November 12, 2016 - 09:05
I. coursekeeping
Cathy's placing us in Rhodes
On Tuesday, Francesca will take us to Denbigh
By MIDNIGHT on Friday: your next 3-pp. paper, cfing the two texts we're reading this week.
By 5 p.m. Mon: eleventh short posting, on what you'd like us to talk about, and what questions you have, about the assigned material that you'd like us to address in class. [should we try to do this as a webby post????--following up on Amanda's suggestion re: more conversation on serendip, rather than all stand-alone postings?]
For Tues, finish reading Jensen and McMillan's graphic novel
II. (11:30) Review instructions for your final portfolio and checklist
[remind me to do writing workshops!]
III. (11:45) Getting going on the graphic novel....
get into groups of 3, with different folks...
come up with a statement of the thesis of the book
share out
IV. (12:00) play the believing/doubting game
V. (12:15) form the argument takes
playing now with different genres, waying of communiting the problem, urging people to act:
essays (diatribes?), novels (Trojan horses?), science fiction (warnings of the future?)-->
and now comics: earlier experiences w/ this form? access? images and words? effects?
VI. (12: 25) workshopping the paper:
share your initial thoughts with others in your group.
----
Reviews to help us think:
Grade 10 Up–This simply drawn graphic satire is largely message-driven, but the message is still entertaining and thought-provoking. As the lighthearted lead character shares what governments, corporations, and activists tell individual Americans to do to save the Earth, her cynical counterpart exposes the futility of these simple solutions. The truth is, even if each and every one of us switched to compact fluorescent bulbs and became vegetarians it would only be a drop in the bucket compared to the damage corporate and government policies are doing to the world environment. The story that binds these notions together is an upcoming alien invasion and a renegade bunny trying to end animal experimentation. The characters are crudely drawn with bare sets, but this style works in a tale in which the words are carrying so much weight. (The politicians have sharper teeth than the bears.) This book doesn't offer up any real answers to what is clearly portrayed as a frightening state of affairs–it includes an animal uprising. However, it will inflame teens' passion about the environment and possibly open more eyes. --School Library Journal
"McMillan's expressive style, pared down to the basics and intensified over the years, allows for instant communication of thoughtful rage. . . a fast-moving page-turner."-"The Comics Journal"
"In "As the World Burns" the large scope and indictment of every facet of society is, to say the least, thought-provoking."-"Cleveland Free Times"
"Readers exasperated with, or just plain tired of, simplistic guides offering purportedly quick and easy ways to resolve global warming and other momentous concerns of the day will delight in this razor-sharp critique packaged as a cute-kid-and-funny-animal cartoon... Jensen and McMillan roll critical thinking and well-structured graphic-novel storytelling into a compelling whole."-"Booklist"
"A compelling message and an expressive artwork."-"The Sylvanian"
"As the product of the creative marriage of activist philosopher Derrick Jensen and political cartoonist Stephanie McMillan, "As the World Burns" displays trademark qualities of both prof
By doomsdayer520 HALL OF FAME on January 11, 2008
The anarcho-primitive activist and post-civilization philosopher Derrick Jensen really knows how to make an impact. Readers who agree with his general philosophy need not agree with every single one of his positions, though you can't deny that he's very effective at advancing them with deft use of persuasion and polemics. This tongue-in-cheek graphic novel came as a bit of a surprise, because I assumed that the "stay in denial" portion of the title would be directed at anti-environmentalists. On the contrary, the book is actually directed at environmentalists who have fallen for popular rhetoric about how their individual actions (recycling, buying new light bulbs, driving a hybrid, etc.) may actually make a major difference in the health of the planet. I don't totally agree with Jensen's disdain for personal virtue, but it's hard to deny that casual environmentalism detracts attention from the true causes of the world's problems. The status quo in business, economics, and politics is the real problem, and to save the planet we might just need a revolutionary structural overhaul of modern civilization. While this fictional story is simplistic and a bit forced, and comes nowhere near the intelligence and emotion of Jensen's other works, as an entertaining graphic novel the message is quite compelling. The low-key but expressive artwork of political cartoonist Stephanie McMillan surely adds to the effect. Perhaps this type of quick-hitting storytelling, rather than lengthy technical and philosophical screeds, will inspire caring folks to take real action.