“It was not nostalgia — I kept waiting for that to hit. I was worried about — what if New York doesn't live up to it? Because then where do I go from here?
Kay Sohini is an Indian comics-maker living in New York City. She’s the author of the graphic novel THIS BEAUTIFUL, RIDICULOUS CITY . But Kay’s a lot more than a comics creator - she’s a writer, researcher, and artist. Kay grew up in Kolkata, where she fell in love with American culture - through TV and literature - as a contrast to her life in India. Kay eventually left India, got her PhD in English from Stony Brook University, and drew her doctoral dissertation — "Drawing Unbelonging" — as a comic. Since then her work has been published in The Washington Post, The Nib, and more. Her work focuses on utilizing comics in the scholarly examination of healthcare justice, environmental humanities, resisting disinformation, and creating an equitable future for all.
“This Beautiful Ridiculous City” is getting glowing reviews from NPR, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, The Financial Times and more. Kay shares some of her journey from India to America, from Kolkata to New York, but we actually talked a lot about the business - and art of comics - in the US, France, and India. Kay’s a very thoughtful, observant and direct artist and thinker. Kay’s work isn’t just deeply personal — it also challenges bigger ideas through personal narratives — with themes of marginalization, intersectionality, and the power dynamics embedded in our language and culture. Kay’s work will move you in a way few comics can.
LEARN ABOUT KAY
kaysohini.com
instagram.com/kaysohini
goodreads.com/book/show/212294437-this-beautiful-ridiculous-city
MENTIONS
Alison Bechdel: goodreads.com/author/show/54223321.Alison_Bechdel
Deb JJ Lee: goodreads.com/book/show/60316964-in-limbo
BOOK: Ginseng Roots (Craig Thompson): goodreads.com/book/show/216971212-ginseng-roots
BOOK: Unflattening (Nick Sousanis): goodreads.com/book/show/23503006-unflattening
BOOK: Kari (Amruta Patil): goodreads.com/book/show/3174768-kari
BOOK: Munnu: A Boy From Kashmir (Malik Sajad): goodreads.com/book/show/25394441-munnu
BOOK: Skin (Mieke Versyp, Sabien Clement): goodreads.com/book/show/214387878-skin
COMEDIAN: Zarna Garg wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarna_Garg
BOOK: Summit of the Gods (Jirō Taniguchi): goodreads.com/series/55939-the-summit-of-the-gods
SHOW: When Life Gives You Tangerines: imdb.com/title/tt26471411/
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