Miserable One Half and Mad the Other: A Graphic History of Alcoholism at The Salutation Pub

I am writing and illustrating a graphic memoir exploring the connections between my family and the Brontës, with alcoholism as a primary focus and my grandparents' former pub, The Salutation in Manchester, at the heart of the narrative. The memoir will trace the history of "The Sally" since its establishment in 1844, examining the impact of place on family identity, and exploring the ways in which familial patterns of dysfunction tend to repeat - a concern at the heart of the Brontë novels. By unearthing the stories of women surrounding the pub who have been the daughters, sisters, and wives of alcoholics, I will examine the relationship of alcoholism to gender, Irishness, trauma, and family. My graphic memoir will merge biography, visual art, literary criticism, and narrative non-fiction.