Department of English

This course analyzes acclaimed autobiographical graphic narratives--also called nonfiction comics or graphic memoirs--from a transnational and global perspective, focusing on works from East Asia, Latin America, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. The course will include academic research essays, a short presentation, film screenings, and guest artists and lectures. In addition, the class will conclude with a hands-on creative project which allows students to use the skills they learned and apply it towards the creation of short non-fiction graphic essays. The class will be fundamentally participatory: students will take part in the creation of the syllabus, and each student will lead a discussion based on a graphic memoir entirely of their choosing. We will also have guest speakers who are cartoonists, academics, or both.