James Stevenson, beloved cartoonist for The New Yorker — he created more than 80 covers for the magazine — and the prolific author of over 100 children’s books, is the fascinating subject of Sally Williams’ documentary. Now 84 and still drawing very day, the tireless Stevenson has led a life both charmed and plagued by demons. He rebelled against his patrician New England upbringing, and though he never trained as an artist, he possessed a gift that appeared effortless. An illuminating examination of the creative process, this tribute to a very rare bird is filled with sharp commentary from his colleagues at The New Yorker, interviews with the nine children he struggled to support, and marvelous animated sequences that bring his inimitable drawings to life. As his colleague Kennedy Fraser puts it: “He writes like a visual artist and draws like a poet.”

Director Sally Williams and executive producer Josie Merck are expected to be in attendance on January 3 and 4.