Middle Distance: A Graphic Memoir (Paperback)
$19.99
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Description
This heartfelt graphic memoir takes us through the highs, lows, twists, and turns of the author’s relationship with running, down the long road toward self-acceptance
A charming, heartwarming, and poignant story of running and self-acceptance, Mylo Choy’s Middle Distance combines exertion and introspection in an exploration of the physical body’s connection to the human experience. An exciting graphic addition to a growing field, this sports memoir recounts Mylo’s history with running, and how their love for that famously solitary sport pushed them to grow over time. It explores such themes as the interrelatedness of mind and body, the Buddhism with which Mylo was raised, emotional growth through effort but also repose, and the necessity of carving out space for nuance and acceptance. Concrete narrative scenes contrast with more abstract sequences to convey Mylo’s journeys, both inner and outer, and how these inextricably intertwine. Each of the book’s chapters takes its name from a kind of runner’s training: “The Race,” “Speedwork,” “Rest,” and “The Long Run.” The approachability of comics as a medium, coupled with the relatability of Mylo’s search for self-knowledge, results in an honest, searching work of particular interest to transgender and nonbinary runners.
About the Author
Mylo Choy finds comfort in the spaces between things. As a mixed-race and non-binary person, moving between worlds feels like home to them. Born and raised in Wisconsin, they also developed a strong connection to Hawai'i, where their mother was born and raised. For over 10 years, they were employed in outdoor education, living and working in many places, including Maine and Hawai’i, but mostly between New York City and the woods upstate. They currently live in the Hudson Valley, exploring planting roots in one place for a while. Mylo’s work—ranging from music to graphic stories and comics—uses the inherent tensions of multimedia to bring to life the space they inhabit between worlds. Inspired by nature’s ability to offer peace and perspective, their work is contemplative without being brooding and soothing without being escapist. This is their first full-length graphic novel.
