A lyrical exploration of the city and memory, as drawn by a Vice
cartoonist
Leslie Stein takes us on a sinuous urban stroll divorced from
destination, glimpsing New York City through her open eyes. While she is
closing up a bar late at night, she is also an adolescent at a rave in
the mountains, an adult grappling with her grandfather's fading memory
or at one of her first waitressing jobs. Stein is a master storyteller,
an urban explorer, and a loyal guide through dark days and simple,
blissful encounters. Stein's curiosity about and generosity toward the
world around her come through powerfully: each colorful story flows with
vivid watercolors and delicate ink lines. Here, an autobiography is
built through memories and moments tied together by loose lines, evoking
a beautiful dreamlike yet endlessly relatable glimpse into the world of
a thirty-something woman carving out a life for herself, one step at a
time.
Known for her acclaimed Eye of the Majestic Creature series, collected
here are Stein's serialized Vice.com comics which have become a staple
for the site, showcasing her storytelling abilities with a freer style.
With an introduction and new material, Present will be a deluxe
die-cut hardcover that is a meditation on memory. Stein asks us to take
a moment to be here now, while acknowledging the other places and people
we always carry with us.
