Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2025
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Illustration & Visual Culture
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
The addictive qualities of our phones and incessant demands on our attention pose consequential challenges to individuals and the collective. In the age of screens, what are illustrated nonfiction books uniquely positioned to offer modern audiences? This essay seeks to understand how the genre can serve as one possible antidote to the infinite scroll. I examine the qualities of three illustrated nonfiction texts: Abbi Jacobson’s I Might Regret This, Shaina Feinberg and Julia Rothman’s How We Got By, and Nora Krug’s Diaries of War. The essay considers how the slower pace of the reading experience, the careful curation of image and text, and the factual nature of the stories may serve as a reparative force for our frayed nerves.
Language
English
Program Chair
John Hendrix
Recommended Citation
Klaras, Katie, "Illustrated Nonfiction in the Screen Age" (2025). MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture. 45.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_illustration/45