Field Notes: Coming-of-Age Comics and Tales of Rural Resistance

Field Notes: Coming-of-Age Comics and Tales of Rural Resistance features short stories inspired by real rural teens from around the U.S. Each story takes place in a different rural setting spanning from the Appalachian mountains to the deserts of the Southwest. Each story features rural teens who have one thing in common: they have parts of their identity which may not fit the stereotype of a rural person. Each story dives into new characters' lives, providing vivid details as to how their rural place shapes their decision-making, their relationships, and their identities. The book's stories feel authentic because they are they are inspired by real events and real people. This YA short story collection will have immense reach among younger teens today, starting as young as middle school. FIELD NOTES will bring a lighthearted way to understand and cope with difficult situations many high schoolers-especially those who are queer and/or BIPOC - may face. However, this reach isn't limited as the multi-chapter anthology has a diverse cast. Everyone may feel represented in this anthology, which is where its strengths lie, to reach a broad audience in the realm of graphic fiction as well as young adult literature.

Dr. Layne Elise Ilderton is a former secondary teacher and current rural literacy researcher. Findings of her full-length studies on writing apprehension have been published in academic journals and disseminated at conferences, and her written experiences from the rural classroom have also been published in academic journals. She is the editor and creator of ruralcore, a small-print literary magazine which led to the publication of her full-length chapter book of the same name. Her favorite thing in the world is to read rural student writing, preferably while sitting in a beautiful, rural place. Celso Ricardo is a Brazilian comic book artist and illustrator. Heavily influenced by the works of John Buscema, Mark Bagley, and Mike Deodato Jr., he decided to study comics and painting in Paraba. In 2008, he began working professionally at Rascunho Studio. Today he is an independent artist working on covers, illustrations, and of course, sequential pages. Lucas Dorado (colorist) known online as @goldn_arts is a Spanish self-taught digital artist and illustrator who likes to experiment with different styles, usually focusing on retro and vintage related work, and influenced by artists as Hiroshi Nagai, Hisao Kawada, Mike Mignola, David Mazzucchelli, Edward Hopper and Frank Miller. He is an independent artist who works on covers, illustrations, and posters.