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Calling Dr. Laura
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Graphic Novels & Comics (2013)When Nicole Georges was two years old, her family told her that her father was dead. When she was twenty-three, a psychic told her he was alive. Her sister, saddled with guilt, admits that the psychic is right and that the whole family has conspired to keep him a secret. Sent into a tailspin about her identity, Nicole turns to radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger for advice.
Packed cover-to-cover with heartfelt and disarming black-and-white illustrations, Calling Dr. Laura tells the story of what happens to you when you are raised in a family of secrets, and what happens to your brain (and heart) when you learn the truth from an unlikely source. Part coming-of-age and part coming-out story, Calling Dr. Laura marks the arrival of an exciting and winning new voice in graphic literature.
Packed cover-to-cover with heartfelt and disarming black-and-white illustrations, Calling Dr. Laura tells the story of what happens to you when you are raised in a family of secrets, and what happens to your brain (and heart) when you learn the truth from an unlikely source. Part coming-of-age and part coming-out story, Calling Dr. Laura marks the arrival of an exciting and winning new voice in graphic literature.
262 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2013
56 people are currently reading
9240 people want to read
About the author
Nicole J. Georges
16 books217 followersNicole J. Georges is an award-winning writer, and illustrator from Portland, Oregon. Nicole has been publishing the autobiographical comic Invincible Summer since 2000, and has toured the country extensively, including two month-long appearances on Michelle Tea’s Sister Spit: Next Generation. Her work has been featured in many publications, including Tin House, Vanity Fair, and Slate.com.
Her graphic memoir, Calling Dr. Laura, was called “engrossing, lovable, smart and ultimately poignant” by Rachel Maddow, and “disarming and haunting, hip and sweet, all at once” by Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home. In her spare time, Nicole volunteers with senior citizens in North Portland, chronicling their experiences through comics and writing in a zine called Tell It Like It Tiz’.
She is currently the 2013/14 Fellow at the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont.
Her graphic memoir, Calling Dr. Laura, was called “engrossing, lovable, smart and ultimately poignant” by Rachel Maddow, and “disarming and haunting, hip and sweet, all at once” by Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home. In her spare time, Nicole volunteers with senior citizens in North Portland, chronicling their experiences through comics and writing in a zine called Tell It Like It Tiz’.
She is currently the 2013/14 Fellow at the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 621 reviews
August 9, 2016
This is one of the most personal stories I've ever read.
Georges pulls no punches - she talks about her physical, mental, emotional, relational, and social problems with candor and rawness.
This story is less linear than I expected - it's less about Dr. Laura, it's less about her family, and it's more about her and where she was at during this very personal moment of an era. It's more about her romantic relationship with a rockstar named Radar.
It makes me think about how, really, all of our lives come down to patchworks of context. At any moment, we are experiencing the world with a synthesis of childhood trauma, mental wiring, astrological tendencies, aesthetic preferences, life goals and desires, and physical clouding. There are no experiences we have that are just about the facts of what is happening. There are times when we can handle being grown-ups, and there are times when it all comes crashing down. There are times when you need your friends to help you keep your chin up, and there are nights when you just need them to bring over a bottle of wine and give you a hug. "Significant others" can play a role in your comfort, but it's important to have a support system outside of that one person who may or may not be in your life longterm.
...wow, sorry. I guess this lovely book struck a nerve.
Back to the book...
Georges' illustrations are beautiful and curvy - I really appreciate the change in aesthetic she adopts when flashing back to her childhood. There's the ease here of an honest, practiced zinester. It's a beautiful package, and not one where I missed color all that much. It feels like you're peeking into a (very articulate and polished) personal journal/sketchbook. Although she's definitely addressing you, the reader, directly.
The issues she explores here are not only personal, traumatic, and emotional - they're also very adjacent to stuff that I deal with in my own life, particularly recently (as you've probably guessed).
After reading this, I want to give her a hug. And cry.
Navigating a progressive life can be so damn exhausting.
Bought myself a signed copy at Georges' reading at the Olympia library.
Georges pulls no punches - she talks about her physical, mental, emotional, relational, and social problems with candor and rawness.
This story is less linear than I expected - it's less about Dr. Laura, it's less about her family, and it's more about her and where she was at during this very personal moment of an era. It's more about her romantic relationship with a rockstar named Radar.
It makes me think about how, really, all of our lives come down to patchworks of context. At any moment, we are experiencing the world with a synthesis of childhood trauma, mental wiring, astrological tendencies, aesthetic preferences, life goals and desires, and physical clouding. There are no experiences we have that are just about the facts of what is happening. There are times when we can handle being grown-ups, and there are times when it all comes crashing down. There are times when you need your friends to help you keep your chin up, and there are nights when you just need them to bring over a bottle of wine and give you a hug. "Significant others" can play a role in your comfort, but it's important to have a support system outside of that one person who may or may not be in your life longterm.
...wow, sorry. I guess this lovely book struck a nerve.
Back to the book...
