Special Topics in Literature and Language

Studies in Comics: The Graphic Memoir

Course Code and Section Number: ENGL-4803-01
MWF 1:00PM-1:50PM
Spring 2021
Instructor: Carlos D. Acosta-Ponce
Weekly Virtual Lectures: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 1:00PM-1:50PM
Office: Zink Hall 318
Office Phone: (918) 631-2810
E-Mail: carlos-acostaponce@utulsa.edu
Office Hours: MWF 11:00AM – 1:00PM or by appointment

Contacting Me

Please contact me via email with questions about course materials or policies. In my experience, larger
issues such as questions about readings, revisions, or assignments are best discussed in one on one
meetings. Therefore, you should come to see me during my office hours if your questions require more
than a one sentence or so response. Please allow at least 24 hours for me to respond to your emails—
longer on weekends.

Detailed Course Description

The formation of identity, perceptions adulthood and coming of age are universal aspects of the life
experience of every individual. Regardless of social, ethnic, or cultural background, the individual is
formed by the cultural, political, and ideological forces that exist in their microsocial and macrosocial
environments. The study of the life narratives of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds is an
excellent tool for deconstructing the homogeneous aspects of the formation of identity, while
understanding the different struggles that an individual can face in the process. Throughout the
semester, students will read several graphic memoirs by authors from several different racial, ethnic,
religious, and ideological backgrounds. These authors also encompass a broad array of social identity
categories, particularly as they pertain to physical disability, gender identity, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic class, and nationality. Among the broad questions this course will explore are: What are
the universal elements, if any, found across these life narratives? How does each author interpret the
crucial aspects of their formation? What role does family play in the process? What does home mean?
How do they cope with adversity and/or status as an outsider? What effect does memory have on our
lives? How do we create our own stories? How do we construct our own identity?

Throughout the course, we will read graphic memoirs by Alison Bechdel, David Small, and more. While
we will work with the questions presented earlier, the course will help you increase your critical thinking
and critical reading skills as we examine both form and theme of literary texts. You will work on various
projects over the course of the semester that will increase your knowledge of literary terms and your
ability to apply them to a literary research assignment which will help you enhance your writing skills.

This course will require that students engage challenging, complex texts and conduct literary analysis.
Furthermore, students are expected to participate in lively, active discussions where they can provide
insights into their relationship with the material.

Page 1
The texts discussed in this class will sometimes contain profanity, nudity, and other adult situations.
None of it will be gratuitous and it will have a purpose. If you believe that this will affect your
participation in this class, come and talk to me. We are all adults here and, as adults, these are things
that you will find in real life a must engage at one point or another.

Finally, RESPECT is one of the most important aspects to academic learning; therefore, respecting your
instructor and your fellow students will be expected of you. Concordantly, disrespect will not be
tolerated. Sometimes class discussion can lead us into some controversial topics, and you may find that
your classmates may have opinions that differ from your own. This type of discussion, if done in a
respectful manner, can be conducive to the formation of new ideas and the advancement of academic
learning. The classroom, therefore, is a place of sharing and safety. No one in the classroom should ever
feel afraid to express their thoughts and opinions in the classroom, as long as it is done in a respectful
manner. If at any point you are being disrespectful, you will be dismissed. On the other hand, if you feel
as if you have been treated poorly, by all means let me know. The bottom line is you should never feel
embarrassed or shy about expressing your opinion.

Texts and Materials

Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Mariner Books, 2015.

Hawthorne, Mike. Happiness Will Follow: A Graphic Novel Memoir. Archaia/BOOM! Studios, 2020.

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. Harper-Perennial, 1994. (Required. Instructor will provide PDF of
the text)

Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. Pantheon, 2003.

Small, David. Stitches: A Memoir. W. W. Norton & Company, 2009.

Thompson, Craig. Blankets. Drawn and Quarterly, 2017.

Gibaldi, Joseph, ed. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: Modern
Language Association of America, 2009. (optional)

A good collegiate dictionary (recommended)

Supplementary readings (provided by instructor)

Additional Materials:
Binder with dividers (for homework, notes, and handouts)
Pencils, pens, and paper
Access to MS Word
Online Course Portal (Harvey)

Page 2
Announcements, quizzes, course materials, and attendance and grade records will be kept on Harvey,
TU’s online course portal. You can access Harvey at http://harvey.utulsa.edu, or by downloading the
Blackboard app to your smartphone. Your login for Harvey is your TU username and the password you
use for email.

