Review
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"Young punk artist Davis experiences minor thoughts of
dissatisfaction that gain an unfortunate hold in her psyche,
eventually transforming into a full-blown eating disorder
threatening to consume her. Gia, a groovy friend dealing with her
own addictive struggles, refuses to allow Davis to wallow in
misery, ultimately getting her in contact with the group
Overeaters Anonymous (OA). Davis’s inner punk feels that OA is a
betrayal of her basic operating principles. She doesn’t like the
idea of surrendering herself to conventional spiritual forces,
but she forges ahead with the group, incorporating her own DIY
twists. After a while, she begins to stabilize and develops an
incredible new relationship, but every step toward regaining
normalcy creates prime situations for the doubts of addiction to
haunt her. Both Davis’s story and the fantastic illustrations
from Kettner (podcaster, Adult C) are compelling, funny,
occasionally heartbreaking, and full of genuine hope in ways that
most graphic memoirs never achieve artistically. Verdict: A
beautifully realized biographical comic that tackles a tough
subject head-on while offering no easy answers or stultifying
platitudes. With omb, this work gives voice to humane,
body-positive sincerity, capturing a condition that affects many.
Don’t miss this one."
—Library Journal Starred Review
“In Ink in Water, Lacy Davis and Jim Kettner tell a cautionary
tale of how little armor punk-feminist politics provide against a
self-destroying eating disorder...when those politics are not
underpinned by truly knowing one’s own strength. For Lacy, it
took a long, dark passage through feeling completely
powerless—over herself and over her disease—and then, with the
help of two crucial relationships, finding her own power deep
inside to make her way out again. Kettner’s fluid, expressive,
energetic artwork is a perfect vehicle for this journey: he draws
Lacy’s pain—and her power—into every line in the book.”
—Jessica Abel, author of Growing Gills, Out on the Wire, La
Perdida, Trish T, and coauthor of Drawing Words and Writing
Pictures
“Ink in Water is the candid and harrowing story of how young
punk-feminist Lacy Davis won her life back from the jaws of an
eating disorder. Artist Jim Kettner imbues each page with rich
graytones, beautiful compositions, and characters so vivid, you
could swear they were breathing. I recommend this to anyone with
a body. It is a brave, beautiful, and important book.”
—Nicole J. Georges, author of the graphic novels Calling Dr.
Laura and Fetch
“Lacy Davis’s candid writing style pulls you right into her
personal journey. Kettner uses the comics medium beautifully to
amplify Davis’s powerful story. Davis and Kettner don’t sugarcoat
the serious effects of the eating disorder, yet manage to make
the story very enjoyable to read. I read the entire book in one
sitting. Ink in Water would give hope to anyone who is struggling
with his or her inner demon.”
—Robin Ha, author and illustrator for the New York Times
bestseller, Cook Korean!
“Lacy Davis and Jim Kettner are newcomers to the graphic novel
scene, but Ink in Water will definitely make them a household
name. An incredibly important, extremely relatable memoir about
learning to love the hardest person of all: yourself.”
—Liz Prince, author of Tomboy, Alone Forever, and Will You Still
Love Me If I Wet The Bed
“Propelled by Davis’s sassy, confident voice and Kettner’s
energetic art, Ink in Water is a brave comic memoir of self-help
and recovery. An uplifting true story, Ink in Water takes the
reader through Davis’s harrowing struggle with eating disorders
and out the other side to where ‘hope spreads too.’ Ink in Water
is about many things:punk rock mixtapes, vegan milkshakes, locked
doors, 12-step meetings, and ‘putting your faith in something
that doesn’t totally make sense.’ And it’s an adorable love
story, told by an extraordinary husband-and-wife creative team.”
—Josh Neufeld, writer/artist of A.D.: New Orleans After the
Deluge
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About the Author
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Lacy J. Davis is a coach, public speaker, podcaster (Flex Your
Heart Radio and Adult C), writer (superstrength.com),
eating disorder recovery spet, body love advocate, and
artist. She has spoken about body image and eating disorder
recovery for Fit and Feminist, The Full Helping, KATU Channel Two
News, AM Northwest, Driftwood Magazine, and Vida Vegan Con.
Jim Kettner is a cartoonist, writer, illustrator, and podcaster
(Adult C and Galaktacus). His work has been featured in SF
Weekly, Razorcake, Travel Portland, Driftwood Magazine, and As
You Were: A Punk Comix Anthology.
Both Davis and Kettner reside in Portland, OR
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