Improve: How I Discovered Improv and Conquered Social Anxiety

Alex Graudins

$17.99

Publication Date: September 6th, 2022

Publisher:

First Second

ISBN:

9781250208231

Pages:

240

Charter Books

On hand, as of Apr 27 1:07am

(Midg & YA Non-fiction)

On Our Shelves Now

Description

A graphic memoir for teens about the author's efforts to overcome her social anxiety by learning improv comedy.

Alex has crippling social anxiety. All day long, she is trapped in a web of negative thoughts and paralyzing fear. To pull herself free of this endless cycle, Alex does something truly terrifying: she signs up for an improv comedy class. By forcing herself to play silly games and act out ridiculous scenes, Alex confronts the unbearable weight of embarrassment, makes new friends, rediscovers parts of herself that she'd hidden away, and ultimately faces her greatest fear by performing onstage for all to see.

About the Author

Alex Graudins is the cartoonist behind Science Comics: The Brain and History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire. Currently hiding out in li’l Rhode Island, she holds a BFA in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts and has done work for sites like The Nib and CollegeHumor. She has a penchant for memoirs and narratives that tackle the topics of anxiety and friendship.

Praise for Improve: How I Discovered Improv and Conquered Social Anxiety

"Graphic memoirs about anxiety are not uncommon, but Graudin's unusual take explores how facing fears and a willingness to try something new—even something as straightforward as improv—can be a significant step in changing one’s life.—Booklist

"Informative reading for young people seeking creative ways to break the chains of social anxiety."—Kirkus

"Part memoir, part handbook, this title is poised to pique the interest of socially cautious readers and the theatrically inclined."—School Library Journal