Required Coursework

In order to receive credit for this course, all work must be completed. You should have a binder where
you KEEP HAD COPIES OF ALL OF YOUR WORK FOR THE ENTIRE SEMESTER. It is your record of your
achievement and a reference of what you have studied. You will be held responsible for material
covered in missed classes.

Major Assignments

Essay 1: 5-page analysis paper 100

Essay 2: 8-page conference paper 150
Essay 3: 12-page research paper 250
Oral presentation 100
Weekly reflections and peer responses* 150
Daily work and homework 100
Attendance and participation 100
Twitter posts** (#TUgraphicmemoirs21) 50
TOTAL 1000

*Every week (beginning the second week of class) students will post an approximately 150-word
formal written reflection on what they have read. It can be about something they found interesting in
the assigned graphic texts or secondary readings. Students will also briefly (25-50 words) respond to
two (2) of their classmates’ posts. Your posts and peer responses will ALL be due Fridays at midnight

**Since social media has become a de facto source of information for many, this course will also teach
you how to take advantage of the resources social media provides. Every student in this class will
need to have a Twitter account. You can use your existing account or create one exclusively for the
class. Twice a week, students will be required to tweet, or retweet something related to the class
readings, comic books, or any related pop culture item they deem relevant to our class. The point of
this activity is to create an informal conversation space where the students’ own interests can
intersect with the course objectives. These are also due Fridays at midnight.
• First, make sure you follow me on Twitter @cdacostaponce
• Second, “@” me in every tweet.
• Finally, remember to always use the hashtag #TUgraphicmemoirs21 in all your tweets

Other Required Coursework:

One instructor-student writing conferences
Completion of all three major essays

Page 3
Quizzes
Quizzes and short, in-class reading comprehension assignments shall be administered at the discretion
of the instructor and will count towards your daily work grade.

Conferences and Office Hours

You will meet with me in writing conferences at once this semester. Conferencing is required by the
Writing Program and, since I cancel classes the weeks they are held, you will be counted as absent if you
miss one. I also encourage you to meet with me during my office hours. If you need to see me outside
of those hours, please send me an email to set up a time.

Grading

Grading Scale: The University of Tulsa uses the following percentage-to-letter grading scale:

Letter Grade Percentage

A 90 – 100%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
D 60 – 69%
F 00 – 59%

Reviewing Your Grade

You should follow your progress by checking the grade center on Harvey. If you have any questions
about your grade during the semester, please see me during my office hours or send me an email.

Turning in Essays

ALL ESSAYS WILL BE TURNED IN ELECTRONICALLY ON HARVEY.

Attendance
In line with Universal Design for Learning and Accessible Pedagogy, I will not be recording attendance
for online class. My thinking is that I can't assume that all of my students will have regular access to a
computer and to internet, and I want to provide lots of flexibility when it comes to your time, for your
own mental, physical, and emotional health. Some folks will be able to meet synchronously, and some
won't. Some folks will have work or family responsibilities, and some won't. Some folks turn to school
work and deadlines to provide a sense of normalcy and stability, and some can't--for those who can't,
school work and deadlines have to be lower priority than caretaking, ensuring they have shelter,
accessing food and medicine, etc.

Having said all this, since this is a synchronous class, I expect everyone’s best effort to attend at the
allotted time and to actively participate in class.

Late Essays:
Essays must be turned in on time, with the related drafts to receive full credit. Grades for late essays will
be reduced by one letter grade each day after the due date, including weekends and holidays. No essay
will be accepted after three days. Keep in mind that you must turn in all three essays in order to pass the
course. The requirement to write twenty-five pages of revised writing means that outlines and early

Page 4
drafts must be turned in along with the final draft of each essay. Essay assignments with no outline or
rough drafts will not be accepted.

Nota Bene
While I am more than happy to answer emails with questions about specific parts of assignments, please
do not contact me to make sure your work is “OK,” especially right before a deadline. This is not fair to
me or the other students, and you will receive much better help if you meet with me during my office
hours or make an appointment with a tutor in the Writing Center.

PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TO HELP

Writing Center (https://utulsa.mywconline.com)

The university provides resources to help you as you work to successfully complete your written
assignments. You should use these, especially the Writing Center on the 3rd floor of McFarlin Hall
(above the coffee shop). Staff can help with finding habitual grammatical errors, improving thesis
statements, generating ideas, developing paragraphs, and improving style. You should register and make
appointments at https://utulsa.mywconline.com. Appointments available online.

