you are here

This phrase, along with a bullet or marker, often appears on maps which occupy a fixed position, as in the lobby of a building or among a labyrinthe of buildings on a campus. The idea is that a "you are here" marker helps you figure out where you (and the map) are in relation to other features on the map.

Graphic novel by Kyle Baker. Copyright 1999 by Kyle Baker; published by DC/Vertigo. Full-color.

Plot synopsis: Life is good for Noel Coleman. For the past year, he's been a successful artist living in upstate New York with his beautiful girlfriend Helen. Thing is, he hasn't exactly been honest with her about his past. Our story begins as Noel is headed back to the city to sell his apartment. Along the way he runs into his old crony Oscar, who introduces Noel to his stripper girlfriend, Tracy, and generally shows him a good time in the city it turns out Noel's missed quite a bit. Only then it turns out Noel's return to New York has coincided with the release of "Arbor Day killer" Vaughan Dreyfuss from prison --- and Vaughan is not content with having only murdered his wife, Serena, for having an affair with Noel. Noel makes to get the hell out of New York (especially when it turns out he's wanted by the police), only to meet Helen at his apartment, with big news. Will she find out about Noel's seedy past? Will they make it out of the city alive? Only time will tell, but along the way quite a bit of hilarity ensues. Baker's drawing and sense of humor are both in fine form; this is good stuff.

Dolores was feeling lost.

She'd spoken with psychiatrists, psychics, priests, shamans, drug dealers, pharmaceutical reps, genealogists, deconstructionists, ascetics, hedonists, general practitioners, herbalists, and none could point a path out of her massive debt, depression, loneliness, insufficiency, social anxiety, and insecurity over her breast size, waist size, nose size, ass size, and hair style. The last person she saw was a zen monk named Steve. She found him in a cloud of incense and proceeded to unload her massive dissatisfaction and despair. Steve nodded, smiled, and didn't say a word.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" whined Dolores. "I feel so lost."

Steve looked concerned, then said, "this might help" and handed her a folded piece of paper.

_{PostcardQuest2011
My picture: you are here, a cropped version of a photo found in gnarl's flikr stream.}