Registration is required for this event!

Film, noir literature, and comics combine for a screening & author event at The Drexel Theatre. A screening of the 2015 Todd Haynes film Carol will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a discussion with graphic novel author Grace Ellis (Lumberjanes, Batwoman, Moonstruck). 

Patricia Highsmith was a problematic literary figure with a complicated legacy. Highsmith's positive impact on LGBTQ+ literature, and American literature in general, is unquestionable with novels like The Price of Salt (later retitled Carol), The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Strangers on a Train. On the other side, Highsmith was just as well known for her bigotry, holding harmful beliefs that were racist, anti-Semitic, and misogynistic. Grace Ellis's most recent graphic novel, Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith, critically examines Highsmith's struggles and prejudices while tracking her journey from anonymous comics author through her creative streak to literary icon. From the book's preface, "If you read this book and end up conflicted about Highsmith and her legacy: good."

Grace Ellis will be in conversation with Caitlin McGurk, Associate Curator for Outreach at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, discussing writing in the graphic novel form, Patricia Highsmith's influence on literature, comics, and film, and accurately portraying such a charismatic and problematic figure in Flung Out of Space.