I Never Promised You a Rose Garden [Hardcover]

Mannie Murphy is a gender queer Portland native. This work of graphic nonfiction, told in the style of an illustrated diary, begins as an affectionate reminiscence of the authors 1990s teenage infatuation with the late actor River Phoenix but morphs into a remarkable, sprawling account of the city of Portland and state of Oregon's dark history of white nationalism. Murphy details the relationship between white supremacist Tom Metzger (former KKK Grand Wizard and founder of the White Aryan Resistance) and the Rose City street kids like Ken Death that infiltrated Van Sant's films -- a relationship that culminates in an infamous episode ofIn this graphic novel, what begins as an affectionate reminiscence of the authors 1990s teenage infatuation with the late actor River Phoenix morphs into a remarkable, sprawling account of the city of Portland and state of Oregon's dark history of white nationalism. Reading occasionally like true crime and raising provocative questions about masculinity, power, and art, this unique graphic novel critically examines queer cinema and pokes holes in the rosy, naive view of the Pacific Northwest as a progressive stronghold. This stunning and original debut graphic novel weaves Portland, Oregons not-often-talked-about history of white nationalism, masculinity and hate with reminiscences of 1990s alt-culture, queerness and power. Murphy's piercing debut grants a sobering reflection on the depth and deadliness of American intolerance. This crucial, original work relates a local history with candor and insight and is a gem not to be missed. It uses the book's complete form  its sensitive art, its skilled storytelling, its mistakes and indie structure  to capture a dark tale of youth via the observations of a wise narrator recalling what happened both as an adult now and, uniquely, as a kid when it went down. The books visual style is stunning and just spot-on in conveying the gloomy menace of Murphys world. This is the work of anl³+