The Class of 2019 will feature many trailblazers for the University—including those who read an autobiographical graphic novel for their summer reading book.
“Fun Home” has been selected as this year’s summer reading book for incoming freshmen. The book is an autobiographical graphic novel written by cartoonist Alison Bechdel. It chronicles Bechdel’s childhood and her relationship with her father and deals with issues ranging from sexuality to family to mental health.
The book was selected by the Common Experience selection committee, which is composed of students, staff and faculty and which selected the book from a list of recommendations by members of the Duke community. Members of the Class of 2019 will receive copies of a special printing of the book in the mail during the summer.
“I think it will be a great vehicle for conversations among the incoming class about art and storytelling; about personal and sexual identities; about truth and lies, and the harm both can cause; and about judgment and forgiveness,” said selection committee member Simon Partner, a professor of history and director of the Asian/Pacific Studies Institute at Duke, in a Duke News press release Wednesday.
Ibanca Anand, a sophomore and a member of the selection committee, explained in the press release that “Fun Home” was chosen because of the range of issues potentially relevant to incoming freshmen that it covers. Anand also noted that the choice was intended to be a thought-provoking read for students.
“It has the potential to start many arguments and conversations, which, in my opinion, is an integral component of a liberal arts education,” she said.
The selection committee narrowed down the list of recommendations to six finalists, including ‘Fun Home’, before making a final decision. The finalist list included both fiction and non-fiction books.
“Every year we compile a list of Common Experience opportunities recommended by faculty, students and staff, and discuss the merits of each option. After a few rounds of readings and conversations, our committee reduces the list to five or six experiences,” said Jordan Hale, director of New Student Programs and co-chair of the selection committee, in the press release.
‘Fun Home’ has attracted controversy due to its treatment of sexuality and sexual identity. The South Carolina state legislature voted to penalize a public college that assigned the book to incoming freshmen, a move that was opposed by a range of free speech and literary groups.
Bechdel is the author of the comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For” and a 2014 MacArthur Fellow. She is also the namesake of the “Bechdel Test,” which is a measure of gender bias in films.
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