Many Love

April 15, 2018
A writer and illustrator reveals how she went from serial monogamist to happily married polyamorist.Johnson grew up with parents who had a "model nuclear relationship." After almost 50 years, it was still as strong as it had been when they married at age 20. So it was no surprise that the author's early ideas about love and sex were largely shaped by conventional norms. Throughout her adolescence, Johnson engaged in courtship rituals without ever considering that other relationship options might be as--or even more--fulfilling as a heterosexual coupling. In college, she found herself emotionally drawn to women. The intensity of Johnson's feelings inspired her to follow one friend to Chicago and fall into nonsexual love with a woman named Hannah when she was later living in New Orleans. The emotional attraction for Hannah was intense enough that she eventually felt the need to explain just how important it was to the people she was dating. Desiring more freedom and autonomy than a conventional relationship would allow, the author began having relationships that allowed her to not only date other men, but also spend significant time with the women close to her. In her refreshingly candid and provocative narrative, Johnson seeks to present polyamory as a practice that is about "emotional consideration and communication" rather than selfish and unrestrained libertinism. The book mirrors her lifestyle in the unconventionality of its presentation. In addition to including a polyamory FAQ at the beginning of the book, the author adds a dash of humor and incisive observation to almost every page of her text with comic book-style drawings. She also peppers her work with statistics and thoughtful commentary on the history and culture of polyamory. Johnson's multipronged approach not only demystifies a much-maligned and misunderstood practice; it also makes for enjoyable, accessible reading.Illuminating and entertaining.

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July 1, 2018

Writer and illustrator Johnson (editor in chief, Neutrons Protons) grew up believing in the idea of soul mates; of meeting "the one," getting married, having children, and living happily ever after. In this fantasy, monogamy seemed like the only option. Her fast-paced debut doubles as a personal exploration of polyamory, or consensual nonmonogamy, and an anthropological study of the practice and its relationship to queer culture. Johnson describes the term's rise in popularity in the 1990s, though polyamory existed long before. Discussing her adulthood in New Orleans and Chicago, the author is refreshingly honest about meeting people on Tinder and Craigslist and seeking to redefine the meaning of partner and commitment. Black-and-white illustrations throughout detail snapshots of her life while defining what it means to be poly. For Johnson, it combines feminist sex on her own terms with meaningful emotional relationships with men and women; it's about transparency, communication, and consent. Yet, she does not shy away from her privilege as a bisexual white woman within the community and her own struggles with jealousy. VERDICT A candid, modern take on polyamory for fans of memoirs and graphic novels, and anyone interested in stories of dating, love, and romance.--Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2018
In her debut collection of essays and comics, writer and art-school-instructor Johnson pulls back the curtain on the logistics of functional polyamory. With candor and wit, she shares the romantic, sexual, and platonic experiences of her young adult life as a way of exploring her path to maintaining multiple romantic partners. For readers new to the topic, Johnson explains the basics in a clear and conversational manner. She writes about cohabitation, sex, relationship rules, jealousy, compersion (jealousy's positive counterpart), and love, and recognizes that every polyamorous experience is different, as are the needs of every practitioner. Set in New Orleans and Chicago, her stories are peppered with details of life as a millennial woman navigating modern urban dating scenes. Online dating and hook-up apps flourished at the same time as Johnson's sexual awakening, both complicating and simplifying her relationships at different points. The integration of illustrations in each narrative enhances the book and calls to mind Phoebe Gloeckner's Diary of a Teenage Girl (2002). Johnson's accessible, personal, and artistic exploration of polyamory is sure to spark conversation about the many manifestations of love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)