Oct 21st, a Halting Talk on "My Degeneration" at Providence Hospital

I will be giving a halting, slurred speech about my book-length comic "My Degeneration" this Saturday, October 21st at the Adaptive Abilities Fair put on by the local MS organization. My talk begins at 10:00 am and goes for about an hour, including the Q&A at the end. I will have a number of books available for you to pick up, thumb through, put down, then pick up again and finally buy. And yes I will be happy to deface their crisp, clean pages with my damn near illegible signature. The venue is the Providence Health Park, 3851 Piper St., Tower U Rms 2281 & 2285

Dispatch From the Comics and Medicine Conference in Seattle

Hello all, just got back from the Comics and Medicine conference in Seattle. It was a good opportunity to meet people who have been instrumental in the success "My Degeneration" has met with, especially MK Cizerwiec, who has been a tireless, enthusiastic, and influential friend of the book, Kendra Boileau, who was the editor I worked with most, Susan Squier, who was the series editor, and Ian Williams, who gave early encouragement. Thanks again to all four.

The conference was a great chance to meet other figures from the small-but-growing world of Graphic Medicine, and see the work of other practitioners in the field. Among the many people I met were Brian Fies, author of "Mom's Cancer", Michael Green, co-author of "The Graphic Medicine Manifesto" and Dana Walrath, who wrote "Aliceheimers".

My favorite part of the conference was talking to the many professors who are actually teaching "My Degeneration". I lost count after six (following the principle of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, many) but it was fun to hear what students, both undergraduates and those from medical school, made of the work.

The most surprising thing to come out of the trip was to find out that Dr. Michael Green is doing a study on the effect of Graphic Medicine on doctors, caregivers and patients, and he chose "My Degeneration" as the text to be tested! I asked what criteria drove the choice, and among the factors were, I got the medicine and science right, that the story itself wasn't too frightening for patients, that I gave specific tips for coping and that they had many patients available as there is a PD center at his hospital.

If I understand correctly, the methodology was first to interview the three different groups about their attitudes toward Parkinson's Disease and those that have it. Then the participants read the book and redo the same interview as before their exposure to the book. They are now analyzing the responses and have agreed to loop me in on the results, which I will be glad to share here when they are available. (Provided, of course the result reflects well on the book. If not I will bury them so deep they will molder away in the dark, lost to the ages, until they become unrecognizable to man or beast. But I am confidant such measures will be unnecessary.) So stay tuned for further exciting developments!

And finally, a big fat thank-you to my friends, relatives and Whitman buddies who came out to support the sale and book signing, with extra laurels for Sue Skillman and Phil Fenner for putting me up, and putting up with me!

My Degeneration" Featured in Thoughtful Alaska News Dispatch Article by Mike Dunham (Cross post from Frozen Grin)

A perceptive and thoughtful article from Mike Dunham appeared in the Alaska News Dispatch on "My Degeneration" putting it into the larger context of the Graphic Medicine genre. The article yielded the following "... the book presents much of the trauma in the garb of absurd humor. Dunlap-Shohl devotes several panels to recounting how nervous or insensitive doctors broke bad news to patients. Some of their manners were so crude that they seem drawn from the sad, wicked comedy of Vonnegut or Balzac." To which I can only say "Thank you". 

(Worries to self about raising expectations sky-high, then remembers, Mike likely the only living person in Western Hemisphere to have read any Balzac.)

Book Launch for "My Degeneration" Tonight!

One night only! Laughter, tears, tremors, ogres, true love, software, life's bitter realities and moments of transcendence, all in one laff-riot, tear-fest, a wrenching roar of the imagination, a cold, hard look at reality, the "My Degeneration" book launch at blue.hollomon gallery is tonight! 6:00 to 8:00at the Olympic center, a Zamarello mall near you, 36th and Arctic Boulevard to be exact. And yes, I will personalize your copy working boldly, without spell-check. Please come, see you there!

Review Round-Up, What Critcs say about "My Degeneration" (Updated 4/9)

Here is a brief collection of snippets from the reviews that I have seen so far of my new memoir, "My Degeneration"

In a piece that appeared in The Alaska Dispatch News Sunday magazine,
Nancy Lord, former Writer Laureate of Alaska called "My Degeneration "an astounding work in the form of a graphic narrative that documents — in a formidable blend of intellect, emotion and humor — the experience of living with Parkinson’s."

