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The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Graphic Literature

"This welcome companion to Scott McCloud's  Understanding Comics is part theory, part exercise book, and part anthology, accessible to both writers and visual artists." 

- Booklist, ALA Top-10 Reference Book

Purchase

Reviews & Interviews

Reviews & Interviews

Reviews & Interviews

  • STARRED REVIEW from Booklist!
  • Publisher's Weekly called it a "dazzling showcase" and "indispensible."
  • Amaris Ketcham at Autobiographix calls it "a timely compendium of practical advice, engaging exercises, and rich examples."
  • NewPages: "To say my mind was blown when I first thumbed through this collection would be an understatement." 
  • Split Rock Review described the book as "a wonderful ramble among the deeper underpinnings of what makes visual hybrid form so engaging and exciting." 
  • The Compulsive Reader praises the many "experts whose knowledge of craft and creativity make this a valuable volume."

Playlists & Podcasts

Reviews & Interviews

Reviews & Interviews

  • I have been a long-time fan of the Write-Minded podcast with Grant Faulkner and Brooke Warner, which is now partnered with Lit Hub, and it was a dream to be a guest talking about Graphic Literature!
  • We have a diverse and amazing playlist with songs from many contributors at Largehearted Boy.--from Joy  Harjo's "Fear Song" to "Elmo's Song"!
  • My co-editor Tom Hart and I had a blast talking about the Field Guide on the New Book Networks podcast.


About the book

Awards & Recognition

Awards & Recognition

The fourth volume in the immensely popular Field Guide series, The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Graphic Literature gives readers unprecedented insight into the techniques of 28 of today’s most innovative creators of poetry comics, graphic narratives, and image-text hybrids. With original craft essays, corresponding exercises, and full-color examples of their work, each contributor offers reflection and instruction informed by their own methods and processes. From mark-making and page composition to deeper renderings of place, character, and voice, this much-needed guide to the field illuminates and demystifies the process of creating image+text work. Editors Kelcey Ervick and Tom Hart also provide a historical introduction that links today’s graphic literature to visual storytelling of the past and helpful pedagogical resources to round out the volume. This is a book for writers who want to make graphic narratives and literary collage, illustrators and comics artists exploring new approaches to storytelling, teachers encouraging their students to work with image and text, and anyone curious about what one contributor calls “comics magic.”

Awards & Recognition

Awards & Recognition

Awards & Recognition

Finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year in the Anthology Category 


ALA/Booklist as a Top-10 Reference book


Honorable Mention in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards Reference Category 

Contributors

Awards & Recognition

Contributors

Justine Mara Andersen • Oliver Baez Bendorf • Leonie Brialey • Thi Bui • Sharon Lee De La Cruz • David Dodd Lee • Arwen Donahue • Trinidad Escobar • Naoko Fujimoto • Marnie Galloway • Lauren Haldeman • Tom Hart • Mira Jacob • Keith Knight • Aidan Koch • Matt Madden • Mita Mahato • Deborah A. Miranda • Josh Neufeld • Dustin Parsons • Zeke Peña • Nick Francis Potter • Kristen Radtke • Scott Roberts • Alexander Rothman • Eleni Sikelianos • Bianca Stone • Lawrence Sutin

Excerpts

My essay from the book, "Teaching Graphic Literature in the Creative Writing Classroom" can be read in full at Fourth Genre.


Lawrence Sutin's craft essay was republished in Lit Hub.  

Praise

MariNaomi, author of I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME

Nicole J. Georges, author of CALLING DR. LAURA

MariNaomi, author of I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME

«This book is a good first step to unlearning what you think you know about comics, a medium so vast, it’s mind-blowing. It’s inspiring to see the processes of such diverse, talented artists, and to be let in on their creative philosophies.»

Nick Sousanis, author of UNFLATTENING

Nicole J. Georges, author of CALLING DR. LAURA

MariNaomi, author of I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME

«Kelcey Ervick and Tom Hart have assembled a dynamite and diverse cast of comics creators under the covers of this exciting and important collection. Each contributor offers a deeply insightful window into their respective approaches to comics-making and shows how to put these ideas into practice through smartly-composed accompanying creative exercises sure to open spaces for readers to discover their own way into making comics—whatever their background. This is an indispensable resource for anyone teaching comics and for comics authors, from the experienced looking for new inspiration to those just getting started on their journey.»

Nicole J. Georges, author of CALLING DR. LAURA

Nicole J. Georges, author of CALLING DR. LAURA

Nicole J. Georges, author of CALLING DR. LAURA

«This is such a beautiful, helpful book. If comics is a giant dome, with your story locked inside, The Field Guide to Graphic Literature presents you with 28 different philosophical doors into that world. The practicality of this book, and its acknowledgement of the myriad of avenues and practices in comics, makes me feel inspired as both a creator and a teacher.»


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