Georges' illustrations are beautiful and curvy - I really appreciate the change in aesthetic she adopts when flashing back to her childhood. There's the ease here of an honest, practiced zinester. It's a beautiful package, and not one where I missed color all that much. It feels like you're peeking into a (very articulate and polished) personal journal/sketchbook. Although she's definitely addressing you, the reader, directly.
The issues she explores here are not only personal, traumatic, and emotional - they're also very adjacent to stuff that I deal with in my own life, particularly recently (as you've probably guessed).
After reading this, I want to give her a hug. And cry.
Navigating a progressive life can be so damn exhausting.
Bought myself a signed copy at Georges' reading at the Olympia library.
May 23, 2015
I feel sad and kind of guilty that I didn't like this graphic memoir as much as I expected to. Sad because, well, duh – it's disappointing to be disappointed, and this sounded so promising. Guilty because Nicole Georges definitely had a story to tell, and I feel as if I caught maybe half of it.
Partly that's because of Georges' style. I read plenty of comics and graphic novels, and I've never found it difficult to tell who was talking. In this book, I often did.
Partly, though, I kept looking for an arc that just wasn't there. Georges keeps bringing up ideas and events that feel as if they're leading to some kind of payoff, and then it all fizzles out. Things happen almost at random, without much in the way of analysis. The story is vague and melancholy and the wrong kind of quiet.
True fact: Nicole Georges' response to stress is to doze off. That's exactly how this story felt to me – as if she weren't quite awake through the telling of it, but expected me to be.
I love graphic novels, but this one just didn't work for me.
Partly that's because of Georges' style. I read plenty of comics and graphic novels, and I've never found it difficult to tell who was talking. In this book, I often did.
Partly, though, I kept looking for an arc that just wasn't there. Georges keeps bringing up ideas and events that feel as if they're leading to some kind of payoff, and then it all fizzles out. Things happen almost at random, without much in the way of analysis. The story is vague and melancholy and the wrong kind of quiet.
True fact: Nicole Georges' response to stress is to doze off. That's exactly how this story felt to me – as if she weren't quite awake through the telling of it, but expected me to be.
I love graphic novels, but this one just didn't work for me.
December 8, 2015
Both whimsical and forthright, cute and frank, loose and firm, delicate and determined - I love it!
December 7, 2015
The art is great, in this graphic memoir, and Nick seems fun and interesting, but also seems sort of shallow, in a way, something's missing, even as we confront lies about who her father was, abusive step dads, broken relationships, in this coming out story.
It feels like this BIG and attractive book is trying to balance being funny with sharing oh wow details about her life. . . but it doesn't come off as oh wow to me, really, even though the father/coming out stories are the two very center-pieces of the story. . .
Is it maybe because I am not the target audience for this book, as a straight male? Possibly. You tell me, but I think this feels like something is missing, some dramatic arc she seems to promise. . . some surprising thing, but it doesn't feel all that insightful, finally. I know I am in the minority on this one.
Georges is a talented artist and she does lots of fun stuff in here, no question, creating a lighter and "fun" feel to everything. . . but it feels sort of flat to me. Go ahead, talk me out of it.
It feels like this BIG and attractive book is trying to balance being funny with sharing oh wow details about her life. . . but it doesn't come off as oh wow to me, really, even though the father/coming out stories are the two very center-pieces of the story. . .
Is it maybe because I am not the target audience for this book, as a straight male? Possibly. You tell me, but I think this feels like something is missing, some dramatic arc she seems to promise. . . some surprising thing, but it doesn't feel all that insightful, finally. I know I am in the minority on this one.
Georges is a talented artist and she does lots of fun stuff in here, no question, creating a lighter and "fun" feel to everything. . . but it feels sort of flat to me. Go ahead, talk me out of it.
December 27, 2013
Book #41 for J&C!!
I am suuuuch a sucker for the indie lady comic memoirs. Plus, if that lady is a vegan lesbian rocker from Portland who keeps chickens in her backyard, falls asleep during times of extreme stress, seduces girls by baking them peanut butter cups, and has staggering familial issues to contend with? Well. Then I will certainly fall in love.
It's true that this book is a bit disjointed and jumbly; she takes long digressions into points that are not all that important (like the title sequence, when she calls in to the "Dr. Laura" radio show for advice, and then transcribes the entire conversation), and she also glosses over some bigger things that I think deserved closer attention. But I thought it was marvelous anyway. The story as given is still strong and extremely emotionally open. It's a shockingly intimate journey to go on with Nicole, from her pooping problems to her emotionally volatile mother to her various agonizing heartbreaks. It's possible that I got some dust in my eye when I read the epilogue, even.
Plus! I actually will say something about the illustrations: I adore them. For one thing, she is sooo good at facial expressions. I decided this on like p5, which I have pasted below—sorry it's tiny and hard to see.
Trust me, the expression in the bottom panel on the left when the other girl says "I don't want a girlfriend" is just so ridiculously perfect.
Moar indie lady comics memoirs in 2014, pls!
