The Best We Could Do Graphic Memoir Q&A + Mini Workship with Thi Bui

I learned some great techniques for oral history interviews ("ask simple, factual questions," "use a prop, like an artifact or photo to get the interviewee to say more") as well as a technique for turning creative nonfiction writing into dialogue or an internal monologue that could be accompanied by images for a comic. While this technique was geared more towards essayists (or for an "English" class), I see how it could be converted into an assignment for a history class. I also learned some visual analysis skills that are specific to comics that I could use in my class. Finally, I learned more from the author (Thi Bui) why she made the narrative and visual choices that she made in her memoir--centering the humanity of her characters and foregrounding a family history of survival during and after the Vietnam War. I found this compelling as the war itself--its geopolitics, especially--can often dominate historical narratives and make it difficult to remember the lived experience, which is in many ways (my view at least) the stuff of history and why history is important (the impact of large historical events on individuals or families).

PS: The photo is a picture of the author's autograph! I asked her to sign my book and received both a signature and sketch.