Welcome to the "Fun Home," better known as the Bechdel Family Funeral Home in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania, where artist and author Alison Bechdel grew up with her parents and two brothers. Bechdel's comics-format memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, is a finely-honed exploration of self, as the author circles her youthful story and her complicated relationship with her enigmatic father, carefully drilling down to find the core truth of her personal identity. A pioneering work, the book broke ground across many of the genres it straddles – personal memoir, comic arts, coming-of-age tale, coming-out story, narrative nonfiction, and family drama. We hope you will enjoy your time spent in the "Fun Home."
Santa Monica Reads is a community reading program that encourages people who live, work in, or visit Santa Monica to read and discuss the same book at the same time in discussion groups and special events held throughout the city. Please plan on attending one or all of the many free, public events we have planned between February 25 and March 30, 2017.
Fun Home resource guide (PDF).
All programs below are free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first served.
Please note locations for each discussion or event, as several take place in non-library venues. For a list of book discussion dates and times, scroll to the bottom.
Comics Movie: Persepolis (2007)Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 6:30 pmMontana Avenue Branch Library, 1704 Montana Avenue *Marjane Satrapi co-directed this film adaptation of her award-winning graphic memoir depicting her life growing up during and after Iran's Islamic revolution. In Farsi, German and French, with English subtitles. (96 min.)
Big Kids' Table: Comics CraftWednesday, March 8, 2017 at 6:30 pmMain Library, Multipurpose Room, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard *Create a unique picture frame with upcycled comic book art. All materials provided.
The Bechdel-Wallace Test: Women in Film PanelSaturday, March 25, 2017 at 3:30 pmMain Library, Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard *A panel of women filmmakers – writer/director Cathryn Michon (Muffin Top: A Love Story, A Dog’s Purpose), actress Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray), producer J.D. Disalvatore (Shelter, Elena Undone), SAG-AFTRA Director of EEO & Diversity Ellen Huang – discuss "The Bechdel-Wallace Test" and its implications for the representation of women, both onscreen and off.
Santa Monica Reads book discussions are hosted by trained discussion facilitators and are free and open to the public. Discussion participants are encouraged to share their thoughts about this year's book selection and its themes, or are welcome to simply listen and learn more about the book.
* Note: City of Santa Monica facilities are wheelchair accessible. To request a disability-related accommodation, call Library Administration at 310-458-8606 (TDD 395-8499) at least one week prior to event.