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Description
Writer Joshua Kendall will provide an entertaining romp through the remarkable life of cartoonist Garry Trudeau and the past half century of American history during “Trudeau and Doonesbury: The Cartoonist Who Turned the News into Art,” at the New Haven Museum on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 6 p.m. Reception at 5:30 p.m. Free with regular museum admission.
Kendall’s presentation will be based on his latest book of the same title, which will be published on May 26, 2026. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has called this definitive biography of Trudeau, which relies on nearly 100 interviews of prominent baby boomers, including the cartoonist himself, “outstanding,” adding that it “helps us understand how Trudeau became a spokesman for our generation, someone who spoke truth to power while compelling us to laugh along at life’s many absurdities.”
Kendall will talk about the legendary career of Trudeau, who began drawing his iconic strip “Doonesbury” while attending Yale University. At a time when college campus unrest reached a fever pitch across the nation, “Doonesbury” began appearing in papers nationwide in 1970. Events from Watergate to the war in Vietnam fueled the comic’s popularity—and its significance. As former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once put it, “The only thing worse than being in it would be not to be in it.”
Kendall will discuss Trudeau’s early life and what makes him tick and show how “Doonesbury” reflected America back to itself. Kendall will argue that just as Charles Dickens in his novels presented an indelible picture of Victorian England, Trudeau in his comic strips chronicled life in late 20th and early 21st-century America.
Kendall notes that he hopes attendees will gain both a deeper understanding of Trudeau as a person and an appreciation for the influence of his famous comic strip. “We live in an age where political satire itself is under attack, and Garry’s work highlights the value of humor in understanding the world around us,” Kendall says. “As a Yale grad—class of 1981—and like many Yalies of my generation, Garry helped me navigate me through the ups and downs of adulthood.”
About Joshua Kendall
Kendall is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, Politico, The Financial Times and BusinessWeek, among other publications. In addition to his new book on Trudeau, he is also the author of a four other biographies, including “The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster’s Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture.”
About the New Haven Museum
The New Haven Museum has been collecting, preserving and interpreting the history and heritage of Greater New Haven since its inception as the New Haven Colony Historical Society in 1862. Located in downtown New Haven at 114 Whitney Avenue, the Museum brings more than 375 years of New Haven history to life through its collections, exhibitions, programs and outreach. As a Blue Star Museum, the New Haven Museum offers the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, free admission all year. For more information visit http://newhavenmuseum.org or @NewHavenMuseum or call 203-562-4183.
Date & Time
Thu, May 28, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Venue Details
New Haven Museum
114 Whitney AvenueNew Haven, Connecticut 06510