McFarlin Library https://utulsa.edu/mcfarlin-library/

McFarlin Library, TU’s “Academic Town Square,” provides students and faculty with access to millions of
information resources (books, journals, multimedia, etc.) that support teaching learning and research in
all academic disciplines at TU. These include hundreds of thousands of electronic resources, such as e-
books, journals, and reference databases, that can be accessed via the TU campus network anytime day
or night. The library’s experienced research staff are willing, able and available by email, text, phone or
in person to assist students in learning the “ins and outs” of academic research to support the
development of writing skills as well as critical thinking skills that are essential to doing good college
level work. Appointments available online.

Student Success Team - https://utulsa.edu/student-academic-support/

All students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with and take advantage of services provided by
The Student Success Team, including Student Access, Student Success Coaching, and tutoring. To
request a student success coach to improve study skills, email successcoaches@utulsa.edu. To request a
tutor, email tutoring@utulsa.edu.

Student Access - https://utulsa.edu/student-academic-support/disability-services/

Students who have or believe they may have a disability and would like to set up accommodations
should contact Student Access within the Student Success Team to discuss their needs and facilitate
their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and related laws. Student Access provides private
consultations to any student. Contact Student Access staff by email at studentaccess@utulsa.edu or by
phone at 918-631-2315. The online application for accommodations may be obtained here. Student
Access staff will assist students in the implementation of approved accommodations. Students who
qualify for accommodations should meet with the instructor privately (during office hours or by
appointment) as soon as possible to arrange for their needs and obtain support for the class.

Interpersonal Violence-Title IX Statement

Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender is a Civil Rights offense
subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against
other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been

Page 5
assaulted, harassed, stalked, or if you have questions about violence prevention there are several
resources available to you:

Office of Violence Prevention: 918-631-2324

Coordinator Kelsey N. Hancock,
TU Counseling and Psychological Services: 918-631-2200
Campus Security: 918-631-5555
Domestic Violence Intervention Services: 918-631-2965
or 24-hour line 918-746-5763
Tulsa Police Department: 918-596-9222
The University of Tulsa’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct:
If you have other questions that are not answered here, please visit our webpage, or call the Violence
Prevention Coordinator at 918-631-2324. They will be happy to answer any questions and provide you
with the resources you need. Every student on our campus has the right to resources, please come
forward and ask questions, report, and help us eradicate interpersonal violence by stopping the silence
surrounding it. More resources at https://utulsa.edu/sexual-violence-prevention-education/.

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

Plagiarism is grounds for failure of this (or any other) course and dismissal from the University. Rules
against plagiarism are meant to ensure that students are applying themselves freshly to every
assignment, that they are completing their own assignments, and that they are respecting the
intellectual property of others. In an environment where writers work closely with one another, it is
important to understand the boundaries between collaboration and plagiarism. You are expected to
present your own work, properly documented. Keep all of your preparatory work (drafts, notes, and
prewriting) for each assignment. I may freely question you about work that does not seem to be your
own.

Plagiarism is presenting as one’s own efforts the work of someone else without proper
acknowledgement of that source. Plagiarism is presenting as one's own efforts the work of someone
else without proper acknowledgment of that source. Exact copying is to be enclosed in quotation marks
with an appropriate indication of its origin. Paraphrasing, wherein the basic sentence structure,
phraseology, and unique language remain the same, is also plagiarism. The failure to acknowledge
unique, unusual, or new ideas and facts not the product of one's own investigation or creativity is
plagiarism. When in doubt in a particular course on these matters, it is the student's responsibility to
seek guidance from the instructor of the course.

We will discuss various types of plagiarism early in the semester. If at any time you have questions
about crediting information and documenting sources, please ask the instructor. We will discuss your
rights and responsibilities within an academic community, how to present and document your own
work, and ways to distinguish carefully between your ideas and those of others.
Please note that the definition of plagiarism refers to all work (homework, rough drafts, journals posted
on Harvey).

At a minimum, students who cheat will receive "no credit" (a score of zero) on the assignment in
question; but students may also be dismissed from the course and automatically assigned a grade of F.

Students must sign a statement provided by the instructor that indicates that they understand the
concept and the consequences of plagiarism.

