In his second illustrated memoir, graphic artist David Heatley lays bare his family's fascinating struggles with 12-step programs. Though the premise of Qualification may seem farcical, Heatley infuses his story with candid, often unflattering, analysis of how he found himself completely dependent on not one but many recovery programs, despite not being addicted to anything.
His mother and father are the first to find solace in programs like Debtors Anonymous, Al-Anon (for those dealing with alcoholics in their lives) and Overeaters Anonymous. Eventually, they convince Heatley to try a few himself. For lack of a better phrase, he quickly gets hooked. As he explores the euphoric highs and existential crashes of these programs, it becomes apparent that Heatley's newfound outlets of self-exploration risk alienating him from his (extremely understanding) wife and two young children.
Heatley's "warts and all" approach to storytelling can be traced back to his first book, My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down. While that work chronicled Heatley's sexual history in detail, Qualification actually documents the period the artist spent working on that book--and his subsequent disappointment when U.S. sales fell well short of expectations. There should be no repeat this time, as this memoir is a masterful inventory of a life lived in search of intangible purpose. It's difficult material, but the message is striking: whomever we may choose to put our power in, we must start with faith in ourselves. --Zack Ruskin, freelance reviewer