Mike Dunham, veteran arts reporter for of The Alaska Dispatch News set the tone early, writing "Informative, poignant, funny and deeply engrossing, the 96-page full-color book is the most entertaining volume by an Alaskan author to cross my desk in some time."

"Publisher's Weekly"weighed in soon after with this: "Editorial cartoonist Dunlap-Shohl (formerly of Anchorage Daily News) takes a frank look at his battle to live with the specter of Parkinson's disease in this emotionally resonant memoir"

Next, in a surprise move, Science called it "a model of how to fill a particular niche" in a double review with another book from Penn State's "Graphic Medicine" series, Aneurin Wright's "Things to Do in a Retirement Home Trailer Park When You're Twenty nine and Unemployed."

Reviewers on Amazon have been exceedingly kind. Out of 14 reviews so far, all (even the one from my cousin Jon) have awarded "My  Degeneration" five out of five stars. Comments from Amazon reviewers include :

***** "It must become one of the first things a physician gives a newly diagnosed patient to read. It's that good."

***** "This book blew me away."

***** "It is devastating yet fascinating. A must read."

***** "This is a beautiful book"

***** "I will keep this book in my office and read it and re-read it as well as recommend it to everyone I know."

***** "It is impossible to over-praise this book's importance in placing this despicable disease in context and/or for it's clarity of explanatory information


***** "I think we would have to go back to Oliver Sacks' "Awakenings" to find an investigation of PD with similar investigative prowess and narrative power."

In a starred review, Library Journal really liked the art (I think) "His deliberately scrabbly brown/green art—now done on computer, owing to motor control issues—fittingly captures his ten years of PD–invaded life as well as his wildly imaginative visions of punching out a personified Parkinson’s, visits from a “spandex angel” who preaches physical fitness, and how coping with PD is akin to fighting Moby Dick.   

The Brooklyn Rail reviewed  the book as part of a package with other volumes in the Penn State Press Graphic Medicine series. Reviewer Taney Roniger remarked " In My Degeneration, ... Peter Dunlap-Shohl’s beautifully moving account of his journey through Parkinson’s, the disease’s harrowing and often bizarre symptoms are rendered with such warmth and wit that the reader stays intimately engaged."

Foreword Reviews  had the following take "“My Degeneration opens up a powerful new purpose for comics—as an effective tool to educate doctors, patients, and others about both the clinical and the personal sides of living with a disease. This book should be required reading for any specialist.” " 




 

Alaska Book Signings, Nov, 14, December 2

Alaskans will have two chances to get their copy of "My Degeneration" in the coming weeks. I'll be giving a talk on "The making of My Degeneration" and signing copies at 4:00 pm on the 14th of November at Fireside Books in Palmer. The next opportunity will be December 2 at blue.hollomon gallery where we plan an evening event with a boatload of books. More details as they emerge. The only store in town that plans to carry the book that I know of is Bosco's (Bless you, John Weddleton). This seems a shame, as it was called "the most entertaining volume by an Alaskan author to cross my desk in some time." by longtime Alaska Dispatch Arts reporter Mike Dunham in a recent Artbeat column.

"My Degeneration" My book About Coping With Parkinson's Disease is Now Available

My advance copy of "My Degeneration"

Finally, after what seems like, and actually was years in the making, The Penn State University Press has released my "graphic narrative" of what it's like to be forced to deal with Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease. What's more, you can order it at a sale price right now. I hope that this book will be a comfort and inspiration to my fellow people with Parkinson's. And I hope it will be a provocation to consider how best to respond to this indefatigable disease that affects all parts of life as well.

So please read it and let me know what you think. Otherwise I'll be forced to rely on the words of people like Bill Bell, co-founder of the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, who was kind enough to write “Peter Dunlap-Shohl once again brings his unique art to the table to help educate, illustrate, and demonstrate life, hope, and strength on his journey with Parkinson’s. Creative and insightful, this book reflects all of Pete’s greatest qualities, including his constant work to help and educate all those in the PD community, patients and care partners alike.” Or Tom Kizzia, Author of the riveting "Pilgrim's Wilderness" who had this to say “The world made fresh by a Parkinson’s patient with a wonderfully sensitive and cocked eye. He tells the tale of his fast-changing reality with compassion and wicked humor, leaping from one crazily inventive work of art to the next. Never more acute than when examining his own mind-set, Peter Dunlap-Shohl leads us from diagnosis and despair to the high ground where he could compose this lucid, moving book. A miracle, in a way—and a triumph.” Heck, you could read this book for the blurbs alone!

