23rd St. Everything in Color: A Love Story

Interrogating her own upbringing in an evangelical community, Stephanie Stalvey weaves a story of faith, alienation, romance and acceptance, in this beautifully painted graphic memoir. Perfect for fans of Blankets by Craig Thompson and Fun Home by Alison Bechdel."Everything was either black or white. Pure or impure."Stephanie grew up in an evangelical community where sin was inescapable, her body was a temptation, and desire was something to be feared. She was convinced that her thoughts couldn't be trusted, therefore obedience was paramount. She was only safe if she believed the "right things" about God.But as she built a life of her own, fell in love with James, and became a mother, the complexities of the human experience became impossible to ignore. Was God truly so exacting and judgmental? Could faith exist without shame? Could love be both passionate and pure? Her connection to James- honest, aching, and sensual- became a safe place for her worldview to expand and grow.Through striking prose and beautiful mixed-media illustrations, Stalvey takes us on an emotional journey of faith, romance, motherhood, and loss. With tenderness and honesty, she unravels the fear and guilt woven into her past, reclaims her sense of self, and shows us how to embrace a love that is healing, transformative, and wholly one's own.