I am suuuuch a sucker for the indie lady comic memoirs. Plus, if that lady is a vegan lesbian rocker from Portland who keeps chickens in her backyard, falls asleep during times of extreme stress, seduces girls by baking them peanut butter cups, and has staggering familial issues to contend with? Well. Then I will certainly fall in love.
It's true that this book is a bit disjointed and jumbly; she takes long digressions into points that are not all that important (like the title sequence, when she calls in to the "Dr. Laura" radio show for advice, and then transcribes the entire conversation), and she also glosses over some bigger things that I think deserved closer attention. But I thought it was marvelous anyway. The story as given is still strong and extremely emotionally open. It's a shockingly intimate journey to go on with Nicole, from her pooping problems to her emotionally volatile mother to her various agonizing heartbreaks. It's possible that I got some dust in my eye when I read the epilogue, even.
Plus! I actually will say something about the illustrations: I adore them. For one thing, she is sooo good at facial expressions. I decided this on like p5, which I have pasted below—sorry it's tiny and hard to see.
Trust me, the expression in the bottom panel on the left when the other girl says "I don't want a girlfriend" is just so ridiculously perfect.
Moar indie lady comics memoirs in 2014, pls!
November 22, 2013
Nicole is a very likeable person, and her story is exactly the sort of thing that dramatic memoirs are made of. Believing that her father died of colon cancer when she was very young, she suddenly learns as an adult that he never died at all, and her mother has been deliberately hiding that from her for her entire life. That's a huge, dramatic revelation, and I expected a huge, dramatic story to come from it. Not so much. Nicole's response is very subdued. I can't imagine waiting over a year to tell my mother that I know she's been lying to me about my father's death. But then again, my mother would never do that. Nicole's reluctance to confront her does make sense, in a way. She recognizes from early on that she won't get satisfaction from her, so what's the point of a confrontation? I do get where she's coming from, but I still badly wanted to see more of a reaction out of her.
A big chunk of this book was about Nicole's relationship with then-girlfriend Radar, rather than her current relationship with her mother. It wasn't a good relationship, and those parts of the book tended to drag. I would have rather had more about her mother, or her sisters. I was also surprised by just how little Dr. Laura had to do with anything. The publisher summary had given me the impression that she'd called Dr. Laura more than once. Instead, it seems like she only called her once, and got some really terrible advice. That whole part flies by so fast, and it's a bit disappointing.
But the last few pages are great, by far the best part of the book. It was sad, and a little hopeful. A great note to walk away from the book on. And it was a very quick read overall, despite its size. So I did like it, there were just some things that could have been better (tighter focus, definitely, and the art could have been a bit clearer in a few places) and I didn't fully connect with Nicole, even though I liked her and understood her reactions.
A big chunk of this book was about Nicole's relationship with then-girlfriend Radar, rather than her current relationship with her mother. It wasn't a good relationship, and those parts of the book tended to drag. I would have rather had more about her mother, or her sisters. I was also surprised by just how little Dr. Laura had to do with anything. The publisher summary had given me the impression that she'd called Dr. Laura more than once. Instead, it seems like she only called her once, and got some really terrible advice. That whole part flies by so fast, and it's a bit disappointing.
But the last few pages are great, by far the best part of the book. It was sad, and a little hopeful. A great note to walk away from the book on. And it was a very quick read overall, despite its size. So I did like it, there were just some things that could have been better (tighter focus, definitely, and the art could have been a bit clearer in a few places) and I didn't fully connect with Nicole, even though I liked her and understood her reactions.
June 9, 2013
I do not condone calling Dr. Laura for advice and you should never (EVER) read one of her childrens' books, as they will hurt your eyes and your soul. I do support you reading this memoir that features Dr. Laura and my fair city, though. Wholeheartedly!!
January 3, 2019
I liked everything about this graphic memoir which conceals a bit of mystery at its heart. I loved the fearless way Georges examines her own behaviour throughout. The drawing style is charming. And she's local!
May 17, 2013
It's so easy to fall into this endearing and bittersweet graphic memoir. It's as good as Bechdel's Fun Home but it also has a wonderful overcast Portland vibe through it all as Georges's family secrets hang over her like a cloud. It's a sad read at times but Georges is able to make each character (family members, girlfriends) into sympathetic characters, even when they're flaws are showing. And of course, the artwork is fantastic too.
February 7, 2014
I truly enjoyed this graphic novel memoir from Nicole J. Georges, who, along with such folks as Annie Murphy, Aron Nels Steinke, and Jesse Reklaw, represents to me what the vibrant, influential alternative comics scene of Portland, Oregon is all about. Georges's delicate portrait of family dysfunction and unraveling secrets is by turns wan, painful, and whimsical, and never less than involving. Her warm, fanciful drawings manage to alleviate some of often grim subject matter (her animal drawings are rendered with a particularly loving touch) but the book nevertheless packs a punch. As several readers have opined, this is indeed a good companion piece to Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, so don’t you miss it.
Update: Reread this a year later in Jan 2014 and have to say it holds up just great. In fact, I liked it even more, always nice when that happens.
