Cancer Vixen: A True Story - Rilegato

Marchetto, Marisa Acocella

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0307263576 ISBN 13: 9780307263575

Casa editrice: Knopf, 2006

Riassunto

“What happens when a shoe-crazy, lipstick-obsessed, wine-swilling, pasta-slurping, fashion-fanatic, single-forever, about-to-get-married big-city girl cartoonist with a fabulous life finds . . . a lump in her breast?” That’s the question that sets this powerful, funny, and poignant graphic memoir in motion. In vivid color and with a taboo-breaking sense of humor, Marisa Acocella Marchetto tells the story of her eleven-month, ultimately triumphant bout with breast cancer—from diagnosis to cure, and every challenging step in between.

But Cancer Vixen is about more than surviving an illness. It is a portrait of one woman’s supercharged life in Manhattan, and a wonderful love story. Marisa, self-described “terminal bachelorette,” meets her Prince Charming in Silvano, owner of the chic downtown restaurant Da Silvano. Three weeks before their wedding, she receives her diagnosis. She wonders: How will he react to this news? How will my world change? Will I even survive? And . . . what about my hair?

From raucous New Yorker staff lunches and the star-studded crowd at Silvano’s restaurant to the rainbow pumps Marisa wears to chemotherapy, Cancer Vixen is a total original. Marisa’s wit and courage are an inspiration—she’s a cancer vixen, not its victim.

