Emitown: A Sketch Diary

In Emitown, Lenox provides a whimsical illustrated account of a year in her life, joining the growing legion of 20-something female cartoonist autobiographers (Julia Wertz, Erica Moen, and many others). Living in Portland, Ore., and dreaming of a career in comics, Lenox chronicles nights out drinking, her love of her pets, the tedium of her day job, and her social set's adventures around the Northwest. While based in day-to-day reality, Lenox's world is also populated by a fantasy army of cats and the superhero Ocean Girl, both helping her navigate emotionally difficult territory. Song lyrics swirl through the pages, and each month begins with a playlist informing readers of their origins. The pages are emotionally revealing, but mercifully circumspect when it comes to the author's romantic life; in the age of the tell-all, Lenox keeps much to herself. As likable as it all is, at over 400 pages it's way too much minutiae, and the days become repetitive despite Lenox's considerable talents as an artist. But her struggle to escape a desk job for creative fulfillment will ring true to many people who have survived their 20s. (Jan.)