Maybe An Artist, A Graphic Memoir

by Liz Montague

A heartfelt and funny graphic novel memoir from one of the first Black female cartoonists to be published in the New Yorker , when she was just 22 years old.

When Liz Montague was a senior in college, she wrote to the New Yorker , asking them why they didn't publish more inclusive comics. The New Yorker wrote back asking if she could recommend any. She yes, me.

Those initial cartoons in the New Yorker led to this memoir of Liz's youth, from the age of five through college--how she navigated life in her predominantly white New Jersey town, overcame severe dyslexia through art, and found the confidence to pursue her passion. Funny and poignant, Liz captures the age-old adolescent questions of “who am I?” and “what do I want to be?” with pitch-perfect clarity and insight.

This brilliant, laugh-out-loud graphic memoir offers a fresh perspective on life and social issues and proves that you don’t need to be a dead white man to find success in art.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Memoir, Nonfiction, Comics, Middle Grade, Biography, Art

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel, a memoir about a black girl who becomes passionate about making change in the world, and uses her artistic talents to do so. 🎨🖌️

The novel begins with her life at the age of 5 and goes to present day, covering major topics that she learned about as she was growing up (9/11, global warming, racism, sexism, politics, etc.). With each topic, she became passionate about bringing change to our country. Her conviction is contagious!

Naturally she was the illustrator of this novel, and as an art student myself I enjoyed this part of it the most. Additionally, through high school and her early college years, she struggled with deciding what to major in. I related so much to her internal dialog as she debated her decision. ✍🏻🖼️

Since this is a new release (2022), I look forward to seeing more of Liz Montague in the future—she has already done much at such a young age. If you’re curious, read “Maybe An Artist” to find out what a great path she has already carved for herself!

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liz Montague has led a relatively interesting life for someone still in her twenties, but this graphic memoir aimed at children breezes past the items that should have been major hooks as it skitters quickly through elementary school, middle school, high school and college.

I was slightly bored as I read through dozens of pages that barely manage to expand on this single sentence from the dustcover:
Here is the story of Liz's childhood, from the age of five through college -- how she navigated life in her predominately white New Jersey town, overcame severe dyslexia through art, excelled as a track star, and found her calling in life (which didn't involve running).

Take the dyslexia, for instance: It barely takes up eight pages -- maybe 15 panels in total -- in the book (pp. 24-30), and the word "dyslexia" is not used once. As presented, I'm guessing a child reader might assume Montague just liked to write funny because she's left-handed. She also alludes to a speech impediment in those same pages, but like the dyslexia it apparently gets better quickly with hardly any effort at all.

September 11, racism, and her athletic and art careers zip past in the same shallow manner.

On the plus side, I enjoy Montague's art and reading the book did cause me to visit her website where I found a lot to admire. Her "Liz at Large" strips with the little dog are too sappy for my taste, but "Cyber Black Girl" and her other projects are very exciting. I'm looking forward to her next book: Jackie Ormes Draws the Future: The Remarkable Life of a Pioneering Cartoonist.

https://lizatlarge.org/work/
(Be sure to explore everything under the "Work" dropdown in the top menu!)

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ "Sometimes it feels like people already have their minds made up about me before they even know me. Even when they do know me!"

This was a quick but illuminating read that I really enjoyed. Author-cartoonist Elizabeth Montague gives a brief glimpse into her life through elementary school, middle school, high school and college. I found the part where she talks about her dyslexia particularly insightful and well-illustrated, as it provided a good understanding of what she was going through.

She also discussed a lot of relatable topics, such as being in the shadows of her sisters and trying to live up to expectations, having to make major life decisions when you don't even know exactly what you want, the pressure to fit a mould, being expected to feel grateful for one's privilege... I could resonate with so much of it.

Also, Pat!!! I did not see that coming but I am here for it 😉❤️

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art in this memoir is serviceable, but it’s obvious Liz Montague is best known for drawing cartoons in the New Yorker for a reason- there is little use of sequential comics storytelling in this book. A noticeable lack of visual narrative, heavy reliance on textual cues, and a lot of “telling,not showing” at play. Some of the more interesting threads of the story are glossed over, and Liz’s elementary through high school experience is doled out at a quick clip, making this a very fast and ultimately kind of forgettable read.

