Licorice All-Sorts, Definitively Sorted

Just in case you had questions.

Yi Shun Lai
2 min readJul 2, 2020

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For blind and low-vision readers

[This is a graphic narrative about my obsession with Licorice All-Sorts. The header at the top of the picture reads “Licorice All-Sorts/Definitively/Sorted.” There is a little picture accompanying each block of text, so I will describe the picture and then transcribe the handwriting. On the right-hand side of the picture there is a scale running from “yum” to “blech.” All handwriting is in caps.]

[Drawing of pink and sky-blue “pucks” of candy. They look like they’re covered in something.] “Candy coated bits of joy! These are the best! These are eaten with all your attention! They are crunchy & gummy & flavorful, even if their colors are a bit twee. Sometimes the candy pips get stuck in your teeth til later, & then that is just delayed fun! P.S. They are clear jelly under their pink & blue! So pretty!”

[Drawing of some layered square tiles of candy. They are yellow, black, and then white. Tiny lemon slices and a tiny lemon.] “Lemon petit-fours-shaped all-sorts. These are the best of this variety. The lemon is crisp, refreshing!”

[Drawing of a big strawberry. Inside, it reads:] “I think the pink is supposed to be strawberry. But it just tastes PINK to me.”

[Drawings of some pink, black, and white layered candy tiles scattered throughout this text:] “Pink petit-fours-shaped ones! I call these the Neopolitans, because, well, they kinda look like Neopolitan ice cream! and! I want to eat these in layers! Just like I eat the ice cream!”

[Drawing of three brown, black, and white layered candy tiles, stacked in an A-frame:] “Chocolate petit-fours-shaped ones. My least-favorite of this variety! Chocolate flavor makes it too sweet to eat all at once, so I peel them apart. But them I am disappointed in each of the layers! :( sadness :(“

[Four individual tiles of color: Brown, Pink, White, Yellow, Black. Interspersed by these words:] “Individual. Sugar. Shingles. So meh.(from dismantling petit-fours shapes)”

[One pink and two yellow “Flintsone wheels” of candy, with licorice “hubcabs”-looking bits. Skull drawing off to left side:] “Horrible pink and yellow aberrations of candy. Someone’s genius idea of using up the horrible sweetened-coconut dust left at the bottom of the bowl. No one’s teeth need to rattle this much. Eat last, and only by nibbling.”

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Yi Shun Lai

Author: A SUFFRAGISTS’S GUIDE TO THE ANTARCTIC (2024), Pin Ups (2020). Columnist, The Writer. theGooddirt.org; @gooddirt. Psst: Say “yeeshun.” You can do it!