Studies in Creative Nonfiction: Graphic Memoirs

Description:
In this course, we will examine the genre of graphic memoir and how we tell our stories. We will investigate how stories are told and shaped by blending visual art and prose as a memoir structure.

We will explore and study the artwork and the story contained within. How does the author use visual art and prose to tell their story? Does the artwork add complexity to the narrative or simplify it to assist understanding? What role do graphic elements play in the narrative?

Using these questions as the basis for our collective inquiry, this seminar will also focus on helping you to develop skills and techniques to engage critically with the texts, speak to the relationship between your own work and the work of others, and find new ways to tell your story.

For the generative portion of this course, we will experiment with various methods to tell our stories. Graphic and illustration experience is not required.

This course expects an intensive reading of the assigned texts as well as avid contribution to the community of the classroom via class discussion and exercise participation.

Required Texts:
Alison Bechdel’s Are You My Mother?
Nicole J Georges’ Calling Dr. Laura
Mira Jacob’s Good Talk
Thi Bui’s The Best We Could Do

Recommended Texts:
Brenda Miller’s Tell it Slant

**Note: Course texts are subject to change. Final text list will be available on the syllabus.

The course requires a minimum of four students to run. If we do not reach this minimum before the course starts, you will receive a notification and a refund.