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“There’s emotion, fear and vulnerability in [Cancer Vixen]. Plus almost a step-by-step guide to cancer diagnosis, surgery and treatment. But above all, for any cancer patient male or female, there’s hope and optimism.” –Terry England, Santa Fe New Mexican“Marisa Acocella Marchetto had the last laugh on her cancer. The New York-based cartoonist turned the disease on its head, by transforming her own battle with breast cancer into a big fat comic book, Cancer Vixen. The emphasis is on ‘comic’ . . . Marchetto’s goal was not, of course, to make light of or diminish the severity of the disease or her own condition, but to bring her seemingly boundless spirit into the healing process. It worked. Not only is her cancer in remission, but Cancer Vixen has become a publishing hit . . . This is triply good because she’s donating part of the proceeds from the book to breast care for underprivileged women.”–Alan Bisbort, Republican-American“Your remarkable book illustrates how the power of humor can transform a serious life event into an opportunity for personal growth as well as preservation of health. And it is just plain funny too: Congratulations on a terrific work of art that is as wise as it is witty. I will be recommending it widely.” –Dr. Larry Norton, Chair of Clinical Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center“One of the powerful revelations of Cancer Vixen is [that] cancer isn’t just an individual diagnosis; it has a social dimension that can affect patients as much as the therapies they choose . . . Marchetto gives us a vibrant, neon chronicle of her fears, her search for understanding and her efforts to cope with a diagnosis that arrives as she’s planning her wedding. Oh, and there’s plenty of attitude . . . A triumph of imagination and spirit.” –Nick Owchar, Los Angeles Times “‘I didn’t just want to write about cancer,’ [Marchetto] says . . . What you realize, when you read the book, is that what she writes about, in the end, is life–which in some cases includes cancer–and it becomes the story of how one woman’s life was changed by her experience. [There are] wonderful visual images in the book [that] are funny and heartwarming and sad and lovely, and they make you think. In addition, the book functions as a documentary, providing an incredible amount of information to women who are facing a cancer diagnosis themselves . . . A remarkable blend of firsthand narrative and a cartoonist’s singular perspective that makes her form of storytelling unique . . . [There are] a slew of heartwarming and hysterically funny moments . . . The reader is truly transported into [Marchetto’s] world.”–Diana Price, Women & Cancer “[Marchetto] details the difficulties and indignities of her 11-month [breast cancer] treatment with a warmth and humor that makes it impossible to put the book down until you’ve finished the last, color-drenched, completely hysterical while simultaneously tear-jerking page . . . . The book is sweet and optimistic while never flinching from staring pain and fear directly in the eye . . . If you know someone dealing with breast cancer or are facing the disease yourself, you should absolutely give this brilliant, witty and beautiful book a try. [Marchetto’s] very personal and very human story will help you count your many blessings, one by one.” –Mary Harvey, Rambles magazine “If you have to fight for your life, why not do it in a fabulous pair of Charles Jordan blue metallic snakeskin Lucite pumps? Enter the world of Marisa Acocella Marchetto, a cartoonist and cancer survivor who chronicles her battle with the disease in a surprisingly irresistible graphic memoir about triumphing with style. From Page 1 of Cancer Vixen, you know you’re in for something different . . . [Marchetto offers] a vivid account–made only more powerful with her breathtakingly honest drawings–about getting the worst news of your life at the best time of your life . . . What ensues is a courageous, original take on Marchetto’s frightening, yet oftentimes hilarious–humor is the best medicine, right?–road to recovery, complete with colorful, attention-grabbing drawings . . . Marchetto’s book is like one of the fabulous late-night meals she and [husband, restaurateur Silvano Marchetto] share in the book: a delectable entrée of love and friendship . . . Friends and family rally in loving, if sometimes outrageous, ways. Add to that a tasty side dish–and I do mean dish–of the catty world of magazines and the ‘It’ people who live in it, and you end up with a satisfying taste of triumph when Marchetto finally kicks the cancer in (you guessed it) a fabulous pair of shoes . . . [An] absorbing and inspiring tale of a woman who knows how to do things–even fight cancer–in style. And who comes away with a better understanding of herself, her surroundings and the joy of slowing down just enough to enjoy life.” –Helen Ubinas, The Hartford Courant “The tone is Sex in the City in this memoir by New Yorker cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto about her triumphant battle with breast cancer. Illustrated with wit and charm, fashionista Marchetto packs her story full of details about love, her mother, health insurance and shoes.” –Elizabeth Taylor, Chicago Tribune (Editor’s Choice) “Marchetto’s illustrated chronicle [of her battle with breast cancer] is as much about the support and love she received as it is about her fight against the disease. Cancer Vixen is definitely an encouragement tool for women who are waging the same battle.” –Karen Grigsby Bates, npr.com “My favorite medical memoir of the year was Cancer Vixen, a graphic novel by New Yorker cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto. At 43, Marchetto is just three weeks shy of her wedding day when she finds a lump in her breast. Her cartoon self is sucked upside down into a black hole. Abnormal cells are illustrated as little green monsters sticking their tongues out and giving her the finger. She is terrified her fiancé will leave her. Marchetto chronicles her experiences with doctors, medical jargon, needles, chemo cocktails, and radiation with a directness and wit that struck me as wholly original. The illustrated format lightens the tone and creates a structure in which wry punch lines can proliferate without seeming glib. The book is most of all a love story, spiked with jealousy, tenderness, and great Italian cooking. It’s remarkably playful, but the passions and struggles are not cartoonish at all.”–Amanda Schaffer, Slate“This courageous memoir is painful, funny, self-deprecating, biting, and, yes, inspirational. Cancer Vixen is more than just another book about surviving a life-threatening illness. It is a well-defined portrait of an extremely accomplished woman who declares war on a tumor and sets out to beat it . . . If you have a friend who is facing or fighting cancer, do them a favor and get them a copy of this incredible book. It is highly recommended and might just be the extra help they need.” –Larry Cox, Tucson Citizen (Grade: A) “Marchetto limns her brush with cancer in a tale that is at heart a love story. Her romance with restaurateur Silvano Marchetto is a charming and touching part of the narrative, but the battle and eventual acceptance of some of the more unpleasant aspects of life is the real meat of the story. [Marchetto’s] personality, radiating from every page, is irresistibly authentic . . . [and] the author’s words and pictures convey humility and humanity with witty grace and heartfelt power.” –The Miami Herald (Broward County Edition)“Marchetto recounts her fight with breast cancer–the endless rounds of chemo, her nagging self-doubts, her dwindling energy–with a blend of humor and honesty. Best of all, the self-effacing Marchetto avoids being maudlin, focusing on how she uniquely coped during her treatment. Her engaging