Published exclusively for the Thornwillow Dispatch, this short story, complete with Chast’s iconic and unconventional drawings, chronicles the survival of a scrappy community which comes together following the ‘Blammo’ Apocalypse. This community adapts, and eventually thrives, in the sole edifice left standing: the Upton Mall. In “How We Survived,” Roz Chast captures a zeitgeist by situating this fantasy in the tension between hope and desolation. “How We Survived” is a story of hope for a world seemingly without any.
“How We Survived” was included in the Thornwillow Dispatch in August 2021. To support and subscribe to future publications like this one, visit https://thornwillow.com/thornwillow-dispatch
“How We Survived” was published in July 2021 in an edition of 500 Classic Edition copies bound in letterpress printed paper wrappers; 150 Patrons’ Edition copies bound in handmade paste papers and individually numbered and signed by the publisher and Roz Chast; and 24 half-leather copies bound in Moroccan leather with handmade paste paper boards, each individually numbered and signed by the publisher and Roz Chast.