Update: Reread this a year later in Jan 2014 and have to say it holds up just great. In fact, I liked it even more, always nice when that happens.
March 8, 2015
HEY GUYS LOOK, I READ A BOOK MEANT FOR GROWN UPS. I saw Nicole Georges speak at the library, and I could not resist buying a copy and reading it immediately. I am really glad I did -- I LOVE Nicole's art. She is pretty brilliant at creating mesmerizing images, as well as combining them with words. I could stare at each one of the panels for years, and there were so many beautiful moments I wish I could get prints of and frame on my wall. (I can't stop thinking about the amazing three frames where she is hanging out with a chicken on her front porch, and then hugs it).
This book is so honest and clear in its emotions -- Nicole really let her reader into her head, and it worked so well. I'm really glad I read this, and I'm really glad she shared this story with the world.
This book is so honest and clear in its emotions -- Nicole really let her reader into her head, and it worked so well. I'm really glad I read this, and I'm really glad she shared this story with the world.
June 11, 2019
La autora de este cómic desgrana a modo de autoconfesión los eventos más importantes de la vida de una adolescente lesbiana con una familia desestructurada.
El descubrimiento de su homosexualidad, su salida del armario, su primer noviazgo, la relación con su homófoba madre... hacen de esta historia un relato costumbrista absolutamente encantador y lleno de verdad. El misterio sobre la identidad de su padre sirve como hilo conductor para hablarnos, sobre todo, de sentimientos complejos: abandono, pérdida, celos.
Es una historia confesional enmarcada en el submundo artístico underground de la Costa Oeste con evidentes reminiscencias de la obra de Alison Bechdel y con el humor absurdo, oscuro y hogareño de Allie Brosh (“Hipérbole y media”).
El descubrimiento de su homosexualidad, su salida del armario, su primer noviazgo, la relación con su homófoba madre... hacen de esta historia un relato costumbrista absolutamente encantador y lleno de verdad. El misterio sobre la identidad de su padre sirve como hilo conductor para hablarnos, sobre todo, de sentimientos complejos: abandono, pérdida, celos.
Es una historia confesional enmarcada en el submundo artístico underground de la Costa Oeste con evidentes reminiscencias de la obra de Alison Bechdel y con el humor absurdo, oscuro y hogareño de Allie Brosh (“Hipérbole y media”).
February 3, 2013
Devoured this absorbing and beautifully illustrated graphic memoir in one big Saturday night reading binge and throughly enjoyed it. Until her early adulthood, Nicole Georges believed her father had died when she was a baby. In fact, that's what everyone in her family told her and she had no reason to doubt them. Then she visited a psychic who told her that her father was still alive -- and unlike all the psychic's other predictions, it turned out this one was true.
For those not already familiar with Georges' work as an independent cartoonist and zinester, I might describe this book as Fun Home set in a episode of "Portlandia" -- the vegan-friendly, lesbionic version of "Portlandia," to be precise. But that flippant categorization doesn't do justice to the real emotional impact of the book -- Georges is very honest about her feelings of confusion, fear and paralysis after learning from her older half-sister that the psychic's revelation was indeed true and her entire family had concealed the truth from her for years. In some ways, the book is less about the search for her father than her complex and fraught relationships with her mother and her girlfriend Radar, who encouraged Nicole to seek the truth about her dad. I really love Georges' drawing style which is very lush and atmospheric, kind like a more sedate Dame Darcy, when depicting her current life in Portland. There is a great panel of her sitting in a hammock in her backyard, flanked by chickens and holding a broom, with a pensive expression on her face that nicely encapsulates the yearning, slightly overcast mood of the whole book. In a particularly effective illustrative technique, Georges switches to a simpler, more cartoonish drawing style when she recounts scenes from her childhood, some of which are very painful and revealing. It's a perfect example of how comics can evoke a feeling or mood through drawing style alone. The stark simplicity of these drawings mirrors the way childhood memories sometimes feel, the granular details of important events often erased, leaving only lines that have etched themselves on our consciousness and profoundly shaped our self-conceptions.
Full disclosure: I know Nicole through our mutual friends in the PNW zine/comix and queer indie/punk scenes. That world is lovingly and vividly depicted in this book, and it all rang very true to me. It was fun to recognize many familiar PDX haunts in her illustrations. Yet I can see how people with no familiarity or interest in those subcultures might not find those details so captivating. I'm not sure that this book will resonate as deeply with all readers, but I would recommend it those who enjoy memoirs about unraveling family secrets and stories featuring unusual female characters who aren't afraid to share difficult personal truths. A must read for fans of Allison Bechdel and Michelle Tea.