and colorful personality is a perfect match for the explosion of pastel panels she’s created in these pages. There’s a lot of truth, heart and laughs to her story. A perfect gift for the cancer survivor in your life.” –Randy Myers, Contra Costa Times“At 43 years old, Marchetto was three weeks away from marriage to the man of her dreams, her career as a cartoonist for Glamour and The New Yorker was on track–and, oh yeah, her health insurance had just expired–when she got the bad news: She had breast cancer. Her comic memoir details the many indignities of her treatment (the breast that turns blue from a needle puncture, the holistic doctor who treats her with corny music and a few of his own self-help books) and how her illness affected friends and family. Final word: Marchetto tackles the issues with humor and a big heart.” –Rodney Price, Rocky Mountain News“Even before its release, Marisa Acocella Marchetto’s Cancer Vixen was a huge hit in the blogosphere, generating a tsunami of buzz . . . What makes it work is the funny, disarming superheroine of the title–Marchetto herself, determined to be a Vixen and not a Victim, and living an ordinary life (considering that she is a cartoonist for the New Yorker and Glamour, as well as the now-wife of a food celebrity, Silvano Marchetto, who drives a Maserati and has published his own cookbook) and struggling with ordinary problems as she comes to grips with a potentially life-threatening disease. Among the central characters is the adorable Silvano, proprietor of the celebrity-studded West Village restaurant that bears his name, Da Silvano. Also irresistible in her own way is Marchetto’s domineering mother, or ‘(s)mother,’ as she is affectionately dubbed. On the fringes are legions of hip Manhattan BFFs (best friends forever)–fellow cartoonists, editors at big fashion magazines, ‘It’ Manhattanites of every stripe. Because of course this isn’t really an ordinary life: it’s a life lived always on the fringes of celebrity, a sort of ‘Cancer in the City’ for the modern woman. Marchetto dabbles in Kabbalah and alternative therapies, visits a quack, grapples with a ‘rival cartoon girl,’ adores expensive shoes, and suffers the insolent barbs of the shallow supermodels who flock to Da Silvano. Cancer Vixen is tremendous fun, bubbly and sweet and optimistic. Like her husband, whose favorite phrase seems to be ‘che bella giornata!’ (what a beautiful day!), Marchetto counts her blessings and loves her complicated, high-heeled life.” –Mary Brennan, The Seattle Times“Bold and brazen . . . [Marchetto] chronicles her experience [fighting breast cancer] in a series of cartoons that will make you think–and yes, even laugh.” –Carol Fitzgerald, Bookreporter.com“This talented cartoonist’s memoir of her battle with breast cancer is good enough that it’ll have you standing outside the running shower in the morning, unable to put it down.” –washingtonpost.com“What self-respecting, lipstick-loving, high heel-crazy fashionista would want to be a victim when she could be a vixen? Still, it took 43-year-old cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto some long sleepless nights to come to terms with her breast cancer . . . The bright, colorful panels of [Cancer Vixen] belie the struggle Marchetto faced when she learned she had breast cancer and was facing a lumpectomy, radiation and chemotherapy. The news, falling within a few weeks of her wedding day, was devastating . . . Marchetto makes us privy to the many demons that stalked her days. She also gives us a peek into what sustained her: friends, her future husband, even her (s)mother. By the end of Cancer Vixen, Marchetto and Silvano’s wedding is featured in the New York Post as ‘wedding of the week.’ And then, life continues.” –Chris Watson, Santa Cruz Sentinel“Facing breast cancer with a positive attitude was the key lesson [of] Marisa Acocella Marchetto, the creator of the feisty and upbeat cartoon alterego, Cancer Vixen, the subject of a book published last month . . . [Marchetto] is donating a portion of book sale proceeds to the [Breast Cancer Research Foundation] and to St. Vincent’s Hospital to help uninsured women pay for breast cancer treatment.” –A. L. Gordon, The New York Sun “Brilliant.” –New York Post “When doctors found a tumor in her left breast two years ago, New Yorker cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto discovered that pen-and-ink can be mightier than bad news. She documented her yearlong duel with breast cancer in Cancer Vixen, a graphic memoir that is irreverent, touching and frequently hilarious . . . . Marchetto both frames and lampoons herself as a shoe-obsessed, Carrie Bradshaw type, who is awakened from her Sex and the City fantasy life by a pearl-size growth. The image is part-caricature, part real life. Slender, blond and a dedicated follower of fashion, the 45-year-old artist certainly [fits] the part . . . . The shoe therapy actually helped her survive, she said, reasoning that if she looks good, she’ll feel good . . . . ‘It’s about having a positive attitude,’ Marchetto said [of battling breast cancer], ‘and fighting with the best pair of shoes you can possibly wear.” –Bo Emerson, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, cover“With wit, style, irreverence, and gobs of humor Marchetto chronicles her triumphant 11-month battle [with breast cancer], introducing readers to an impressive cast of characters: her incredibly supportive fiancé-then-husband, lifelong friends, over-the-top mother, Violetta, magazine editors, plastic surgeons, and leggy fashionistas. And, of course, there are plenty of references to Marchetto’s killer shoe collection, which includes Hotel Venus patent pumps, circa-1994 Chanel slides, and Pucci rain boots . . . ‘The book is really a love story,’ [says Marchetto] wistfully. ‘It’s about my incredibly supportive group of friends and about me trying to appreciate everything in life. My negativity is in remission. I feel really lucky, and I want to give back.’ And indeed, Marchetto is giving back: She’ll donate a portion of the proceeds from her book to provide breast care for underprivileged women at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan and to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and she recently sponsored a day of free mammograms at St. Vincent’s. And don’t think Marchetto has given up on her love for fashion or her passion for kick-ass shoes: ‘I just got a fabulous pair of Alexander McQueen boots. I’m mad for them!’”–Jason Oliver Nixon, Gotham magazine “Spitfire cartoonist and self-described ‘fashionista’ Marisa Acocella Marchetto was on a career high and shopping for a wedding dress when ‘D. Day’ (that is, diagnosis day) arrived, sucking her into a black hole of anxiety. Cancer Vixen is living proof that even angst, quacks, fear of no-hair days, know-it-all friends, and embarrassing side effects can be good for a laugh–and that sometimes you have to raise a little hell to heal.” –Cathleen Medwick, O, The Oprah Magazine“There are already more than enough Web sites and books and pamphlets and classes about breast cancer to keep you totally well informed (and totally terrified), but few of them are any fun. Not so Marisa Acocella Marchetto’s graphic memoir, Cancer Vixen. Marchetto, a contributor to The New Yorker, manages to be unflaggingly perky as she tells us the story of her cance...

L'autore:

Marisa Acocella Marchetto lives in New York City and is a cartoonist for The New Yorker and Glamour. Her work has appeared in The New York Times and Modern Bride, among other publications. She is also the author of Just Who the Hell Is She, Anyway?

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Knopf
• Data di pubblicazione: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0307263576
• ISBN 13: 9780307263575
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 224