How to Respond to P. Squarzoni’s Climate Changed

Philippe Squarzoni’s graphic memoir is complex. It is at once an autobiography, a book about science, and a work of art. As you will see, Squarzoni moves back and forth between facts about global warming and issues and events in his own life. At times, he includes the opinions of experts and at other times he lets the graphics do the talking.

Your job is to read one section every week (following the schedule) and to comment about that section on the blog. Your posts are due every week on the Wednesday night before Thursday’s class.

Your posts should vary. At times, you might want to discuss something you learned about global warming; at other times you might want to comment on the artwork, or Phillipe’s choices and how they speak to you, or on the movies he refers to. Feel free to raise questions, to probe more deeply, and to tell your own stories in response.

Once you have completed the book, you should think a bit about the way it is structured. Why is there such a focus on beginnings and endings? What do you think Philippe is trying to say?

Finally, it’s great to read through the comments of your classmates and to comment on what they have said. You can do this whenever you want and as many times as you like. But to ensure that everyone will receive at least three responses a week, I will be assigning two specific weeks to each of you. We will go over the timetable for responding in class.