Cartoonist Tessa Brunton’s New YA Graphic Memoir Notes from a Sickbed Portrays Chronic Illness with Honesty and Humor
MINNEAPOLIS, MN— Coming this November from Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group™, Notes from a Sickbed collects previously released and brand-new, unseen comics that recall author and artist Tessa Brunton’s experiences with a little-known chronic illness.
In 2009, Tessa Brunton experienced the first symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome). She spent much of the next eight years unwell, in a medical holding pattern, housebound and often alone. In 2017, she found a strategy that helped reduce her symptoms, and soon began creating the first installments of a graphic memoir. Detailed black-and-white illustrations provide a singular perspective into Bruton’s inner life and daily experiences.
Notes from a Sickbed combines the popular genres of memoir and medicine within the comic format. Memorable and engaging, this new release draws readers of all backgrounds into Brunton’s story with sincerity, a pointed wit, and a lively visual imagination.
Advance Praise for Notes from a Sickbed:
“Being stuck at home on the couch with an endless illness should be an absolute nightmare, but somewhere between Tessa’s unruly imagination and her dark sense of humor, she’s created a surprisingly exciting, funny, and strangely uplifting world. A truly unique and wonderful book.” —Julia Wertz, author-artist, Tenements, Towers & Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City
“Tessa’s intimate, surreal, and impeccably composed diary comics invite you in and wrap around you like a warm quilt. Her work is a soothing balm for the chronic frustrations of living in a human body.” —Lisa Hanawalt, creator of Tuca & Bertie
“This book is a gorgeous and necessary addition to the canon of graphic medicine.” —Nicole Georges, author-artist, Calling Dr. Laura: A Graphic Memoir
“Tessa Brunton generously shares with us not only her struggle of living with a chronic, little-understood disease, but also her go-to skills for coping: a sharp wit and a rich, fabulously intricate inner life. And her drawings are gorgeous!” —Rob Kirby, author-artist, Marry Me a Little
About the Author and Artist
Tessa Brunton is a cartoonist and author based in Santa Cruz, California. Her first comic book Passage was nominated for two Ignatz Awards: Outstanding Comic and Promising New Talent. Her mini-comic Second Banana is a Best American Comics 2014 notable comic. Her comics have appeared in Bitch Magazine, Maisonneuve Magazine, The Comics Journal, and many anthologies.
About the Publisher
Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, creates high-interest and nonfiction titles through supreme graphic novel artwork and story lines created by industry veterans and up-and-coming talents.
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Notes from a Sickbed
November 2022
$29.32 Hardcover, Jacketed
$14.99 Paperback
eBook Also Available
Ages 14–18
HC: 978-1-7284-1948-0
PB: 978-1-7284-6293-6
152 Pages ● 6 × 9
Media contacts:
Lindsay Matvick
Publicity Director
800-328-4929, x385
lmatvick@lernerbooks.com