Men I Trust

Tommi Parrish's sophomore graphic novel establishes them as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary literature.
Eliza is a thirtysomething struggling single mother and poet. Sasha, a twentysomething yearning for direction in life, just moved back in with her parents and dabbles as a sex worker. The two strike up an unlikely friendship that, as it veers towards something more, becomes a deeply resonant exploration of how far people are willing to go to find intimacy in a society that is increasingly closed off.
Parrish's fully realised characters and gorgeously painted pages make Men I Trust one of the most moving and insightful works of fiction in any medium this year.
'Parrish's bodies dominate the room (and the page), and yet their sheer expanse seems to accentuate their vulnerability as much as their power. They are inescapable, and inescapably exposed ... Even the quietest moments have a wildness lurking within them, a sense of things being on the verge of going to pieces or bursting into life.'
-Gabriel Winslow-Yost, The New York Review of Books
'Lambda Award-winner Parrish (The Lie and How We Told It) delivers an unflinching examination of two women as they tentatively form a friendship while coping with messy personal circumstances ... Parrish's gift for nuanced characterisations and dialogue juxtapose with their distinctive, highly stylised art, in which characters sport exaggeratedly bulky, awkward bodies and small heads. This humane, insightful tale should further burnish Parrish's reputation as a first-rate artist and storyteller.'
-Publishers Weekly, starred review
'With the palette of Simon Hanselmann and the emotional heft of Adrian Tomine, Parrish paints a realistic and intimate portrait of queer friendship, the colourful, genderless characters avatars for anyone grappling with how to live a meaningful life under capitalism. Parrish's trademark painted figures animate a nuanced and highly relatable depiction of anxiety, depression and complicated relationships, the characters of Eliza and Sasha alive with humour, personality and astutely observed thoughts and feelings ... Parrish's work continues to reclaim brightness and boldness in the service of rendering real human lives. Men I Trust is a beautiful and honest work from an artist deserving of all of the home-country recognition that will no doubt finally come their way.'
-Kelsey Oldham, Books+Publishing