weekly

At City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, I picked up an anthology of Paul Madonna’s weekly strips published in the San Francisco Chronicle.  The strip is called All Over Coffee and presents an atypical format to the weekly comic strip.  From the publisher: “Quirky, whimsical, and often profound, All Over Coffee’s stunning imagery and thoughtful writing combine to create a conceptual world, both dreamlike and familiar. This selection will delight anyone who has ever lived in or visited San Francisco – or dreamed of doing so – with its original, off-the-beaten path view of the city and its inhabitants.”

The collection of strips from the last 5 years has certainly delighted this recent visitor to SF.  It’s the type of book that you read slowly, over weeks or more, as each individual strip causes you to pause and reflect over the enigmatic drawings and thoughtful words.  I’m often not sure what to make of a strip, but I appreciate the thoughts it conjures up.  Below is an example; you can click on it and should be able to read the text.

Have a great weekend.

Nos. 305: 3/4/2010

The little man said to the monster:
I come from a terrible place.
We tear ourselves inside out for something the
world may love, then base our worth on that.

– Paul Madonna, All Over Coffee

No. 306: 3/3/2010

The smell of taquerias and burnt coffee
in the morning.

– Paul Madonna, All Over Coffee

No. 307: 3/2/2010

He saw her again today at Maurice’s cafe,
but this time took a breath and walked over.

Smiling, he said,
“I saw you in here last week,
but I didn’t say anything.”

She looked up and replied, “I know.”

– Paul Madonna, All Over Coffee

No. 308: 3/1/2010

“I don’t get superheroes,” she says,
“if you could see through everything
you’d see nothing at all.”

– Paul Madonna, All Over Coffee