Wash Day Diaries - Softcover

Rowser, Jamila; Smith, Robyn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1797205455 ISBN 13: 9781797205458

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2022

Synopsis

From writer Jamila Rowser and artist Robyn Smith comes a captivating graphic novel about the daily lives of four best friends in the Bronx, told through five interlocking short stories. “Wash Day” follows Kim through the quiet self-care rituals of her wash day―the universal experience shared by Black women of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of hair care. “Group Chat” sees Tanisha filling her many hours at the salon by texting her friends all her latest gossip. “Bright Side” is a quiet portrait of Davene missing a hair appointment as she struggles with her mental health and gets well-meaning, but misguided support from Cookie. In “La Bendición,” Cookie receives an unexpected request from her estranged abuela and heals a family rift during a tender moment of hair care. “Ride or Die” takes place on Saturday night, when the girls have each other’s backs as they head triumphantly to the club for Kim’s big show. Inspired by her own wash day ritual and a desire to see more comics for and by women of color, Jamila Rowser collaborated with Robyn Smith to create the critically acclaimed mini comic, WASH DAY. In expanding the story of Kim and her friends, the authors pay tribute to Black sisterhood through portraits of shared, yet deeply personal experiences of Black hair care. Smith brings these stories to life in her art through thoughtful color choices, expressive storytelling, and deeply real characters. Full of tender, relatable, and laugh out loud funny moments, the stories of WASH DAY DIARIES pay a loving tribute to the beauty and resilience of Black women’s hair and friendships.

About this title

About the Author

Jamila Rowser is a Black, Puerto Rican, and Dominican award-winning writer who enjoys creating comics for Black women. She also publishes comics by and for women of color and non-binary people of color through Black Josei Press. Jamila was featured, along with Robyn Smith, in Adweek's 2021 Creative 100 as a creator to follow. Jamila lives in Miami but reps the Bronx. You can find her detangling her hair, reading manga, and doting on her two cats Sage and Sapphire. Robyn Smith is a Jamaican cartoonist known for illustrating DC Comics' Nubia: Real One (written by L.L. McKinney) and her mini-comic The Saddest Angriest Black Girl in Town . She has an MFA from the Center for Cartoon Studies and has worked on comics for College Humor and The Nib. She loves cake and cats and holds onto dreams of returning home to the ocean.

From the Back Cover

From writer Jamila Rowser and artist Robyn Smith comes a captivating graphic novel about the daily lives of four best friends in the Bronx, told through five interlocking short stories. ôWash Dayö follows Kim through the quiet self-care rituals of her wash dayùthe universal experience shared by Black women of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of hair care. ôGroup Chatö sees Tanisha filling her many hours at the salon by texting her friends all her latest gossip. ôBright Sideö is a quiet portrait of Davene missing a hair appointment as she struggles with her mental health and gets well-meaning, but misguided support from Cookie. In ôLa Bendici¾n,ö Cookie receives an unexpected request from her estranged abuela and heals a family rift during a tender moment of hair care. ôRide or Dieö takes place on Saturday night, when the girls have each otherÆs backs as they head triumphantly to the club for KimÆs big show.

Edition details

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1797205455
• ISBN 13: 9781797205458
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160