Roz Chast: Drawing From Life | THE THREAD Documentary Series

Roz Chast, the award-winning cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine, has created a world of laughter despite painful circumstances. In this episode of The Thread, Chast describes her far-from-comic childhood without mincing words: “I couldn’t stand my parents. A terrible thing to say, but true.” She highlights the impact of iconic cartoonist Charles Addams on her work and explains how storytelling through cartoons has allowed her - and millions of readers -- to develop empathy, forge meaningful connections, and express the joy of life with her unique gift of humor.
Rosalind Chast is an American cartoonist and a staff cartoonist for The New Yorker. Since 1978, she has published more than 800 cartoons. Roz Chast’s work has appeared in numerous magazines through the years, including The Village Voice, National Lampoon, Scientific American, Harvard Business Review, Redbook Mother Jones and The New Yorker. Chast attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she studied painting. After graduating in 1977 she returned to New York City, where she quickly established her cartooning career. In addition to collections of her New Yorker cartoons, Chast has written and illustrated a range of books. Her latest, Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York (2017), a personalized travel guide to New York City that began as a going-away present to her youngest child, who was moving from the family’s home in Connecticut to attend SVA. Her first memoir, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (2014) won a National Book Critics Circle Award and was shortlisted for a National Book Award.
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Chapter Markers:
00:00 - Opening
00:37 - Growing Up in Flatbush
02:38 - Roz as a Child
03:22 - Relationship with Parents
05:34 - Phobias
06:19 - Getting Into Cartoons
09:13 - Reflective Nature of Roz’s Cartoons
10:35 - Charles Addams’ Influence
14:06 - Parents’ Influence
14:50 - “Drawing What I Know”
16:06 - Moving to Ridgefield
17:37 - Working at New Yorker
23:35 - More on Reflective Nature of Cartoons
24:29 - “I draw a world where…”
26:19 - Growing Old
30:19 - Sharing Wisdom
32:29 - Raising Children
33:45 - Importance of Storytelling
Roz Chast, Cartoonist
Interviewed By: Nancy Steiner
Interview Date: September 6, 2023
© Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
#RozChast #lifestories

[@JamesBond-um9oq]

Lol she's adorable ❤

[@soraidaribot5204]

Love Roz. Didn't know who she was before this, but certainly enjoyed this interview. Real, honest and entertaining. Exceptional work. Even helped me with my internal growth. Thank you.

[@hafftka]

I’ve enjoyed her cartoons for many years so this was a treat to watch and understand her pov as an artist! Thank you