[Aparna Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I had no desire to bully people or be mean, but being so aware was exhausting"

Liz Montague is pictured to be staring at a blank sheet of paper trying hard to use her imagination to create something from nothing. Her artistic talent is overshadowed by self-doubt. When her mother nudges her to remember her purpose, she's devoid of thoughts. To seek an answer to the looming question, she takes a trip down memory lane.

As a child studying at Goldfinch elementary school, she was inquisitive, asking questions that would render her peers and teachers at loss for words. Slowly, she began to notice that she wrote in illegible handwriting, and spoke in a different manner that was indecipherable to others. But Liz found her calling in art.

Her inquisitive behaviour prompted Liz to choose journalism as a career option. She began questioning anything and everything under the sun.
Documenting her journey as an inquisitive middle grader, reclusive teenager and an aware adult, this book questions the privileges of the white people and raises a voice for a less represented section of society. Poignant, funny, and relatable at parts, this memoir urges young minds to work on their strengths and brush aside their weakness. The journalistic art resembled comic strips in newspapers.

[J MaK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir highlights privilege and simultaneous awareness. Often a balance is created which leads to self-discovery and confidence on the path to a career . Nevertheless, the passions we love shouldn’t have to be subjected to mutual exclusion.

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

“why are certain kids allowed to not know how their actions impact others? and the rest of us get stuck with little voices that try to read minds?”

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an insightful and important book, not just about what it means to stand out, but what it means to matter.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really into graphic memoirs right now. So, I was excited to get my hands on this. I thought it was a poignant, funny, super cute coming of age story. The art is perfect for the tone of the book. There is humor (especially round the passage of time) and I think a lot of young people will relate to the struggles Montague depicts.

I did kind of feel like starting the book with the events of 9/11 felt odd. I grasped that it marks the reader in time and was, of course, a salient experience for a lot of people that age. But it also felt abrupt and anchor-less, since we didn’t even know Montague yet.

All in all, however, I enjoyed this though. I’ll be passing it to my 15-year-old next. She’s left-handed, starting to feel the strain of choosing a future life path, art-minded, and vacillating about whether to include it in her career plans. I think even people not sharing quite so many qualities with past Montague will get a lot out of this book. But I especially think my budding artist will.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 I guess I could recommend this to middle schoolers finding their way through that notoriously tough time when everyone think that their struggles are at the forefront of everyone else’s attention. This book encourages pre-teens to keep pushing to find themselves and ultimately, the talents that will make them successful.

For other readers, this is a memoir of the first Black female cartoonist to have her work published in the New Yorker …and also one of the youngest. There’s not much copy in this book, so while Liz touches on experiences that led her to a place on this venerable platform, this YA-focused graphic novel doesn’t delve too deep. But I’m glad to have been introduced to this cartoonist and look forward to seeing more of her work.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liz has always drawn and when she is in school she starts to take classes. She feels she has certain expectations due to her family experiences and expectations she must live up to that stress her out. As she continues through middle school, high school, college and adulthood Liz shares her experiences with us. Some we might agree with and others we might not, but I would be willing to bet we all agree she is a very talented artist!

[Rachel Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely graphic memoir that can be read in the span of an hour. Liz is fun and relatable and delves into tough topics (belonging, finding one's way, self-doubt) with grace and finesse. I'm glad this book found me as I was surrounded by high-schoolers. It definitely helped me to be a little more understanding and human towards them as they bumble along their own paths.

[McKenna Deem · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, heartfelt graphic memoir that explores 9/11, racism, dyslexia, and ever-present self-doubt. An uplifting read from a consistently great artist.

[DC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't understand how this book has such a low rating? Is it rated mostly by people who have forgotten how crappy middle school is or aren't living with a middle schooler?

My new mission in life is to get my middle schooler to read this.

[Clara:) Dueck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe an artist. By Liz Montague. 2022. This book occurs 2001-2014. This book is told in first person.
The main character is named Liz. This is a graphic novel memoir. At first liz hears about a plane crash then asks so many questions to everyone. Her sister says she should be a journalist because of that. She loves that idea and writes a sign on her door saying: Liz Montague journalist. This story takes you through her elementary school years and high school. One day she was looking through her sisters room and found a book. She drew a picture based on what she heard for the book. It said: GIRLS RULE! And her sister then said: that’s not journalism it’s art. And then Liz changes her sign to: Liz Montague Artist. She eventually gets a job at where sister works. When she gets into university she takes an art major. I really liked this book and read it multiple times. I thought the writing style was also interesting. I really liked this book like I said earlier.

