Voices That Count

 

Publication date: June 14, 2022, Almudena Grandes

My Thoughts:

This anthology by female writers and illustrators is not American, so it is a little different, but what readers will see is that the feminist position in society, the lived experiences of females are equally inequitable around the world. 

Saying that, what I enjoy about non-American anthologies by women about women is that they seem more hopeful and progressive. The heaviness of the American/Puritan/Conservative lens is exfoliated off of this anthology and it feels somehow more hopeful. I'm actually curious about this view of America-produced literature, especially contemporary literature or what I consider post-canonical literature, even #ownvoices literature as racialized imaginatives. I'm going to have to read more and think further on this, but this anthology opened up the questions around what makes American-produced literature, even comics, more racialized than international ones. I am hoping that the answer is not as simple as a mirror and window (thanks to Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop) to American society. I believe there is more to this.

I understand that this little divergence has nothing to do with this book, but here are the questions from this book. What does it mean to be a female in Spain? What does women supporting women look like in Barcelona? Read this book. Especially, read the love letters to each other that are provided by the authors to illustrators and illustrators to authors in the back material. Enjoy that the writing styles and art styles are as different from each other as female body types. 

From the Publisher: 

Brought to life by a host of talented creators, this graphic novel anthology dissects what it means to be a woman in today’s hyper-masculine world.

VOICES THAT COUNT is a collection of short comics that celebrates women. Printed in English for the first time, this Spanish collection highlights and uplifts women’s voices, collecting their stories of life, love, and empowerment. Interacting with everything from the realities of gender imbalance in the workplace—through a gender-flipped lens—to toxic beauty standards taking a toll on the body image of young girls, VOICES THAT COUNT gives women a space to recount their struggles and triumphs.

In the words of artist Ada Diez, “This comic shows the importance of an unconditionally supportive family environment, the necessity of the right educational groundwork as a feminist principle, and the key to fight for your dreams—understanding the importance of an individual’s independence, forgetting what’s been established by gender rules.”

This inspiring and thought-provoking volume collects nine stories from some of Spain’s best and brightest female authors and illustrators.

“Julio”, por Julia Otero (Julia en la Onda) y Ada Diez (Hits With Tits)
“24 horas”, por Lola García (La Vanguardia) y Agustina Guerrero (La Volátil)
“El bicho”, por Diana López Varela (No es país para coños) y Akira Pantsu (Planeta Manga)
“Auctoritas”, por Estefanía Molina (La Sexta Noche, Al rojo vivo) y Ana Oncina (Los f*cking 30)
“Soledad”, por Eva Amaral (Pájaros en la cabeza) y María Hesse (Frida Kahlo, Bowie, El placer)
“Más mujer”, por Leticia Dolera (Morder la manzana) y Raquel Riba Rossy (Lola Vendetta)
“Pasos de tortuga”, de Sandra Sabatés (El intermedio) y Sandra Cardona (Bouillon)
“Por una falda de plátanos”, de Almudena Grandes (Los besos en el pan) y Sara Herranz (La persona incorrecta)
“Mzungu”, de Patricia Campos (Tierra, mar y aire) y Sara Soler (En la oscuridad)