Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Shame

An intimate, clever, and ultimately gut-wrenching graphic memoir about the daily decision people must make between being sexualized or being invisible--now in paperback

In Commute, we follow author and illustrator Erin Williams on her daily commute to and from work, punctuated by recollections of sexual encounters as well as memories of her battle with alcoholism, addiction, and recovery. As she moves through the world navigating banal, familiar, and sometimes uncomfortable interactions with the familiar-faced strangers she sees daily, Williams weaves together a riveting collection of flashbacks.

Williams recollections highlight the indefinable moments when lines are crossed and a woman must ask herself if the only way to avoid being objectified is to simply cease drawing any attention to her physical being. She delves into the gray space that lives between consent and assault and tenderly explores the complexity of the shame, guilt, vulnerability, and responsibility attached to both.

Praise for Commute
"This sharp and splendidly drawn memoir will strike a strong chord in the current moment. " --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"One day's commute offers time for the author to reflect on sexual predators, alcoholism, and the experiences she understands better now than she did at the time. . . . A catharsis for the author that fits perfectly within a pivotal period for society and culture at large." --Kirkus Reviews
"This is welcoming, soul-baring, stunningly interconnected, and very discussable." --Booklist


About the Author

ERIN WILLIAMS is the author and illustrator of What's Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine and the coauthor and illustrator of How to Take Care and the Big Activity Book series. She teaches art and writing in New York.