Something, Not Nothing: A Story of Grief and Love

Sifting through a kaleidoscope of memories and emotions, Leavitt (Tangles) presents a haunting comics diary of her grief following the death of her longtime partner, Donimo, in 2020. After suffering years of constant, severe pain due to many chronic conditions, Donimo chose to end her life with medical assistance at age 54. “After she died,” a bereft Leavitt writes, “I continued living, which surprised me.” The earliest pages feature inchoate thoughts and unfinished questions (“How did she”; “How did we”) and inky lines. Over the following months, Leavitt pours out her heartbreak and anger—with occasional glimmers of hope bubbling up (“I’ve been grateful for the quiet”). Two years on, she moves to contextualize Donimo’s death: “Both of us began our solitary journeys to lands neither of us knew about.” Leavitt’s drawings depict her emotional upheaval with poetic grace, in imagery ranging from abstract black-and-white to warm colors and recognizable figures during moments of serenity and acceptance. This unflinching chronicle offers readers who have experienced loss a sense of catharsis and solace. Agent: Samantha Haywood, Transatlantic. (Sept.)