Graphic novels: are they just long comics or a genre of their own? Hang on to your hats and get ready for a nerdy romp through the world where art and writing intersect!
This summer Stonington Public Library will unlock the magic of graphic novels, offering a six-week graphic novel workshop led by Molly Gotwals, a Stonington summer resident since 1985. An English teacher who has developed a graphic novels curriculum, Molly is excited to partner with SPL and share her passion for graphic novels with the island community.
Workshop participants will read and discuss four graphic memoirs in weekly sessions and then create their own graphic story to be presented in the last session. SPL will lend students the books and provide access to Plasq Comic Creation software on SPL computers. Plasq Comic Creation will be available to all patrons with priority given to students for the duration of the workshop. The software is provided thanks to a gift from Plasq. The workshop is generously underwritten by a donation from Rich and Mary Howe, extending SPL’s rich array of free programming.
The workshop will meet at SPL on Mondays from 2-3pm beginning July 17 and running through August 21. Prior to all class discussions, students will read select chapters (to be assigned) from Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud for a common foundation in the visual and textual language of graphic novels. The discussion schedule starts with Are You Listening? by Tille Walden (July 17) and continues with The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui (July 24), Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (July 31), and The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (August 7). Students will present their graphic stories in the final class on August 21. Participants must be at least 16 years old. Since there are a limited number of spaces in the workshop, anyone interested should email stonington.public.library@gmail.com or call 367-5926 by 6pm EDT on Thursday, June 15, to apply. All applicants will be notified on or before Tuesday, June 20.