For those not already familiar with Georges' work as an independent cartoonist and zinester, I might describe this book as Fun Home set in a episode of "Portlandia" -- the vegan-friendly, lesbionic version of "Portlandia," to be precise. But that flippant categorization doesn't do justice to the real emotional impact of the book -- Georges is very honest about her feelings of confusion, fear and paralysis after learning from her older half-sister that the psychic's revelation was indeed true and her entire family had concealed the truth from her for years. In some ways, the book is less about the search for her father than her complex and fraught relationships with her mother and her girlfriend Radar, who encouraged Nicole to seek the truth about her dad. I really love Georges' drawing style which is very lush and atmospheric, kind like a more sedate Dame Darcy, when depicting her current life in Portland. There is a great panel of her sitting in a hammock in her backyard, flanked by chickens and holding a broom, with a pensive expression on her face that nicely encapsulates the yearning, slightly overcast mood of the whole book. In a particularly effective illustrative technique, Georges switches to a simpler, more cartoonish drawing style when she recounts scenes from her childhood, some of which are very painful and revealing. It's a perfect example of how comics can evoke a feeling or mood through drawing style alone. The stark simplicity of these drawings mirrors the way childhood memories sometimes feel, the granular details of important events often erased, leaving only lines that have etched themselves on our consciousness and profoundly shaped our self-conceptions.
Full disclosure: I know Nicole through our mutual friends in the PNW zine/comix and queer indie/punk scenes. That world is lovingly and vividly depicted in this book, and it all rang very true to me. It was fun to recognize many familiar PDX haunts in her illustrations. Yet I can see how people with no familiarity or interest in those subcultures might not find those details so captivating. I'm not sure that this book will resonate as deeply with all readers, but I would recommend it those who enjoy memoirs about unraveling family secrets and stories featuring unusual female characters who aren't afraid to share difficult personal truths. A must read for fans of Allison Bechdel and Michelle Tea.
December 5, 2012
I liked it, but something was missing. The only "WOW!" moment I had was at the very end. This memoir is worth reading for the ending alone. There was closure, though what happens was a complete shock (as I'm sure it was to Nicole). It was touching, though, with a small offering of hope - both of which seemed missing throughout the rest of the book. Although there is some emotion and stabs at hope, none of it feels deep, lasting, or real. In other words, there isn't much resolution.
What I liked:
* Nickie is likable. There were moments when I felt I could relate to her. There were moments I just wanted to reach into the pages and hug her.
* I liked how she explained, almost in "technical terms" (something you might see in a medical book for moms about their children's illnesses), about encopresis and then later about "fainting goats" and what the causes (and effects) might be. She followed up on the one-page lessons with examples from her life when she suffered from both of these horrible maladies. I thought it was interesting.
* I laughed when an apparently spoiled rotten dog delighted in using her glasses as a chew toy, because Nickie loves dogs (and it seems other animals). There are other moments of humor - but not many. Granted, you can't always write over tragedy, abuse and lies with funny ha-ha lines. But still. This book made me sad.
What I wasn't crazy about:
* Some parts of the story were very abrupt or felt unfinished/shallow.
* I didn't understand Nickie very well at times. Although there were times I related and wanted to hug her, there were also times I just didn't "get it."
* Nicole's decision (and why she made it ... it was "easier") regarding Dr. Laura's advice.
Overall the book was enjoyable. And annoying. And tragic. It can't hurt to read it and see for yourself.
What I liked:
* Nickie is likable. There were moments when I felt I could relate to her. There were moments I just wanted to reach into the pages and hug her.
* I liked how she explained, almost in "technical terms" (something you might see in a medical book for moms about their children's illnesses), about encopresis and then later about "fainting goats" and what the causes (and effects) might be. She followed up on the one-page lessons with examples from her life when she suffered from both of these horrible maladies. I thought it was interesting.
* I laughed when an apparently spoiled rotten dog delighted in using her glasses as a chew toy, because Nickie loves dogs (and it seems other animals). There are other moments of humor - but not many. Granted, you can't always write over tragedy, abuse and lies with funny ha-ha lines. But still. This book made me sad.
What I wasn't crazy about:
* Some parts of the story were very abrupt or felt unfinished/shallow.
* I didn't understand Nickie very well at times. Although there were times I related and wanted to hug her, there were also times I just didn't "get it."
* Nicole's decision (and why she made it ... it was "easier") regarding Dr. Laura's advice.
Overall the book was enjoyable. And annoying. And tragic. It can't hurt to read it and see for yourself.
June 3, 2013
Dr. Laura Schlessinger is.... well, she is, that's for sure. Her confrontational, no-nonsense, (off-the-rails-BITCHY) style of counseling is infamous, and attracts a wide audience out of sheer WTF-ery.
Nicole Georges described her PERFECTLY in this memoir, by comparing her to the mother from Dinosaurs for the shape of her hair and her vaguely reptilian qualities:
Believe me, I lost it.
So, with the weight of Dr. Laura's reputation and cult following, why would you call her? What level of desperation and misdirection is required to air your grievances for a pseudo-psychology radio community?
For Georges, all it took was a childhood of bowel problems and abusive stepfathers, a web of lies concealing her real father's identity and circumstances, and the overwhelming fear of coming out as a lesbian to her hostile Syrian mother.
