All My Bicycles

In this nonlinear graphic memoir, Powerpaola uses bicycles she's owned as a vehicle to explore the world, her relationships, her memories — and herself.

"A bicycle is a machine that you power yourself. You decide where you want to go," writes cartoonist Powerpaola, as the guiding principle of this graphic memoir. All My Bicycles is a story that never really begins, existing all at once in Paola's memory. The book illustrates Powerpaola's relationships through her many bicycles: in fragments, it takes her back to her great loves and losses, friendships, and disappointments. Powerpaola's memories arrive abruptly and leave just as fast, creating a pathway through herself she can only find in moving forward.

The art style encompasses Paola's melancholy: the dark and beautiful canvas (spotted with bright yellow) needed to hold Paola's powerful reflections. Whether through the bicycle, the manhole, the alligator, or the necklace, Powerpaola reflects on her consciousness without finding a concrete solution. All My Bicycles is a glimpse into how exploring a new city or the end of a relationship is an exploration of self.