Incoming freshmen will be drawn together with 2008’s Summer Reading Program selection, a graphic novel titled “The Complete Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi. “Persepolis” is Satrapi’s memoir, in which she tells the story of her life growing up during Iran’s political and social revolution. She watches her world change around her just as she enters college. “It’s a very different choice from what we’ve done in the past,” said Sarah Liggett, English professor and Student Reading Program committee chairperson. “It’s a focus on the Middle East, which is certainly very much in the news today, and it’s the first summer reading selection to be created by a woman. You see not only what she felt in the words, but you see it in the pictures.” A committee of more than 20 faculty and students began meeting weekly in September to discuss potential books for the Summer Reading Program. The group sifted through more than 200 books before choosing “Persepolis.” “It’s not an easy decision because you’re choosing a book for both faculty and students,” Liggett said. “You’re choosing it for a wide variety of readers, so it’s never without controversy.” Arman Sheybani, biology senior and committee member, said he is particularly interested in the novel because his parents are Iranian. “My parents talk about the same abrupt shift in society and how all of the sudden the government was cracking down on things that were just really commonplace,” he said. Sheybani said he enjoyed reading the book because it provides a distinct perspective about Middle Eastern culture. “It’s something that is commonly misunderstood in our country,” he said. Laura Mullen, English professor and committee member, said she is impressed with Satrapi’s delivers of strong emotions through clean lines paired with black and white drawings. “She does really interesting things with framing,” Mullen said. “She uses a lot of texture. The work is just moving, really.” Liggett said she was easily hooked on the book. “One reason we chose this book was because it was a different genre,” she said. “And I think that’s part of reading in college and learning to read different texts. Some people might say you don’t really need help to read a comic book, but this is much much more than that.” Jan Edwards, English senior, said she had never heard of “Persepolis” before joining the committee but said many students may appreciate the book’s simple format and gripping content. “I didn’t expect myself to relate so well to the main character because it’s set about 30 years ago, and it is in a country really far away that I’ve never been to,” she said. “I was surprised about how much I cared about the character, especially in the part where she first enters the university.” Mullen said the marriage of text and visual elements will attract students to the book. “We’re all of the Internet now,” she said. “We never get a word without an image going with it, so in fact I think this is the direction of our future reading comprehension. It will include both visual literacy and verbal literacy.”
—-Contact Angelle Barbazon at [email protected]