The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Pictures

For a memoir this feels really vague. I understand that Stevenson may not have wanted to name their diagnosis (diagnoses?) or medication at the end of the book because perhaps they (book was published as Noelle Stevenson, but now is ND or Nate) were still processing what it means to them.

It was fine to talk about bipolar in the beginning of the memoir, but not at the end? Or maybe the diagnosis mentioned at the end of the book is ADHD?

Partway through the book I shared a picture Stevenson drew of the Hulk and I went to wiki to make sure I was using the correct pronouns. There I saw the name change and thought, ah I'll come back to this later, I want to see what the memoir says.

I'll add more to this review later. I'm mulling things over but for now I'll jot down that the introduction was well done and I LOVED the mountain climber part but am really sad that Molly – also an amazing cartoonist– is mentioned so little.

I miss my Santa Cruz days and the gay community I experienced there.

Stevenson doesn't owe anyone anything such as discussing their sexual identity, their mental health, their partner, their gender identity, etc. But it's a memoir and Stevenson does bring each of these topics up and the at times oblique referrals call to mind stigma and shame and it saddens me.

I do really appreciate Stevenson stating “It would have been worth it anyway, but being on medication has in no way lessened my capacity for feeling or creating.”