Jules Feiffer by Dick DeMarsico, World Telegram, 1958
Jules Feiffer has just released — Backing Into Forward: A Memoir
.Michiko Kakutani's review of the new memoir in today's New York Times gives a wonderful overview of Feiffer's life and work.
Diane Rehm interviewed Feiffer on her show today and I highly recommend that you listen in to hear him read from his memoir and talk about the importance of supporting children in pursuit of their dreams (amongst other things).
"The grownups that surround us, some very well meaning, some not so, can be helpful to you. They can also be very dangerous to you because while making good sense of their advice, you can injure yourself.
They can destroy your self confidence. They can destroy your belief in yourself. They think they're doing the right job but what you get as a young person is a sense of, "I'm not believed in." "I'm inadequate." "Maybe I should go back into school." "Maybe I should study accounting, something else, give up my ambition and do this." And as I say at the epigraph at the start of the book: Do not let your judges define you.
I wrote this book in large measure hoping that young people could read it and get an understanding of how hard it is and how you must persist and, if you do persist (and you must get some luck along the way, lots of luck) you can have what you want. But part of it is to be able to define what they're saying that makes sense and what they're saying that doesn't make sense to you."Visit Jules Feiffer's website to learn more about his cartoons and other creations.
View more of Feiffer's original cartoon strips at the Jean Albano Gallery and Adam Baumgold Gallery
When you have a free half hour, watch an August 2009 interview with Jules Feiffer at Dartmouth College.
