Flung Out of Space
- 208 pages
- 8 hours of reading
A fictional and complex portrait of bestselling author Patricia Highsmith, this narrative serves as both a tribute to the essential lesbian novel, "The Price of Salt," and an exploration of its controversial creator. Veteran comics creators Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer present the story through Highsmith's perspective, reimagining the events that inspired her foundational work in queer literature. The tale begins with Pat reluctantly writing low-brow comics, feeling trapped in a life of drinking, smoking, and self-loathing. Despite her struggles, her mind is alive with visions of the great novel she longs to write—what will eventually become "Strangers on a Train," later adapted into a classic Hitchcock film. Amidst her tumultuous life, marked by conversion therapy and a series of fleeting romances, a significant affair and a chance encounter spark the idea for her groundbreaking love story that offered lesbian protagonists a happy ending. This narrative not only recounts the origins of a classic queer book but also delves into the life of a deeply flawed queer artist. It reflects on the challenges of writing in the 1950s while addressing the timeless struggle for a writer to find their voice. Ellis contextualizes Highsmith as an unintentional queer icon, acknowledging her problematic views and the complexities of her legacy, where life and art intertwined with often devastating consequences.
