Neil Gaiman’s “Make Good Art” Speech Is Now the “Make Good Art” Book

Remember the University of the Arts commencement speech that went viral last May? “Make Good Art,” as it became known, was delivered by English author Neil Gaiman, and people were pretty much weeping over it in joy. Here’s the bit you’ll remember.

When things get tough, this is what you should do: Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician — make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by a mutated boa constrictor — make good art. IRS on your trail — make good art. Cat exploded — make good art. Someone on the Internet thinks what you’re doing is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before — make good art.

That passage spawned a comic book adaptation, almost immediately afterwards. Now, a year later, you can order the Make Good Art book, which contains the full text of Gaiman’s speech, and is being released Tuesday May 14th. That same night, Gaiman will be back at UArts for a signing and a conversation at 7 p.m. The event, unfortunately, will be limited to UArts students, faculty, staff, and student ID bootleggers who know how to make good art.