Jokes and the Unconscious

Daphne Gottlieb, Jokes and the Unconscious (Cleis Press, 2006) I'll start off this review with a bit of unsolicited honesty: I'm not a huge fan of either Daphne Gottlieb's poetry or Diane DiMassa's comics. Jokes and the Unconscious, however, once I got the hang of what they were doing, was quite a pleasant surprise. Sasha is a student working at a summer job at a medical facility. She spends roughly equal amounts of time attempting (and failing) to avoid her co-workers, flagrantly violating the HIPAA laws, and telling us, the readers, jokes, all as ways of coming to terms with the death of her father. Those of you who have already started drawing the Fun Home parallel are on the right track, but the authors approach their similar subject matter from different directions-- Bechdel wrote a book that was incisive, tender, and introverted, while Gottlieb and DiMassa approach from the angle of brash, funny, and a little on the gross side. This is a book to have fun with, and then meditate upon afterwards. *** ½

I stopped reading a book so I could read this one. I've never done that before. I don't regret it. This is black humor at its blackest. It's touching and sad and funny and bold. This is ink from the heart from both the writer and the illustrator. The balance is perfect and the results are incredible.

I have been a fan of the graphic novel as something more than comic strip for a longtime. I also am a big lover of traditional non-graphic literature. This collaboration of DiMassa and Gottlieb couldn't have happened to a better book. They together created something amazing. A graphic rollercoaster walking through a young womans journey to finding herself while dealing with a father's terminal illness - never does the material feel overly sentimental or trite. The material is handled in a way that is sensitive, heart-wrenching, and giggle inducing - the way that life love and tradegy often play out in the real world. Surreal, funny and just... perfect. Fans of DiMassa's Hothead Paisan won't be disappointed - there is plenty of queer and rockin riot grrl feminism. Fans of Gottlieb's iconic poetry also will find what they need and more in this book, as she wrenches through the pain and personal discovery with deftness, and a razor sharp eye for detail. Those who are new to both artists, whether you are queer or straight - the humanity of this book - it's honesty - will touch the heart of anyone who has ever loved a parent. I cannot recommend more wholeheartedly. Don't wait for a used copy. Buy it and love it. I can't even tell you in words how good this is. I laughed and cried my way through it, and plan on treasuring this book for a good long time.

I don't normally read graphic novels, but as a long-time fan of Gottlieb's searing poetry I was curious about this book and how her voice would translate. It works gorgeously. This is an interesting, stunning collaboration--deeply sad, deeply funny, deeply wise. Each page feels like some sort of revelation. The loose, changing format--coupled with DiMassa's ingenious art--give Gottlieb free rein to be as raw and transcendant as she is in her best poems. I definitely recommend this book.

This book tried to kill me. Seriously. It reached out through vicious, honest words and wild artwork with arresting fingers and grabbed hold of something inside of me. I didn't think I would survive, its fingernails were digging in so fiercely. I had no choice but to read the book from start to finish without stopping to breathe. It had me hostage. It finally eased up on its grip when I got to the end, but it left behind deep claw marks that aren't going to fade anytime soon. It's not my story, but it feels like my story. It's not my voice, but it feels like it's speaking for me. It's not my art, but it seems to be illustrating my life. It's not my jokes, but it's carrying my laughter. This book now has a permanent place on my coffee table. Gottlieb and DiMassa are brilliant.