Jason Lutes, the artist who created Berlin, a graphic novel that shows a German city's devolution in fascism, will be at the ArtsXchange in St. Petersburg this afternoon. He'll give an artist talk and sign copies of his book.
The book, a thick, hardbound, graphic novel, engages in a way different from a text novel. According to Alsace Walentine, who sent out a press release on behalf of her bookstore Tombolo Books (who, along with the ArtsXchange and The Florida Holocaust Museum, is sponsoring the event), "The experience of 'reading' pictures along with reading text, slows your cadence and your speed, while activating a different part of your brain. If you're not familiar with reading comics or graphic novels the experience is dramatic. It's not like looking at an illustrated picture book because the panels are little snapshots of action and the unseen action that may occur between two panels while guided by the author, is filled in uniquely by your imagination."
While we haven't read Berlin in its entirety, we did have the opportunity to page through it. It's a massive thing to unpack, and we imagine Lutes's talk will help with just that.
While you're at the ArtsXchange, too, take a look at Julie Torres' Water Wars art exhibit.
Jason Lutes at the ArtsXchange, 525 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg | Nov. 18: 3-5 p.m. | Want a copy of the book? Hit up the sponsoring bookstore, Tombolo books | Never miss a Tampa Bay event — sign up for Creative Loafing's weekly Do This newsletter
