On Friday, March 22, Dina Mardell, co-owner of Porter Square Books, and CRLS Library Teacher Emily Houston hosted graphic novelist Gareth Hinds for a presentation to over 100 students and teachers in the CRLS Fitzgerald Theater. Mr. Hinds is the creator of critically-acclaimed graphic novels based on literary classics, including
Beowulf, King Lear, Poe: Stories and Poems, and
The Odyssey.
Mr. Hinds' presentation was along the lines of what he described on his website: "a multimedia show & tell about my work, how I got to be a graphic novelist (his artistic journey) and what it’s like. I also touch briefly on my work in the computer game industry. I show examples of my work, all the way from early childhood up to in-progress, not-yet-published books. I show the progression from an idea, a doodle, or an existing text to a finished, published work (showing examples from his latest book, The Iliad), and talk a bit about how I structure my time and stay organized."
He demonstrated how he prepares his first draft of a book's layout with sketches on his computer. He also spoke a bit about his experience prior to being a graphic novelist when he worked in the game industry creating computer game art.
Students asked so many thoughtful questions about everything from his daily work schedule to his recommendations for students hoping to have careers in the arts.
In addition to bringing Mr. Hinds to CRLS, The Porter Square Books Foundation generously donated over 100 signed copies of his newest book, The Iliad. Copies were given to most of the students in attendance as well as to the CRLS Library and English and art classrooms.