It was an honor to be selected as a Noteworthy Writer for Medium, a wonderful online publication started by Ev Williams, co-founder of Twitter. I have been publishing with Medium for years now, and I love the simplicity of the design and their mission statement. It is a place for my writing and drawing (together and alone) that is supportive and yet also leaves me alone to do what I feel I need to do! In the introduction to this wonderful brief video, the Medium editors say I was chosen “…for finding nuance in the news cycle, Liza sketches everything that can’t be said.” https://noteworthy.medium.com/liza-donnelly-c848c1d06ac4
Tag: journalism
Stone Age Print
The future of print media is, to put it mildly, uncertain. I don’t read any magazines any more (except for, ahem, The New Yorker. I have to say that), and still hang on to reading the paper version of the New York Times, as well as online. It’s not exactly becoming obsolete, but is a different form of news gathering. I read the paper edition of the Times to see what they consider worthy of being in the print edition. The online version is for me up-to-date news.
But my first love for immediate news is, of course, Twitter.
Evolution of a political cartoon for The New Yorker
Last week, I got a cartoon okay-ed by The New Yorker, which means my editor emailed me and said they wanted to buy a rough cartoon that I submitted that week. This one was political, and they wanted to run it in the next issue, which meant I had to do the finished drawing and email it to them by the next day. I love it when this happens…it has happened a few times for me. Maybe I’m a frustrated journalist–I love the buzz of news and reporting and commenting.
The issue I drew about was the McChrystal firing. The drawing (link in the magazine here) I share with you below. The idea of a general’s medals being for things other than bravery, etc, is not a new one for me. I have tried it before in cartoons that did not sell. Medals for not saying the word peace, medals for driving a hybrid….but this time, I used the format again and it was the magic formula. Cartoonists often do this– rework settings, formats, words with new ideas.
Not that this came easily. In my head and on the many pages of paper on my desk, I tried numerous different approaches to the McChrystal affair before I drew this one. There are countless ways to get at a subject, the key is to find a way to poke fun in a manner that will allow the cartoon to last beyond the immediate circumstances.
(copyright The New Yorker Magazine and Liza Donnelly)
Cartoons in Conflict Exhibition: Opening Great Success
Dec 1oth, 2009 was the opening of the traveling exhibit, “Cartoons in Conflict”, an collection of international cartoons concerning reconciliation and peace. I am fortunate to have my work in the show, catalogue and calendar. For more information and to view some of the art, see the articles below:
Panel At Omega Conference with Helen Thomas and Pat Mitchell
Journalists Pat Mitchell, Helen Thomas, Courtney Martin, me, Chareah Jackson, Jensine Larson.
Women and Power Conference, Omega Institute, Sept 2009
Helen Thomas and me
“If you want truth in this country, read the comic strips.” -Helen Thomas
The great icon, Helen Thomas, speaks the truth! She said so many great things on Saturday, in her interview at Omega Institute. She and I were on a panel, Women and the Media. It was an incredible honor to meet her and participate with her. We were interviewed by another amazing person in journalism, Pat Mitchel.