seekrespiteinsaferconfines,andcontinuesto
perpetuatenotjustthenarrativesofthepast,butperpetuallycreatesavaluesystem
steepedinapologyanddenial,orworse—silence.Incomics(andinotherformsof
popularliterature)thisidentitycrisismanifestsitselfasthequintessentialself-hating,
neuroticJew,apointexploredinthisissuebyMihaelaPrecupin“‘ThatMedieval
Eastern-EuropeanShtetlFamilyofYours’:NegotiatingJewishnessinAlineKominsky
Crumb’sNeedMoreLove(2007).”RegardingKominskyCrumb:“Shedoesnotdeny
theexperienceofJewishnessandJewishidentitybutgoesafteratypeof
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
performativeJewishness(heretypicallyAmerican)thatstandsin,asasymptom,of
aninternalizedsenseofinadequacythathassocio-politicalrootsinthefertile
groundofoppressionandthatisallowedtoexpressitselfonlythroughselfloathing”
(Clementi2013:20).Wearecaughtinthebarbedwireofkategoria,accusatory
rhetoric,side-stepping,delicately,aroundthelandminesofacademicboycotts
againstIsrael,theproliferationofanti-Israelstudentorganizations,and,ofcourse,
therampantcallforboycottsagainstIsraelicommerce.Whatisperhapsmost
alarmingisthatthesecallsarecomingfrominstitutionsthatweadmire,institutions,
infact,wheremanyofuslabour.Theethicsofacademicboycottsandthehypocrisy
associatedwiththedelegitimizationcampaignthatisostensiblydirectedatIsrael,
butasallJewsareaware,hasrepercussionsbeyondthosegeographicborders,since
JewishculturalandreligiousidentityisinextricablytiedtotheStateofIsrael.While
thecomplexityofthisissueisbeyondthescopeofthiscollection,itisenoughtosay
thatthesecampaignsreverberatethroughouracademies,ourdisciplines,andinour
artandliterature.
Asscholars,weareleftseekingtheAfikomen,thebrokenpieceofmatzohthatwe
consumeatthePassoverSeder,theessentialpiecewithoutwhichtheSedercannot
becompleted.ThoseofusengagedinexploringJewishwomen’sconfessional
comicsarechargedwithfindingthepiecethatbringsustothetable,performinga
legerdemain,asleightofhand,workingtomakewholewhathasbeenbroken—
indeed,throughTikkunOlam,wehaveasharedresponsibilitytohealtheworld
throughartandlanguageandhumour.
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Uncorrected Introduction to a special journal issue on ‘Autobiographical Comics by Jewish Women’, co-authored
with Andrea Greenbaum and Sarah Lightman. Accepted for publication in Studies in Comics Vol. 6., No. 2 (2016)
WorksCited
Butler, Judith, 'On Israel, Palestine and Unacceptable Dimensions of the Status Quo'.
Interviewed by Dan Falcone,truthout (28 October 2014): http://www.truthout.org/news/item/26946-judith-butler-on-israel-palestine-and-unacceptabledimensions-of-the-status-quo
Clementi, F. K. (2013), ‘The JAP, the Yenta and the mame in Aline Kominsky
Crumb’s graphic imagination’, Journal of Graphic Novels & Comic, 4:2, pp.
309-331.
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