[Abby Rubin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liz Montague first thought she wanted to be a journalist, then realized she could make art that had an impact. This led her to a storied career as a cartoonist for the New Yorker, among other outlets. This graphic memoir will bring you through her school career where she was battling dyslexia, making a name for herself outside of the shadows of her sisters, trying to decide on her future, and balancing how much she wanted to be visible at school. Liz is all of us through our awkward younger years, but she is a lot better at drawing about it. Great memoir for younger readers who are interested in learning more about the world and figuring out their place in it.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A graphic memoir about a young artist that glosses over most of the author's life experiences. She has a learning disorder, but it's never diagnosed on the page and becomes a non-issue after just a handful of panels. She seems to have a speech impediment, but it's mentioned once and never brought up again. That's mostly because the focus is on Montague learning that her art is worth pursuing, but all these little details make me feel like I missed out on a longer, more thorough version of this same book.

[Nicholas (was Allison) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.85 Stars
Notes: I checked this out from my library instantly, as soon as I saw it on a shelf because I often read through various newspaper articles online. I was anticipating getting to read this for months (essentially when I knew that it would be in graphic novel format), so I didn’t have low expectations. Liz Montague’s name is very familiar to me from previously seeing her artwork and really enjoying it, from the variety as well as the quality of just how good it really literally is.

This is so worthwhile of a story to page through when I absolutely needed to read something similar, as I’ve been trying to read through different types of graphic novels recently. The art style explains things in an easy to process way because it just adds in the amount of additional formatting necessary, since there is dark subject content, so the trigger warnings will be many. They are as included: bullying, unfortunate discrimination, social anxiety from past events that are referenced, potential mentions of ptsd from after effects of events, and some other content relating to depression. The plot starts off in the beginning of her life and explores several different coming of age and developmental themes of growing up to become more experienced, as well as how interests become more than ordinary obsessions. The quality of life and how others’ actions may change the well-being and happiness of another person are also included. Artwork is actually shown in several pages and different sketchbooks too, so I definitely liked getting to see that.

How this was formatted made me require minimal focus to read through, even during more complex scenes where multiple events occur in a page, it is still readable enough to remember what occurred without my having to go back and reread anything. Due to that, I made the rating of this higher than I typically would from the overall quality of an experience I had. I have been looking to read more memoirs/biographies after reading a few of them last year (some I added on here and some I didn’t), so this was necessary reading for me. I would recommend this to anyone immediately interested, since it won’t be disappointing by any standards at all.

[Hoarding Books Herding Cats (Anya) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liz Montague hadn’t always wanted to be an artist. Her first instinct was to become a journalist and later, to become an athlete. But she’d enjoyed art since she was just a kid and that talent—that passion—never died down. That love for making art surpassed societal pressures and her own resistances and lo and beyond, she went from “maybe an artist” to an actual, full-fledged, professional artist!

A graphic memoir by one of the first Black cartoonists to be published in The New Yorker, MAYBE AN ARTIST is a sweet and touching tale about following your dreams, through self-doubt and skepticism. Intended to serve as an inspiration to young readers, this fully-colored graphic memoir (only the ARC is black and white) relays the story of Montague’s life from childhood to current adulthood, sharing her encounters with racism, her struggles with dyslexia, and her exasperation with the expectations associated with being a first generation Black suburban schoolgirl.

As a memoir, MAYBE AN ARTIST by @lizatlarge is motivational, if a little self-congratulatory. But why not? Women, especially women of color, are expected to downplay our skills and successes, and it *is* nice to see a young Black artist celebrate the well-deserved recognition she’s been getting! Many thanks to @randomhousestudio and @tbrbeyondtours for my advance reader’s copy! My favorite quotes from the book are below:

🎨 “But things changed the way a day goes to sleep as fall and wakes up as winter. When one leaf on the ground becomes a million leaves.”

🎨 “There’s a whole world out there and I feel like I keep forgetting.”

🎨 “What if I don’t like anything enough to do it forever? I like too many things. What if I choose one thing and it’s the wrong thing so the other things get mad and they take away any fun or talent I had in them?”

🎨 “Every action I took now felt observed, so I began to observe myself.”

🎨 “Sometimes it feels like people already have their minds made up about me before they even know me. Even when they do know me! Like there’s a lens between the real me and whoever it is they think I am.”

🎨 “There are a lot of paths out there beyond this one way of doing things.”