So trivial, amirite? (sarcasm)
Nicole Georges paints a deeply moving portrait of her childhood and young adulthood, leading up to several self-realizations, and yes, the titular call to Dr. Laura. She plays with timelines and formatting, and weaves together a sparse childhood of fear and lies, and a more fully fleshed out adulthood as a lesbian artist in Portland, Oregon (REPRESENT, sista).
This dichotomy is clearly reflected in Georges' drawing panels: her childhood self is a stick figure in simple settings, while her adult self is lovingly shaded and set in richly detailed settings, as if to honor the confident and multidimensional woman she has become. I love this styling choice, and found it especially moving when Georges would revert to her "child" style during "adult" scenes for moments of emotional vulnerability, such as For the most part, the art enhances the humor and feeling of Georges' story beyond the conventions of a text biography.
I say "for the most part," because a few scenes fell a tad flat for me, but not to the point of inhibiting my enjoyment of this volume. I don't know, it's difficult to explain. Some styling choices, such as the use of hedgehog and horse imagery, didn't feel accessible to me. Also, Portlander problem: I see Georges' animal portraiture all over town, and her style being imitated everywhere in between. It can be hard to separate this book from that background as a reader.
However, Georges' story is so unique, and her voice so funny and fresh, that this book still blew me away despite my awkward hangups regarding style.
Buy this title from Powell's Books.
Nicole Georges described her PERFECTLY in this memoir, by comparing her to the mother from Dinosaurs for the shape of her hair and her vaguely reptilian qualities:
Believe me, I lost it.
So, with the weight of Dr. Laura's reputation and cult following, why would you call her? What level of desperation and misdirection is required to air your grievances for a pseudo-psychology radio community?
For Georges, all it took was a childhood of bowel problems and abusive stepfathers, a web of lies concealing her real father's identity and circumstances, and the overwhelming fear of coming out as a lesbian to her hostile Syrian mother.
So trivial, amirite? (sarcasm)
Nicole Georges paints a deeply moving portrait of her childhood and young adulthood, leading up to several self-realizations, and yes, the titular call to Dr. Laura. She plays with timelines and formatting, and weaves together a sparse childhood of fear and lies, and a more fully fleshed out adulthood as a lesbian artist in Portland, Oregon (REPRESENT, sista).
This dichotomy is clearly reflected in Georges' drawing panels: her childhood self is a stick figure in simple settings, while her adult self is lovingly shaded and set in richly detailed settings, as if to honor the confident and multidimensional woman she has become. I love this styling choice, and found it especially moving when Georges would revert to her "child" style during "adult" scenes for moments of emotional vulnerability, such as For the most part, the art enhances the humor and feeling of Georges' story beyond the conventions of a text biography.
I say "for the most part," because a few scenes fell a tad flat for me, but not to the point of inhibiting my enjoyment of this volume. I don't know, it's difficult to explain. Some styling choices, such as the use of hedgehog and horse imagery, didn't feel accessible to me. Also, Portlander problem: I see Georges' animal portraiture all over town, and her style being imitated everywhere in between. It can be hard to separate this book from that background as a reader.
However, Georges' story is so unique, and her voice so funny and fresh, that this book still blew me away despite my awkward hangups regarding style.
Buy this title from Powell's Books.
July 20, 2020
JULY 2020:
The original owner of my house hand-dug a large, swimmable pool in the backyard, and then the owner after that lined it with roofing rubber, so when my husband bought it about a year before I met him it was just a big weird rubberlined muckhole with some standing water if it rained, but lately I’ve been skimming it and we made a big push to clear all the old gross algae out of it and I keep the area around it sort of swept and arranged and the wildsown landscaping is luscious luscious around it, just streaming pools of lilac and bittersweet and wineberry vine, the most beautiful green perimeter like being in a glen or a cove, but actually it’s just little split-level ranch at the bottom of a cul-de-sac right off State Route 212, with a big roofing-rubber lined hole dug in the ground behind it full of frogs. Anyway.
Point being: I spent the holiday sitting in it in a broken chair and it was like a lake at low-tide, a proper pond, dunkin’ my buns I call it, rereading Nicole J. Georges and I have to say I think it helped restore something in me.
DECEMBER 2013:
I like true things better than fictional things lately, and this is probably my favorite, graphic memoirs by women. There's something about someone telling her story as accurately as she can, caught in the tension between the process of locating a self and locating that self in the world, that is just enormously satisfying to bear witness to. I heard about this book on How Was Your Week, which is fitting, since this tension is precisely why I'm obsessed with Julie Klausner's opening monologues--getting to listen to her trudging like a hero through this incredibly difficult work, this fundamental human project we are all to some degree or another engaged in our whole lives, the activity of being a person, is, again and again, a revelation. It is *so much easier* to wheedle and perform. It is *so difficult and important* to not just fucking stomp around crushing everyone's spirit with how special you think you are.
This book is absolutely a joy. The world is a big lazy jerk and it will just whack you in the face all the time if you don't put your damn glasses on and start keeping an eye out for it. And then it will be real easy for you to spend your whole life trapping people into listening to how the world whacked you in the face, but you know what, everyone's been whacked in the damn face a bunch of times, it's a mess.
