With their new book MY BELOVED OTHER: A Memoir of Love, Race, and Optimism in a Time of Denial (23rd St. Books), cartoonist Nick Abadzis and psychotherapist Angela Watson use the story of their biracial marriage to explore racism in the UK and US, and what it means to be seen as Other. We talk about how the book went through 10+ years of drafts before Nick asked Angela to collaborate with him, what they learned about each other over the course of making the book, the casual but deep racism in the UK and the challenge of incorporating the Golliwog character in the book, and how Nick's creative process changed when he integrated Angela's voice. We get into their fathers' immigrant experiences (one banished from Alexandria and the other part of the Windrush Generation), how their first date was almost derailed by a riot against Salman Rushdie, in 1989, Nick's caution in telling their story and Angela's push to go further, how their daughter felt after reading the book, and what it's like to be a biracial (Brit) couple in London vs. NYC. We also discuss Nick's history in comics and his career as a corporate graphic recorder, Angela's experience in psychotherapy and what it's taught her about building narratives, what it was like to live in the US in the Obama years and then the next administration, whether they plan to collaborate again, and more. Follow Nick on Instagram and Bluesky, follow Angela on Instagram, and follow My Beloved Other on Instagram • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Stripe, Patreon, or Paypal, and subscribe to our e-newsletter