As far as I can tell, this is the only book of its kind on Parkinson's available in the known universe. Here is a sample page from the second chapter "Learning to speak Parkinson's "

Book News, Advance Copies of "My Degeneration" Surface

It's almost here! The first advance copies of my book chronicling my effort to deal with Young Onset Parkinson arrived yesterday at my publisher's office at Penn State University. Below, is a photo giving a bit of the flavor of the book. It should be available in early November. Information on ordering here

"My Degeneration" Festinates a Step Closer to Publication

OK, show of hands, what is the difference between the two pages below, excerpted from the manuscript of my forthcoming book about living with young-onset Parkinson's Disease?        

The top is the way the page looked when I thought it was finished. The bottom is the way the page looks after encountering orthographic ninja Laura Reed-Morrisson, copy editor for Penn State University Press.

Laura lopped an apostrophe off the slang contraction "Didja" (Second panel) and plucked the extra "L" from "Skillful"  (Bottom of page). So, big deal, I made a couple small errors. What's the point? This: those little errors can quickly add up in the reader's mind to doubt about the author's credibility. As the little mistakes pile on, you eventually reach the dreaded tipping point, where the reader decides that if you are incapable of writing simple English, you certainly are not mentally equipped to plumb the murky depths and infernal complexities of neurology.

Laura found similar little errors on at least 25 pages of the manuscript. That's 25 pages I had been over countless times, looking for these kinds of problems. And it was more than just usage or spelling questions. She also caught continuity problems in the drawings (a sequence in which I left a tone out of a drawing resulting in prematurely gray hair for three panels, after which it mysteriously reverted to  my normal reddish-brown,) and a misquote of Henry David Thoreau, as well,  (it's "I have travelled a good deal in Concord," not "I have travelled extensively in Concord.") And if you are worried about the spelling of "travelled" with two of the letter "l," relax. Laura found precedent in editions of Thoreau out of both Yale and Cambridge.

Just to spice things up, my copy of Photoshop became mildly hysterical, and decided I could not save documents under the same name name once they had been edited. It would protest "Cannot save. This document was left open or is being used by another program" when the file in question clearly was not in play. So I was forced to save the document under a different name, then go to the directory where the file was, and change it back to the original name. Some of the changes did not  survive this cumbersome process and had to be redone. To complicate things further, our page numbers were skewed by one page due to the addition of a table of contents late in the game, Laura was working with the table of contents as page one, while my page one was the first page of the actual story. So I would have to correct the numbers as we went. This is a recipe for disaster, or at least feelings of rage and frustration.

Laura never cracked. Her emails were invariably clear, good-humored, polite and exquisitely patient. The book will be substantially more... substantial, thanks to her sharp eyes and disciplined brain. If I sound a little awe-struck, it's only because I am.

"My Degeneration" a Memoir About Living With Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease

After four years of wandering in the desert, burnt by the Sun, frozen by night, chapped from the wind, infested with sand flies, dazed with heatstroke, faint with hunger, dejected, rejected, demoralized, but nevertheless, oddly optimistic, I seem to have landed a publisher for my graphic-novel style account of my confrontation with young-onset Parkinson's Disease.

The hope is that many who would be intimidated or otherwise disinclined to learn about Parkinson's will find this an alternate way into this complex and destructive disease. I especially wish this to be a comfort to the newly diagnosed, something that can offer credible hope. The initial manuscript has undergone massive renovation to fit comfortably in a series of books that Penn State Press is undertaking on medical comics, created by patients, doctors, nurses etc. on the sensible theory that comics offer a powerful lens to examine the relationships between doctors, patients, disease and how it all plays out in the larger context of community and society.

The plan is to bring out the book, entitled "My Degeneration", this coming fall. Here are a couple of pages. The first is from a section on Parkinson's terminology, the second is from a description of Deep Brain Stimulation, a surgical intervention for Parkinson's Disease as well as several other neurological disorders.