It's really easy to take your dark history and hold everyone hostage; it's much harder, and more gracious and generous and skillful and interesting, to tell your story well and truly and painfully and accurately.
Super good. Totally recommend.
The original owner of my house hand-dug a large, swimmable pool in the backyard, and then the owner after that lined it with roofing rubber, so when my husband bought it about a year before I met him it was just a big weird rubberlined muckhole with some standing water if it rained, but lately I’ve been skimming it and we made a big push to clear all the old gross algae out of it and I keep the area around it sort of swept and arranged and the wildsown landscaping is luscious luscious around it, just streaming pools of lilac and bittersweet and wineberry vine, the most beautiful green perimeter like being in a glen or a cove, but actually it’s just little split-level ranch at the bottom of a cul-de-sac right off State Route 212, with a big roofing-rubber lined hole dug in the ground behind it full of frogs. Anyway.
Point being: I spent the holiday sitting in it in a broken chair and it was like a lake at low-tide, a proper pond, dunkin’ my buns I call it, rereading Nicole J. Georges and I have to say I think it helped restore something in me.
DECEMBER 2013:
I like true things better than fictional things lately, and this is probably my favorite, graphic memoirs by women. There's something about someone telling her story as accurately as she can, caught in the tension between the process of locating a self and locating that self in the world, that is just enormously satisfying to bear witness to. I heard about this book on How Was Your Week, which is fitting, since this tension is precisely why I'm obsessed with Julie Klausner's opening monologues--getting to listen to her trudging like a hero through this incredibly difficult work, this fundamental human project we are all to some degree or another engaged in our whole lives, the activity of being a person, is, again and again, a revelation. It is *so much easier* to wheedle and perform. It is *so difficult and important* to not just fucking stomp around crushing everyone's spirit with how special you think you are.
This book is absolutely a joy. The world is a big lazy jerk and it will just whack you in the face all the time if you don't put your damn glasses on and start keeping an eye out for it. And then it will be real easy for you to spend your whole life trapping people into listening to how the world whacked you in the face, but you know what, everyone's been whacked in the damn face a bunch of times, it's a mess.
It's really easy to take your dark history and hold everyone hostage; it's much harder, and more gracious and generous and skillful and interesting, to tell your story well and truly and painfully and accurately.
Super good. Totally recommend.
February 12, 2013
Sometimes, while reading this, I felt as if I was reading my life story. That doesn't really happen so much to me, but I am very happy that this book exists.
As a queer cisgender woman who is a drawrer', I am very grateful to see Nicole Georges' presence in the world of graphic novels. Her work is poignant and evocative, and it is SO REFRESHING to not see perfection. Things are a bit out of proportion and at times a bit messy...and I really, really respect seeing that. It's an aesthetic that is not easily accepted, and to me, not only does it feel natural, but it also feels so human and intimate.
I can't wait to see more of her stuff!
P.S. Her drawings of her dog friends are so sweet they make me want to cry.
As a queer cisgender woman who is a drawrer', I am very grateful to see Nicole Georges' presence in the world of graphic novels. Her work is poignant and evocative, and it is SO REFRESHING to not see perfection. Things are a bit out of proportion and at times a bit messy...and I really, really respect seeing that. It's an aesthetic that is not easily accepted, and to me, not only does it feel natural, but it also feels so human and intimate.
I can't wait to see more of her stuff!
P.S. Her drawings of her dog friends are so sweet they make me want to cry.
September 18, 2016
Feelings! I really got into the emotions of Nicole. I like the art and the humor. Lovely, lovely, lovely!
February 2, 2019
I found myself at the Salt Lake City Public Library for an afternoon, and I had read they had a great graphic novel collection so I found a book to read there. Georges' memoir is very little about Dr Laura. It's a story about finding her father, whom she had been told was dead, and about her dating life and her relationship with her mother. (Not-much-of-a-spoiler alert: the mom who lied about Dad being dead does not come off so great in this book). It's a sad story about family dysfunction and bad relationships, but there are a lot of funny parts and Georges' illustrations are just adorable. I definitely felt how cathartic it would be to cartoon your problems out.
January 7, 2025
Felt like this book found me contrary to me finding it in my favorite second hand book store.
March 10, 2013
well, i thought it was great. nicole is a fantastic artist, especially when it comes to self-portraits & animals, & as this is a memoir full to the gills with dogs & chickens, i thought it was really beautiful. i also can hardly fathom the amount of work that must go into creating a 200+-page graphic memoir.
full disclosure: i have known nicole for a long time. we first met before she ever moved to portland, when we were both teenagers. we are both now in our mid-30s, so you do the math. but i am not just saying, "this book is awesome because my friend wrote it!" nicole & i have never been tight bros or anything. i just honestly think this book is good.
all her life, nicole's mother & sisters have told her that her father died of colon cancer when she was a baby, before she could form any memories of him. but when a friend takes her to a palm reader for her birthday, the palm reader tells her that her father is alive. she sits on that information for a year before, finally, having it confirmed by her older sister. & then she's in a conundrum? should she try to find the guy? should she confront her mother about the lie?
