Signal Boost!

[eumelia]

Bah! I got this a week or so ago from Joy hirself, I hope I'm not too late!

Palestine Solidarity Activist and Blogger Joy in Palestine is writing a graphic novel about hir experiences in the village of at-Tuwani in the West Bank.

The project is called at-Tuwani, a Graphic Novel

All the information is available at the website linked above, but under the cut I've put all the info you need to know about Joy and how to donate to help hir cause:

Help tell the stories of Palestinian nonviolent resistance! Support
Joy in writing “At-Tuwani: A Graphic Novel”

I'm writing a comic book about a different kind of hero and I need
your help. I want to raise $700 (one month of living expenses) by July
9th so that I can spend the following month writing the rough draft of
a graphic novel script about the inspiring people that I have been
living with for the last 3 years.

Since 2007, I have been working in a small village in rural Palestine
called At-Tuwani, located at the southern tip of the West Bank. In
At-Tuwani, my neighbors don't have capes or superpowers, but they’re
true heroes. In the midst of violence and injustice, the people of
At-Tuwani are choosing the path of nonviolent resistance. The village
of At-Tuwani daily faces violence from Israeli settlers living
illegally in the West Bank as well as injustice at the hands of the
Israeli army. I’ve been dreaming about writing a graphic novel that
will let other people get to know this village. I want to tell the
stories of farmers who graze sheep and harvest olives in the shadow of
Israeli settlements, of kids who boss around Israeli soldiers, of
women who risk arrest to remove road blocks, and normal people who
live their lives with great courage. I’ve been writing and blogging
about my friends in At-Tuwani since I met them. Now I’m ready to bring
their story to life for a wider audience.

Why:
The stories of the people of At-Tuwani need to be told. By creating a
graphic novel, I can make their lives accessible and immediate -
almost as real as being there. I’ve always found graphic novels to be
magical. Even though a graphic novel is simply a book-length comic, a
graphic novel has the power to suck a reader into a story in a way
that words alone can’t. Through realistic pictures and real dialogue,
my readers will be able to see and hear the lives of Palestinians and
I think that will help them understand and feel for the village of
At-Tuwani. And bringing the nonviolent struggle of everyday
Palestinians into the homes and hearts of people all over the world is
the best way I can support my friends in At-Tuwani.

How:
Here’s where you come in.
The first step to making this dream come true is to write the first
draft of a script. Once my script is finished, I can find an artist to
bring it to life and together we can begin the process of finding a
publisher. Because my graphic novel will mostly be based on essays
I’ve already written, I'm confident that I can make significant
progress on a rough draft with a month of dedicated work. I’ve
completed a detailed outline of the novel and I hope that I can finish
a first draft of over half of it by the end of July. Will it be
difficult? Yes. But I can’t think of a better way to take on this
task. I thrive on deadlines. With you holding me accountable, I’m sure
that I can make this dream a reality.

How to Donate:
$700 will cover my living expenses for a month and allow me to spend
that time writing. Your donation, large or small, will make a
meaningful dent in this amount. Donations can be sent to the
intentional community where I live when I’m in the United States: The
Community of the Holy Trinity, 1510 W. Elmdale Ave., Chicago, IL
60660. Please write “Joy” in the memo line.

I’m extremely grateful to have the support of people like you. I want
to make sure that you know how grateful I am. To give you an idea of
how I feel, I want to offer the following gifts to donors.

$5 or more - Receive exclusive updates about the script during my
month of whirlwind writing. Be a part of the team that keeps me
writing!

$10 or more - Be listed as a contributor in the print version of the
graphic novel.

$25 or more - Receive a signed photograph from At-Tuwani. See the
village for yourself!

$50 or more - Receive a special gift from the At-Tuwani women's
cooperative. Touch and feel a little piece of women’s resistance.

$100 or more - Receive a special extended thank you in the print
version of the graphic novel, a gift from the At-Tuwani women's
cooperative, a signed photograph from At-Tuwani and have the chance to
see the first draft of the script and offer feedback when it’s
completed!

I hope that you’ll join me on this journey to tell the stories of
At-Tuwani Village. Writing a rough draft is only the beginning and I
plan to keep you updated as I continue to get this book finished and
available to people around the world. I’m so happy to have people like
you in my life.

Sincerely,
Joy

PS: If you donate, please help me be able to send you your thank-you
gift. Include your name, email address and if you choose to donate $25
or more, include your mailing address.

Please spread the word along!

Comments

[ajnabieh]

Oooh. Will signal-boost off DW. I'm totally on a graphic-novel kick right now, too.