The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere. by James Spooner

The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere. Reviews

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  Punky Bobster

  This graphic novel has been my most anticipated book for nearly three years when I came across James' Tumblr page. A graphic novel done taking place in my home area by the film maker of Afro Punk? Sold! Having so much in common with the author I instantly formed a
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  Julia McGovern

  Best comic I've read in years. Truly! I don't think you need to have punk as part of your own personal coming of age story to enjoy this, but it really sweetened the story for me. Spooner's art captures adolescent awkwardness, character development, and really
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  Dani Kriatura

  This gifted storyteller has spoken to aspects of my own lived, witnessed and experienced life story in ways that damn near close to nobody else ever has or ever could. The High Desert is a starkly beautiful graphic novel, sharing the story of growing as an
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  Mother of Nakids

  This book opens the doors into a dreamworld where a once lost, true life journey is retold by the author, James Spooner. Spooner’s meticulous detail shows through his illustrations and his storytelling. The Author relives his teenage years through this truthful and candid
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  H. Harper

  This book brought me back to my adolescent period, causing me to reflect on the challenges of finding an identity, feeling threatened, and trying to navigate through it all. Though I did not have the same challenges or same level of challenges experienced by James, I felt I
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  Jesse Lambert

  Having discovered James Spooner’s work on Instagram, I preordered this memoir. It came on release day and I was pleasantly surprised that it was longer than I thought it would be. A pet peeve of mine is when graphic memoirs feel too short. Well, that wasn’t the case here,
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  A. Crawley

  I just read The High Desert. It is brilliant. And the art was perfect… like Raymond Pettibon and the Hernandez Brothers had a baby! It’s a big book and I put it down once to eat dinner. We go through a lot of graphic novels in this house and this one stands out.
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  Book Lover

  I can't recommend this book enough. Authentic, beautiful, inspiring, heartbreaking, and so much with amazing art and design. It's a treasure. The punk rock scene I grew up in was a little earlier than James, but he captures the essence so well. Like James, I became