1. What led you to comics?
Teaching language arts at the high school level, I created a curriculum that opened up the world of "English" beyond the standard "reading passages and questions", excerpts from basal readers and dusty anthologies, and even novels. I wanted my students to be able to critically engage with stories and text in all forms, especially the ones they were consuming regularly, often passively. They knew they "liked" something - a tv show, an ad, a song, a music video - but they couldn't really articulate why. They didn't have the foundational understanding of how text and media engage, provoke, stimulate, cajole, trick, deceive, and connect with audiences. I knew that if they could learn about how texts function and how they are created, how they differ and compare, they would become empowered consumers ... AND CREATORS of compelling texts. So, I taught units on songwriting, how to craft a television show script, and of course, the graphic novel. I was new to studying some of these forms myself - especially comics and graphic novels - and used it as an opportunity to dive into a new medium myself and discover its unique powers.
When I taught my first graphic novel - the graphic memoir Persepolis by Marjane Satrapu - back in the early 2000s, I discovered that once students learned about the power of visual narrative tools and techniques, they were telling stories they were never able to tell before. The medium gave them the bravery to explore memories and experiences because they didn't have to rely on finding the right words to describe/narrate complexities they were still grappling with. The combination of words and pictures - and techniques like abstracted icons, gutter jumps, changes in visual perspective - gave them necessary communicative tools. I saw students use the form to explore tensions, fears, and joy. I saw them use it to communicate to their peers and teachers their own struggles with learning, academics, and friendships. After that experience, I knew I had to incorporate comics and graphic novels in every class I would teach. Our students need access and opportunities to explore as many communication tools as possible if we want them to be brave and original thinkers and creators.
2. Please tell us about what inspired Hacking Graphic Novels and why teachers might want to add this book to their libraries.
It all started with a comment on one of Jennifer Gonzalez's Twitter posts. She had reshared an old article about graphic novels, and I shared a little of what I just described about the impact teaching graphic novels had on my students. She was so intrigued she invited me to write a longer post about the experience. As I was writing the post, I revisited my old lessons and copies of student work and started thinking more deeply about why the experience of studying graphic novels created such brave storytellers in my students. I learned so much - too much to put in a blog post - that Jenn recommended I publish a book on this topic. I was already familiar with several popular resources for teachers who want to use graphic novels in the classroom, and I wanted add value to this growing collection by tackling some common challenges with teaching graphic novels with some innovative "hacks". I love the Times 10 Publications "hack learning" series because it approaches large teaching concepts and offers new perspectives on solutions but with very actionable steps that teachers can implement the very next day. In my book, I also end every chapter - or "hack"- with an example of the hack in action in a real classroom. I got to interview dozens of teachers - kinder through higher ed - and spotlight the specific ways they are using this medium to promote higher level thinking.
3. Any “go to” graphic novels that you’ve found especially useful?
I think a great starting point is to look at what students are already reading and exposed to. In the younger grades, that could be Raina Telgemeier's books, or Shannon Hales, or Jerry Craft's. In the older grades, that might be anything by Gene Luen Yang, or the graphic novel version of a popular novel like Laurie Halse Anderson's graphic adaptation of Speak. But I like to emphasize exposure to a wide range of styles, genres, and techniques. I want students to see how the medium can be adapted, how flexible it is, and how to boldly experiment with it. So I will show excerpts from graphic biographics, graphic medicine texts, graphic novels about climate change, trauma, or ones that rewrite history from different perspectives. I do like to start with what students are already reading so that they can start engaging with things they "like" in sophisticated and deep - and ultimately more rewarding - ways.
4. Where do you feel graphic novels fit in literacy/ELA teaching?
Graphic novels are NOT just about engaging reluctant readers or giving language learners a scaffold for the text-dominant version of a story. They are for interrogating how images and text work interdependently to communicate more than what either could accomplish alone. They invite higher-level learning opportunities because they challenge students to think abstractly, to make inferences about what is happening in between the frames, and to carefully consider the impact of each design and textual element or choice. If this were drawn from a bird's eye view perspective, what would be the impact on me as a reader? And why did the author choose to use a close-up perspective instead? Beyond those analytical skills, students gain experience with visual communication techniques that will be key to any field they enter, and help them become intelligent consumers of media.