Pitch Black

In this short graphic novel, acclaimed author Youme joins with Anthony Horton to tell the true story of how Anthony lived and created art underneath the New York City subway system.

"On the subway, do you ever notice that people are always looking, but they only see what they want to?"Anthony Horton asks. A guide, an observer of the many, and resident of the spaces below New York City streets, he's happy to show you how he lives in the tunnels underneath the subway system--that is, if you'll let him show you. Which is exactly what happened when Youme and Anthony began a conversation in the subway about art. It turns out that both Youme and Anthony are artists. While part of Youme's art is listening long and hard to the stories of the people she meets, part of Anthony's job is making art out of what most people won't even look at. Thus began a unique collaboration and conversation between two artists over a year, which culminated in this very graphic novel Pitch Black. With art and words, they map out Anthony's life and world--a tough one from many perspectives, startling and undoing from others. But from Anthony's point of view, it's a life lived as art.

Anthony Horton (1968--2012) was an unhoused artist living underneath New York City. His work can be seen along the tunnel walls in the darkest parts of the transit system. Anthony met Youme some years ago and together they embarked on a journey to bring Pitch Black to light.

Youme grew up loving stories. She has lived and worked as a community artist in New York, New Haven, Miami, Woods Hole, San Francisco, Kenya, Japan, Lao P.D.R., Vietnam, St. John, U.S.V.I., Haiti, and Cuba. Youme's books include Selavi (That Is Life): A Haitian Story of Hope, Mali Under the Night Sky: A Lao Story of Home, and Pitch Black with Anthony Horton. She is drawn to stories of survival and champions for social justice. Youme lives in an ever-changing location with her partner and their two children.