Literary Nonfiction. Humor. Cartoons. Art. Ms. Schneps knows all about getting used to things and the book comes with a not-so-funny backstory--she suffered a mysterious collapse from low sodium several years ago, and when she awoke from a comatose state days later, she couldn't speak, didn't know who she was or anyone was, had no memories, and couldn't even feed herself. A few weeks into her hospital stay, a nurse, hearing that Muriel was an artist, gave her a pencil and paper. Muriel stared at them blankly and laid them on the bed tray. Then her brother brought up a photo of himself on his phone and laid it on the tray. Muriel looked at it, picked up the pen and made a drawing of the photo. Imagine that Before she had recovered any memories or could speak a word, she could draw again.
According to her publisher, Brooks Roddan, the book itself came about in a completely unexpected way. I've known Muriel for years, said Roddan. I knew her as a fine artist, an accomplished painter, but didn't know she made cartoons. One day my wife and I were visiting her, and she happened to have a stack of her drawings laying on the table. We started flipping through them, and soon we were laughing our heads off. We decided right then and there that the world needed a book of Muriel's cartoons. Schneps's cartoons are a quirky collection of cartoons involving maladjusted men and women, screaming moms, annoying dog owners, prairie therapists, surreal scenes, and animals and space aliens that are totally miffed by human behavior. Drawing cartoons has not only helped Muriel in the struggle to get back what she lost, but also is helping her get used the things she can't change. Well, or at least laugh at them. She hopes readers will laugh, too said Roddan.