Alison Bechdel had a very Seattle weekend

We couldn't make Alison Bechdel's evening readings Friday at the University Bookstore or Saturday at The Wild Rose, so we laid in wait at Lake Forrest's Third Place Books and nabbed her for a quick word as she did a drive-by signing.

Bechdel had that glazed, tired, 'book tour' look in her eyes, and when asked how she liked Seattle, muttered something appeasing. Then we admitted to being 'a big fan' and melted from embarassment.

Bechdel was in Seattle to publicize her recently released Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, which has received rave reviews from just about everyone. It's a memoir that focuses on her relationship with her closeted gay father and her own coming-out experience.

Bechdel is the author of the long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. Although it's issued in a traditional book size, Fun Home is a graphic novel. The art is delightful, and the 'bookish' design will make is accessible to a wider audience than a typical graphic novel. It will be a great 'next step' for all those Seattle readers who read Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis as part of this spring's Seattle Reads program.