2008/02/28 New York
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Comic book

13- and 14-year-olds

This morning while eating my breakfast I thought for various reasons about the Holocaust. This is not something that happens on a regular basis.
The main reason was an article in the arts section of the Times by Michael Kimmelman about Holocaust education in Germany.
A new history text book has been introduced there, part of a trial program, to teach 13- and 14-year-olds about the Holocaust, a comic book.
It’s easy to ridicule this idea, but who knows maybe it works.
Maybe it works better than sending children to Buchenwald, as is a plan in Belgium. Or having children adopt a Jewish kid that got killed in the holocaust, as Sarkozy proposed recently.
I don’t know how the ideal holocaust education would look like, but I would like to sit in on some of these lessons when 13- and 14-year-olds somewhere in Germany are being taught about this subject.
So when a German high school teacher reads this…


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10 comments Last_comment
The dawning are very well done, in the typical Belgian ‘clear line’ style. It looks good.
And now behave in the classroom, Arnon!
said Jan Thys 28/02/2008 08:32 • x
On The Asylum Seeker
Given the success of ‘The Jewish Messiah’, I presume that the ‘The Asylum Seeker’ is inevitably to be released in the Anglo-Saxon world in the – not so distant – future.

Is this presumption false? Thank you
said Pjötr Nembkow 28/02/2008 09:12 • x
Do not foget pictures
I think comics can be useful. Comics attract the youngsters so that can learn about the story of the Holocaust. Besides comics pictures are needed to fully realize the horrors of the Holocaust. A comic alone will not have the same impact I think.

Arnon, do not drop out again if you are invited, get your diploma!
said Richard van Tol 28/02/2008 11:59 • x
If you ask me the children should be confronted with the worst possible images possible. Why come with eufemism and softer teachings? It will teach them not to joke around on subject matter like this. Also, I think they should watch The Grey Zone instead of Schindlers' List.
said Joep Smaling 28/02/2008 12:49 • x
Pjötr
The next book coming out in the UK is the translation of “Amuse Gueule.”
I guess the US publisher will publish “Tirza” before “The Asylum Seeker.”
If you want to Johannes can keep you updated.
By the way you can read an extract from “the Asylum Seeker” on Words Without Borders:
http://www.wordswithoutborders.org/?lab=Asylum
said Arnon Grunberg 28/02/2008 16:38 • x
Arnon
In this extract - the word 'you' is missing in the sentence 'what do you want me to say.' It probably doesn't matter as long as it's not printed.
I'll go back to reading Sebald now.
said Margot Morgan 28/02/2008 20:02 • x
I've never read it myself, but there is supposed to be a good comic on the holocaust: it's called "Mauss"
said dries vc 29/02/2008 13:24 (Updated 17:00) • x
Dries
Arnon already read it.
said Margot Morgan 29/02/2008 17:56 • x
Thank you , Arnon.
said Pjötr Nembkow 29/02/2008 18:55 • x
Dries
Maus by Art Spiegelman is recommended. It has been translated into many languages. Maus is by no means the only graphic novel about the holocaust. Last year during “the salon du livre” I bought a graphic novel called “Auschwitz” in Paris. The book is presently in my apartment in Dublin, so I cannot tell you more about it.
said Arnon Grunberg 29/02/2008 21:38 • x
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