English 283 - Graphic Narrative

This course will examine form and theme in the graphic narrative. Focusing on a small group of contemporary memoirs and novels, we will also analyze some antecedents, such as the early twentieth-century 'wordless novel'; relevant works in other media, such as documentary film; and selected secondary criticism. Topics will include: relations between word and image; constructions of time, space, and sequence; representations of gender and sexuality; depictions of memory, archive, and history. Authors, filmmakers, and critics may include Barry, Bechdel, Chute, Eisner, McCloud, Pekar, Satrapi, Spiegelman, Ward, and Ware.

Course limited to sophomores, juniors and seniors