Panel Discussion on Gregory Michie's "Holler If You Hear Me: Comic Edition" - Bill Ayers

“It is a great and marvelous thing to be reminded that to change the world we need only to change ourselves. Greg Michie and his students give me that hope.” ― Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street

Since it was first published in 1999, Gregory Michie's Holler If You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and His Students has become one of the most enduring teacher memoirs of our time. Now, Michie's classic text has been adapted by artists in a stunning, new comic edition. Join us for a panel discussion, moderated by Bill Ayers, with Gregory Michie and illustrators Deon Reed, Xena Lopez, Isabelle Dizon, Citlali Perez, Stephany Jimenez, Hennessy Morales, August Abitang, and Dalin Dohrn in celebration of the publication of Holler If You Hear Me: Comic Edition.

At 57th Street Books

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About the book: This graphic memoir of teaching in urban America is a brilliant reimagining of the classic text by Gregory Michie, Holler If You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and His Students. Michie is joined by illustrator Ryan Alexander-Tanner and 10 artists—most of them young people of color from Chicago—to bring a fresh, vibrant energy to the original tale of struggle and hope in the classroom. First published in 1999, the text has become one of the most enduring teacher memoirs of our time. Using comics to tell the story, this edition weaves back and forth, like the original, between Michie’s awakening as a young teacher and the first-person stories of his students. Set in 1990s Chicago, but startlingly relevant today, this powerful adaptation of a long-time educator favorite is sure to inspire a new generation of teachers, students, and anyone who is concerned about the future of public education.

About Gregory Michie: Gregory Michie teaches 7th- and 8th-graders in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood. He is the author, most recently, of Same as It Never Was: Notes on a Teacher’s Return to the Classroom.

About William Ayers: William Ayers is Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago (retired), education and social justice activist, and bestselling author such books as Teaching the Taboo: Courage and Imagination in the Classroom (with Rick Ayers), To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher, Third Edition, as well as the memoirs Fugitive Days and Public Enemy.

About August Abitang: August Abitang likes to create things.

About Dalin Dohrn: Dalin Dohrn was born in New York and now lives in Chicago, with her family and two exceptionally stupid cats. Holler if you hear me is her first graphic novel. 

About Hennessy Morales: Hennessy Morales is currently a 15-year-old sophomore in high school who grew up in urban neighborhoods. Along with perfect drawings with no flaws (…), they also enjoy playing the ukulele, writing, reading and generally living like a hermit crab.

About Stephany Jimenez: Stephany Jimenez is a CPS art teacher who teaches in the Back of the Yards Neighborhood. She was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago like most of her students and hopes to make a profound impact in their lives as her teachers did for her. 

About Xena Lopez: Xena Lopez is a self-taught artist based in Chicago. Whilst pursuing a degree in the Fine Arts and in Biology, she also serves as the President of the Artists Association at Northeastern Illinois University.

About Deon Reed: Deon Reed is a multidisciplinary artist based in Chicago IL. He focuses on the dichotomy and similarities of human nature and logic. He started a creative collective and is currently working on that.

About Citlali Perez: Citlali Perez is a proud hija de padres inmigrantes. She grew up in Back of The Yards and comes from a big family of eight. She graduated from Back of the Yards High School and now attends DePaul University thanks to her mentors. Her interest in art was influenced by her dad who had to give up drawing for demolition. She believes in the abolition of ICE, borders, police and prisons.

About Isabelle F. Dizon: Isabelle F. Dizon is a 17-year-old seniro at Lindblom Math and Science academy in Chicago. Driven by cartoon storytelling and her culture, Isabelle chose to illustrate Nancy's story in "Holler if You Hear Me."