How do word balloons and pictures interact in a comics panel? How does a caption or a title influence how we look at a painting or a photograph? How do the typography and the layout of a text affect how we read the words? Drawing on examples from literature, comics, visual arts, and photojournalism, this course will lead students through a variety of reading and writing assignments that focus on the interaction of text and image. Readings will include graphic novels,such as Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Maus by Art Spiegelman; Futurist and Constructivist propaganda posters by early Soviet artists; comics paintings by Roy Lichtenstein; and typographic poems by John Hollander, e.e. cummings, and Christian Bök. The goal of this First Year Writing Course is to prepare students for a variety of writing tasks they will encounter at the University of Michigan and beyond.

Course Requirements:

Requirements for the course include four essays of varying lengths focusing on the above skills, adding up to 20-25 pages in total. In lieu of a fourth essay, students could also opt for an open-ended creative final project as a reflection on the course theme.

Class Format:

Students will work together in a series of individual drafts and peer writing workshops to develop their skills in close analysis, critical summary, comparison, research, and argumentation.