100.
Author: Marjane Satrapi
Title: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
publication: Paperback
Pages: 153
Genre: Comic
Acquisition: Work text
Date: December 27, 2011
Rating: ****1/2
In October of 2011 I attended a conference called "Contentious Issues in Composition," focusing on - you guessed it - common debates that pop up in community college English departments.* One panel I attended discussed the potential use of graphic novels in the classroom, and, while the discussion itself was not well planned, the presenter's knowledge was clear, and I was introduced to some amazing works that I agreed held a lot of potential. So, always happy to experiment with the design of my course and the materials I use, I took the leap and settled on Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood as the final text for my spring lit/comp courses.
When I began Satrapi's book (the first in a series of four), I was immediately struck by her narrative voice, and the familiar-yet-alien culture in which she grew up. My own experience with graphic novels is limited to a few flops ("classics," The Watchmen, and a few others), and a few successes (most memorably Fun Home), and so I approach her text primarily as a student of the genre. I found the book to be thought-provoking and moving, as well as informative. The stark illustrations are as captivating as they are simple, and provide food for thought on the equality (or lack thereof) of human existence.
In the end, I am very satisfied with my choice, and I look forward to discussing the work in the classroom in April.
*I actually presented at this conference on the response of English faculty to social networking and the evolution of the language as influenced by technology. It was a great experience, and I'm building on my arguments for a second conference next week.
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