[Maryn Pircio]

Maybe an Artist by Liz Montague is a graphic novel that takes place in a town in New Jersey in the years of 2001 through 2014. The main characters are Liz, Olivia, Rachel, Mom and Dad. Some important features that help best summarize the story are that Liz is dyslexic. She uses art to overcome her struggles and stand out through something she is passionate about. That being, art. And she found the confidence to pursue her love for this talent of hers. Dyslexia may make her goals slightly harder to achieve, her older sisters Olivia and Rachel make her think twice and doubt her artistic abilities. Liz not only has her dyslexia holding her back, her anxiety also puts a big impact on her as well. Lastly, Mom and Dad have high expectations of Liz, and hope for her to be successful just like Olivia and Rachel.











To begin with, I really liked the look of the book because of its cover. Once I began to read, I wasn't a huge fan. I continued to read and soon enough, it became far more enjoyable! The book was very understandable to me, and I could really relate to Liz because I have siblings as well. There were specific parts of the story that stood out to more than others, but I could relate to lots of parts throughout the book. I thought it was really neat how at times she was overwhelmed or had lots of emotion, the drawings are more bold and cluttered with detail. The story was really cool because of how much I seem to have in common with Liz. I don’t have dyslexia. However, her behavior and way of looking at things really is like me! I loved the message displayed throughout the book! In which was the stress of growing up, maturing, and new challenges and changes being made.

[maddie b !]

This graphic memoir was sweet. I read it in 45 minutes, and it was such a good use of my time. The author/illustrator was born a few years before me, but her illustrations followed the major historical events that defined my childhood too - 9/11, war in the middle east, the recession, etc. It was so neat to see a little girl who was just experiencing life while also grappling with deep injustice and fear. Her incessant questioning was all too familiar to me, a want to know deeply and intimately.

There was one part where she finds a book on her sister's shelf and learns about discrimination and gender bias and other societal norms, then she makes a poster that says 'girls rule.'

I saw myself there; I remember making a 'no smoking' sign for my bedroom at seven after learning about the long term health impacts and the environmental consequences. To be clear, no one was smoking in my bedroom. This scene made me remember what it was like to have so little agency, but the ability to create was always present as a way to stake my claim and make my opinion clear.

[Jaclyn Hillis]

“What if I don’t like anything enough to do it forever? I like too many things. What if I choose one thing and it’s the wrong thing so the other things get mad and they take away any fun or talent I had in them?”

Liz was such a relatable character for me. I loved the dyslexia representation and how she figured out what worked for her. She had everything planned out, had such high expectations of herself, and wanted everything to turn out perfectly. But the moral of the story is you can’t live life that way. You don’t always have the answers but you are where you need to be. I needed this message, even as an adult, and I think younger readers will appreciate this as well.

I also appreciated the student athlete side to her story. She went to college on an athletic scholarship (Go Spiders!), because that seemed more practical than art school. It was there she found the inspiration she didn’t know she needed. 💗

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Relatable, deceptively simple graphic memoir. Especially in the emotional/mental health elements it reminded me of ND Stevenson’s, but it also got into race and being one of the few Black kids in a super white town. I think middle schoolers would like it a lot, although I do worry it would really freak them out about high school & college. That said, her story is super inspirational and cool, so I’d def want them to see it, especially kids who think no one like them could, for example, publish New Yorker cartoons.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just a sucker for these coming-of-age comics where the artists are close enough to my age that we bear the same recognizable marks of American childhood. In this case, Liz Montague is a bit younger than me, but I feel like I always carry the weight of growing up during the War on Terror with me.

I hope she does another comic that's an expansion of her section on adulthood. I would really like to see Cartoon Liz move around to the different cities she's lived in and really revel in her growing fame.

[Basha Nachman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Liz Montague’s graphic memoir of navigating the at times monotonous expectations of school, honoring what brings her joy, and building the courage to act on her own desires. Liz’s perspective is thoughtful, critical, and empathetic. Her cartoons are so relatable - especially the series with her dog giving advice. I was and will be rooting for Liz’s career. Can’t wait to read her other books.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really sweet, simple story about growing up and learning how to navigate your identity. Love how sensitive Liz Montague was even as a child to the world around her, and love that she managed to take that empathy and channel it into her art.

[Lilli._.Lemons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book. Kept me hooked, and left me happy.

[Linh]

A delightful little book that contains great drawings and a great story.

[Shana Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Mary T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Enjoyable and quick to read. I like graphic memoirs as a genre. I’ve read ones better than this, but it was still good.