that's all i will say. the most common complaint i'm seeing about this book is that is lacks emotional resonance & feels unresolved. this is where maybe my perspective is being colored by the fact that i know nicole. maybe i'm cutting her more slack than i would some other author that i don't know. but my response to that criticism is: imagine being led to believe for your entire life that your father is dead. & then learning that he's not. & that the only parent you've ever known has just been lying to all your life. isn't that emotionally resonant enough on its own? what resolution could there really be to such a situation that would make the story feel "finished"? perhaps nicole goes on the occasional tangent about fostering unclaimed chickens or how she became a karaoke host or mishaps on tour, but...i guess all i can say is that i enjoyed it. i felt it gave the book some flavor & atmosphere.
full disclosure: i have known nicole for a long time. we first met before she ever moved to portland, when we were both teenagers. we are both now in our mid-30s, so you do the math. but i am not just saying, "this book is awesome because my friend wrote it!" nicole & i have never been tight bros or anything. i just honestly think this book is good.
all her life, nicole's mother & sisters have told her that her father died of colon cancer when she was a baby, before she could form any memories of him. but when a friend takes her to a palm reader for her birthday, the palm reader tells her that her father is alive. she sits on that information for a year before, finally, having it confirmed by her older sister. & then she's in a conundrum? should she try to find the guy? should she confront her mother about the lie?
that's all i will say. the most common complaint i'm seeing about this book is that is lacks emotional resonance & feels unresolved. this is where maybe my perspective is being colored by the fact that i know nicole. maybe i'm cutting her more slack than i would some other author that i don't know. but my response to that criticism is: imagine being led to believe for your entire life that your father is dead. & then learning that he's not. & that the only parent you've ever known has just been lying to all your life. isn't that emotionally resonant enough on its own? what resolution could there really be to such a situation that would make the story feel "finished"? perhaps nicole goes on the occasional tangent about fostering unclaimed chickens or how she became a karaoke host or mishaps on tour, but...i guess all i can say is that i enjoyed it. i felt it gave the book some flavor & atmosphere.
February 18, 2016
Recently if anyone has had a secret that rocked their family, they have written a graphic memoir about it. And I'm so done with those, But this will restore your faith with those pesky little buggers.
N. Georges doesn't pull punches or sugarcoat all the weirdness that is her family. From having stomach problems, your dad dying and being a con man and your own mom not wanting to hear the truth about your sexuality. She lets her flag fly and doesn't give a damn.
I'll be checking out her Zines here in the near future.
N. Georges doesn't pull punches or sugarcoat all the weirdness that is her family. From having stomach problems, your dad dying and being a con man and your own mom not wanting to hear the truth about your sexuality. She lets her flag fly and doesn't give a damn.
I'll be checking out her Zines here in the near future.
December 11, 2020
I loved this book. While the story itself is interesting, I think what drew me in was Georges artistic style. Seriously, I don’t think there wasn’t a page that I didn’t love. The cursive script and the shades of black and grey in the Portland scenes communicated so much personality and tone. I think this is the first graphic novel where I can say I noticed the inking? (That’s the word, right? Whatever, I loved it.) Also, she has chickens and dogs? Heck yeah.
December 20, 2013
A beautifully illustrated memoir about a woman's journey of finding herself and uncovering a family secret. Not only did the telling of her story bring me close to tears, but how amazing the detail, art, and love that was put into the book. I definitely want to follow Nicole's work and would love to have a crafting party with her!
February 25, 2014
One of the better autobiographical GNs I've read. Nicole is living away from home as a young woman. She ponders coming out to her mother and the identity of her father who she's believed to be dead. Yes, an actual phone call to Dr. Laura figures into the tale. The artwork is lovely and conveys a real sense of coziness and warmth which adds to the story's charm.
April 16, 2014
Includes a transcript of a call with conservative wing-nut, ridiculously judge-y Dr. Laura Schlessinger! Gotta be worth a laugh. A worthy story, to boot. Family secrets, deception, and an inspiring, quirky woman's quest to uncover the truth triggered by a serendipitous visit to a psychic. So much conveyed in relatively few words. Damn fine illustrations.
August 3, 2015
Beautiful artwork. A lovely memoir of understanding family, relationships, coming out and love of animals. I've read Nicole's zines for years and was so happy to have finally picked up this book. I was giggling from some of the silliness and in tears from heartache while reading.
February 27, 2015
To be honest, the front cover was what grabbed us, but the book itself was completely worth the chance we took on it. The flow of the story and the many anecdotes about Georges' life were great. Fascinating graphic novel. Highly recommended.
April 28, 2016
Lovely drawings, intriguing story and a unique perspective/story-telling style. One of the better graphic novels I've read in a long time. I especially liked the way NJG uses different styles to differentiate between and also merge childhood and adult experiences.
January 3, 2016
This is amazing and everyone should go out and read it posthaste.
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