Margaret Atwood wrote some of the best literary works of the modern era, both in terms of feminist novels and essays and in terms of all-around fascinating and engaging tales from multiple genres. So, news of Atwood contributing to an all-female anthology aimed at "geek girls" and consisting of non-fiction tales and comic strips about dating, love and sex comes as a really pleasant exciting surprise. But what's even more surprising and exciting is the fact that Atwood won't be contributing a prose piece: she'll be drawing a comic strip.
Launched earlier this week, the Kickstarter for "The Secret Loves of Geek Girls" has already made $28,000 of its $30,000 goal. The brainchild of Canadian comic book publisher and editor Hope Nicholson, the anthology features a multitude of female writers and artists sharing their stories in both text and comic format, with Atwood being the most high-profile contributor on the list. The project "collects successes as well as embarrassments, examines the fandoms that we ship, and reassures us that no matter what we're going through or have gone through, we are never alone."
Atwood also appears on the cover to the anthology and tweeted her excitement about it. And while hardcore fans of Atwood are probably familiar with the author's artistic side, for most readers, this will be something entirely new and unexpected.
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls is popular on @Kickstarter! http://t.co/OJ1tv7FyOJ (I'm white-hair w. cat; pleased I have long legs at last!)
— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) June 23, 2015