I Read Comic Books discussion

What did you think of Kabi Nagata's My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness? Do you think you'll read the follow up series, My Solo Exchange Diary?

As always, this thread is FULL SPOILERS for this book!

If it's ok to read your comments on the show, please include "OK TO AIR" in your post!

IRCB will be recording an episode for this month's BotM on April 25th so make sure to get your comments in before then to have them read in the episode.

Hi! Got a copy from the local library.

I liked how it portrays her own mental illness, her needs and how she struggles with them. It felt like a very raw testimony. I wonder if there are other mangas depicting mental health in Japan like this?

I just missed a slower pace maybe, to know how she got to the starting point, and some parts felt a bit rushed.

I’m not sure if I will read the second part...Let’s see how the discussion goes!

"OK TO AIR"

This one genuinely caught me off guard. I had no expectations going in, but I wasn't ready for one of the most brutally honest and open books I've ever read. I feel like the title might be a little click-bait-y based on how the bulk of this book actually plays out, but it's also not dishonest. She is lonely and she is a lesbian, fair, but she's also a person grappling with mental health issues and seemingly no support, professional or personal, for years.

To call a book "brave" feels over the top in most instances, but there is a level of bravery in putting your most embarrassing and personal details in a book that unequivocally addresses your mental health and struggles. To say 'I don't care what other say and how my family feels' is a pretty big step and victory for anyone, but Nagata spent so many years utterly frozen in place & time over her parents approval that this is a momentous victory.

I think the thing that really sold me on this book is that we see these little victories that help Kabi move her life forward and, especially near the end, she really points out the epiphanies she has about herself. We can follow her logic as, on a personal level, she starts to unlock some of the mundane societal norms that many of us take for granted. Seeing her overcome the arrested development that was slowly killing her is both compelling and encouraging. I'll pick up the next installment to see how her life is going as now I'm genuinely rooting for her!

I'm in the middle of reading (took my library some time to get the book available) but wanted to add some thoughts before the recording deadline. :) I totally agree with Nora and Adam that it's a raw and unflinching memoir, and that kind of vulnerability takes quite a bit of courage to publish. I expected this book to be grounded in a romantic relationship, but clearly the 'love story' is between Nagata and herself. There were times when I wished Nagata showed us her situation through more of a narrative, but overall her honesty is what makes it so compelling. (I was surprised that Nagata mentioned a therapist once but - so far, since I haven't finished it - she didn't get into what caused her to seek out therapy and if it was helping her at all.) I think this will deeply resonate with folks who have gone through similar experiences with eating disorders, mental illness, and loneliness, as we don't talk about them as openly as we should (and to your point Nora, I'm not sure if Japanese culture is any more open). I've found that many queer memoirs are similar in this theme. Ok to air!

Episode 283 | Goodreads Book of the Month – My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness