Genre-shaming

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed blogging and putting nonsensical information out on my blog.

As the semester comes to an end, I have been reflecting on syllabi, course content, and how to do ‘things’ better next time ‘round (which is next week... Maymester. I canNOT wait!). I noticed this semester that I ‘lost’ a number of students after a brief stint with graphic novels and reintroduced “great” literature. 

I love books. But I have determined that I am a recovering genre snob. 

I’m currently teaching a very young group of students, so I thought I would engage them with graphic novels. I originally questioned how involved they would be with the topics, the stories, and the content. This experiment with my high schoolers was wildly successful. We read “Anya’s Ghost”, “Persepolis,” and parts of “Maus.” We had engaging conversations about topics that required critical engagement.

So, I guess it’s time to admit that there is merit to eschewing the “greats” and make way for new “greats.” Student response was exceptional, my points were made in the lecture, and students could glean the importance of engaging with the text.