Deep Magic

David is caught between childhood and adolescence, and his end-of-year play will be an opportunity to step offstage into adulthood...

David is 14—an age at which kids want to be grown-ups but, somehow, without changing too much, too soon. Taking part in the end-of-year play, in which he will play Aslan, the wise and powerful lion who created the world of Narnia, marks a subtle turning point. It's a chance to step into the adult world—or at least a rehearsal for it. It is the moment when the games of childhood lose their appeal, when the playground becomes too small, when we grow a few inches taller. It is the moment of first loves and first secret beers. It is the moment when, off stage and away from prying eyes, we prepare for the role of "grown-up" that we will soon play.

Adding subtle touches with his signature precision, Jon McNaught once again manages to paint a reality that is both indescribable and universal, using sublime words and images to capture the rhythm of nature, the passage of time, adolescence, boredom, and beauty, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. A successor to Richard McGuire or Chris Ware, McNaught's seemingly insignificant moments transport us into the gentle melancholy of our everyday lives.