Kay Sohini depicts her experiences emigrating from India to New York in her graphic memoir debut, This Beautiful, Ridiculous City (Ten Speed Graphic, Jan.).
How did you decide to move to New York?
I grew up reading stories about the city—one of my favorite classics is Gatsby. And when I was ready to move, I was in a dark place. So, in an impulsive, emotional moment, I thought, “If there’s one thing that can save me, it’s New York.”
What surprised you the most?
How much of a displacement I didn’t feel. I love diasporan graphic novels like Thi Bui’s The Best We Could Do, and I was expecting similar unwelcome feelings. But none of that came. I was just happy here.
How did you get started in comics?
I always wanted to be a writer, but about four or five years ago I encountered a graphic novel called Unflattening by Nick Sousanis. It started as a dissertation that he wrote at Columbia. I was inspired by that, and miraculously, my mentors let me do a comic for my doctorate.
How did you distinguish India and America visually in the book?
More than people, it’s the vibe of New York City that transcends it all. I needed to capture that by drawing cityscapes, which is incredibly difficult for me. But for Calcutta, apart from one spread of the Victoria Memorial, the scenes are indoors and about interpersonal relationships.
What did you enjoy drawing the most?
Funnily, New York. It was the hardest, but also the most rewarding when it came together.
Why was it important to you to tell this story?
For me, personally, drawing comics is the closest you can get to seeing an overview of your life from a different perspective. It offers distance, even as you’re fully engaging with the subject. I don’t want to make any grand claims about comics, but it’s a medium I love very much, and there’s a unique efficacy in using both words and images to recall an event and conjure it from the depths of your memory, even as it tries to slip away. I knew from the very start that this story had to be visual, because there’s no way I can write certain things.
What do you hope readers get from this book?
For those of us who live in New York and aren’t moneyed, it’s difficult to get by. There’s so much to love about this city, and I wanted to focus on the positives, but with a critical eye, because I didn’t want to downplay the inequality and how difficult it is to live a life here anymore. I hope it still comes across as optimistic.
