Graphic Novel Explores Richard Brautigan's Youth and Lost Writings

A new graphic novel, 'Il bacio fantasma' (The Ghost Kiss), by Marco Petrella and Filippo Golia, published by Mattioli 1885 in Fidenza in 2021, focuses on a brief episode from Richard Brautigan's early life. The book centers on the young poet's gift of his poetry collection, 'The Edna Webster Collection of Undiscovered Writings,' to the mother of his best friend Peter and first love Linda, before leaving for San Francisco in the 1950s. Brautigan predicted the collection would secure her pension once he became famous; it was published posthumously after his 1984 death. Petrella, known for his comic-strip reviews in Corriere della Sera's La Lettura, blends influences from underground American comics (Robert Crumb, Hernandez brothers), Tintin, Alan Ford, and Andrea Pazienza. This is not his first Brautigan biography: two years earlier he covered Brautigan's unlikely spoken-word album produced by the Beatles in 'A proposito di Brautigan' (Andante Books). The new work uses flat, cold colors and pastel diary-like interventions, with a script by Golia who also contributes a literary essay at the volume's end. The title references a Brautigan poem dedicated to Linda. The book costs €20, spans 92 pages, and is available at www.mattioli1885.com.