Page 6
Relevant Academic Misconduct Policies
Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences https://portal.utulsa.edu/colleges/arts-and-
sciences/FacultyAcademicForms/Undergraduate-Academic-Misconduct-Policy[1].pdf
Collins College of
Business https://portal.utulsa.edu/colleges/business/SiteAssets/SitePages/Academic%20Misconduct/Ac
ademicMisconductPolicy-10-16-2016%20(1).pdf
College of Engineering and Natural Sciences https://portal.utulsa.edu/colleges/engineering-and-natural-
sciences/_layouts/15/start.aspx#/SitePages/ENS%20Undergraduate%20Academic%20Misconduct%20P
olicy.aspx
Oxley College of Health Sciences https://portal.utulsa.edu/colleges/health-
sciences/Policies/CHS%20Academic%20Misconduct%20Policy.pdf
College of Law https://portal.utulsa.edu/colleges/law/Shared%20Documents/TU_Law_Honor_Code.pdf
Graduate
School https://portal.utulsa.edu/colleges/graduate/Shared%20Documents/Graduate%20School%20Aca
demic%20Misconduct%20Policy-%20August%202017.pdf

Tentative Class Schedule

I reserve the right to alter this document in any way to meet the evolving demands of the course. For
your benefit and mine, I try to be as flexible as possible in this course. I will inform you of any changes,
and the most updated copy of this syllabus can always be found on Harvey. The schedule, and the
details given in the schedule, will change in response to the specific needs of our class. Changes are also
noted by announcements on Harvey and/or via email. Please pay attention to updates given in class and
posted on Harvey. Additionally, given the uncertain global circumstances we are facing, I have
contingencies in place to turn this class into a remote course if necessary.

Week Date What’s Due What You Should Know

Week One: 1/20 Discussion of syllabus,
Course Introduction class requirements,
general overview
1/22 Reading Due: McCloud, Introduction to comic
Chapters 1 - 3 studies, the graphic
memoir, and
autobiographical studies

Week Two: 1/25 Read: Persepolis Discussion of text

Memory, Guilt, 1/27 Read: Persepolis Discussion of text
Immigration and 1/29 Read: Persepolis Discussion of text
Displacement
Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
Week Three: 2/1 Read: Persepolis First in-person class
Discussion of text

Page 7
Memory, Guilt, 2/3 Read: Persepolis Discussion of text
Immigration and 2/5 Read: Persepolis Discussion of text
Displacement
Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
Week Four: 2/8 Read: Stitches Discussion of text
Parenthood, 2/10 Read: Stitches Discussion of text
Disability and 2/12 Read: Stitches Discussion of text
Creativity
Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
Week Five: 2/15 Read: Stitches Discussion of text
Parenthood, 2/17 Read: Stitches Discussion of text
Disability and 2/19 Read: Stitches Discussion of text
Creativity
Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
Week Six: 2/22 Read: Fun Home Discussion of text
Queerness, 2/24 Read: Fun Home Discussion of text
Womanhood and 2/26 Read: Fun Home Discussion of text
Family
Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM

PAPER ONE DUE ON

HARVEY BY 11:59PM
Week Seven: 3/1 Read: Fun Home Discussion of text
Queerness, 3/3 Read: Fun Home Discussion of text
Womanhood and 3/5 Read: Fun Home Discussion of text
Family
Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM

Page 8
Week Eight ONE ON ONE MEETINGS
3/8 – 3/12
WEEKLY REFLECTION DUE ON HARVEY ON 3/12 BY 11:59PM
Week Nine: 3/15 Read: Blankets Discussion of text
Masculinity, Religion 3/17 Read: Blankets Discussion of text
and Identity 3/19 Read: Blankets Discussion of text

Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
Week Ten: 3/22 Read: Blankets Discussion of text
Masculinity, Religion 3/24 Read: Blankets Discussion of text
and Identity 3/26 Read: Blankets Discussion of text

Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
Week Eleven: 3/29 Read: Blankets Discussion of text
Masculinity, Religion 3/31 Read: Blankets Discussion of text
and Identity 4/2 Read: Blankets Discussion of text

Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
Week Twelve: 4/5 Read: Happiness Will Discussion of text
Migration, Family Follow
and Cultural Identity 4/7 Read: Happiness Will Discussion of text
Follow
4/9 Read: Happiness Will Discussion of text
Follow

Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
Week Thirteen: 4/12 Read: Happiness Will Discussion of text
Migration, Family Follow
and Cultural Identity 4/14 Read: Happiness Will Discussion of text
Follow

Page 9
 4/16 Read: Happiness Will Discussion of text
Follow

Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
SPRING BREAK 4/19 – 4/23
Week Fourteen: 4/26 Oral Presentations

PAPER TWO DUE ON

HARVEY BY 11:59PM
4/28 Oral Presentations
4/30 Oral Presentations

Twitter posts due

WEEKLY REFLECTION
DUE ON HARVEY BY
11:59PM
FINAL 5/3 Oral Presentations
PRESENTATIONS
Day of Final Exam 5/11 FINAL PAPERS DUE BY NOON

Page 10