Present

A LYRICAL EXPLORATION OF THE CITY AND MEMORY AS DRAWN BY A VICE CARTOONIST Leslie Stein takes us on a sinuous urban stroll divorced from destination glimpsing New York City through her open eyes. While she is closing up a bar late at night she is also an adolescent at a rave in the mountains an adult grappling with her grandfather’s fading memory or at one of her first waitressing jobs. Stein is a master storyteller an urban explorer and a loyal guide through dark days and simple blissful encounters. Stein’s curiosity about and generosity toward the world around her come through powerfully each colorful story flows with vivid watercolors and delicate ink lines. Here an autobiography is built through memories and moments tied together by loose lines evoking a beautiful dreamlike yet endlessly relatable glimpse into the world of a thirtysomething woman carving out a life for herself one step at a time. Known for her acclaimed Eye of the Majestic Creature series collected here are Stein’s serialized Vice.com comics which have become a staple for the site showcasing her storytelling abilities with a freer style. With an introduction and new material Present will be a deluxe diecut hardcover that is a meditation on memory. Stein is asking us to take a moment to be here now while acknowledging the other places and people we always carry with us.