Spellbound - by Bishakh Som (Paperback)

About the Book

"The meticulous artwork of transgender artist Bishakh Som gives us the rare opportunity to see the world through another lens. The exquisite graphic novel memoir by a transgender artist, explores the concept of identity by inviting the reader to view the author moving through life as she would have us see her, that is, as she sees herself. Framed with a candid autobiographical narrative, this book gives us the opportunity to enter into the author's daily life and explore her thoughts on themes of gender and sexuality, memory and urbanism, love and loss"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"Often quite funny . . . The layers of identity and story in the memoir and Som's fluid approach to representing the self, feel impressively easy, unbelabored." --Hillary Chute, The New York Times Book Review

A Lambda Literary Award Finalist

The meticulous artwork of transgender artist Bishakh Som gives us the rare opportunity to see the world through another lens.

This exquisite graphic novel memoir by a transgender artist, explores the concept of identity by inviting the reader to view the author moving through life as she would have us see her, that is, as she sees herself. Framed with a candid autobiographical narrative, this book gives us the opportunity to enter into the author's daily life and explore her thoughts on themes of gender and sexuality, memory and urbanism, love and loss.

Review Quotes

"A tricky graphic meta-memoir about levels of profound transition--personal, professional, and creative. . . . A rewarding narrative that presents identity as a puzzle for everyone to solve." --Kirkus Reviews,

"Creative nonfiction aficionados and fans of queer comics alike will flock to this literally transformative work." --Publisher's Weekly.

"Spellbound is an intimate experience, highlighting some of the most powerful elements of comics for me--not only the struggle of creating the work in the first place, but of realizing so much about oneself in the process. Som's humour and sincerity is well complemented by the expressive lines of her characters, creating elegant artwork that flows like good conversation." --Emily Carroll, illustrator of Speak: A Graphic Novel and author of Through the Woods

"I've never read anything quite like Spellbound - an exploration of how the narratives we construct can reveal deeper truths, a book about discovery whose creation was the path to the discovery. It's sharp and clever, beautifully drawn, and trusts the reader to come along for the journey. I can't wait to see what Bishakh Som does next!" --Molly Knox Ostertag, author of The Witch Boy

"Bishakh Som's Spellbound is a searching and restless document of her creative journey, and a good fit for these restless days." --Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics

"I loved this radical book about care-caring for family, caring for yourself, caring for your wildest goals. This book gives space for allowing care to be messy and all-encompassing. It's a compassionate and enjoyable graphic novel about figuring life out." --Archie Bongionvanni, author of A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns

"Spellbound is a sweet, sad, charming coming-of-art memoir that belongs on every comics lover's shelves." --MariNaomi, author and illustrator of Turning Japanese

About the Author

Bishakh Som, who grew up in New York City, but whose parents were originally from India, received a master's degree in architecture from Harvard University and worked for many years in that field, most notably at I.M. Pei's New York office. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Bishakh's work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Boston Review, Buzzfeed, and The Huffington Post. She has a new collection of short comics, titled Apsara Engine, which will be published by The Feminist Press in Spring of 2020.