Jules Feiffer, 'The Phantom Tollbooth' illustrator, is out with a new graphic novel

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 8 October 2024

⏱️ 9 minutes

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Summary

Jules Feiffer has been drawing and writing for a living since he was 17 years old. Now 95, the illustrator behind The Phantom Tollbooth is out with his first graphic novel for middle grade readers. That book, Amazing Grapes, kicks off with a father's departure, which sets in motion a series of adventures across dimensions for his three children. A two-headed swan serves as the master of ceremonies for the story. In today's episode, Feiffer speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about how play has become more central to the author's life as he's grown older and about his writing process, which involves a lot of scribbling.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Ampire's book of the day. I'm Andrew Limbong. If you close your eyes, you can probably
0:07.1	picture the cover of the Phantom Tooth. You see the kid and the dog with the big clock embedded
0:13.5	in his body. The book is illustrated by Jules Fiverr, now 95, and still working. He's got a new
0:19.6	graphic novel out now called Amazing Grapes.
0:22.4	And in talking about it to NPR Scott Simon,
0:24.4	he drops this nugget of wisdom that's an approach to art and the artistic life
0:29.1	that I'm not sure I've ever heard before.
0:31.1	He says he looks around and sees himself surrounded by great beauty.
0:36.3	And he says he works to make himself worthy of the privilege that is his existence.
0:42.1	That's up ahead.
0:43.7	A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story.
0:48.0	But right now, you probably need more.
0:50.8	On Up First from NPR, we bring you three of the world's top headlines every day in under
0:56.3	15 minutes because no one's story can capture all that's happening in this big, crazy world of
1:02.9	ours on any given morning. Listen now to the Up First podcast from NPR. Let's begin with a song.
1:19.6	Amazing grapes, how sweet to eat one bite.
1:22.7	How can it be?
1:24.7	Ooh, that song.
1:29.7	Sung better to be sure is at the center of a new graphic novel for middle grade readers.
1:39.1	Amazing Grapes is by the great Jules Fyfer, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and illustrator of the Phantom Toll Booth.
1:46.5	Jules Fifer has been drawing and writing for a living since he was 17 years old.
1:51.7	He is now 95 and joins us from his home in upstate New York.
	...

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