University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries Special Collections and University ArchivesUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries Collection
N. C. Christopher Couch oral history interview with Jessica Adamites
Item Information
- Title:
- N. C. Christopher Couch oral history interview with Jessica Adamites
- Description:
-
Interview with UMass Amherst professor of comparative literature. (00:00:20) Undergraduate work at Columbia and study of Art History; early interest in science fiction through his parents; interest in African art; Boasian traditional of cultural relativism at Columbia and strength of anthropology, art history, and culture (took classes with Marvin Harris, Margaret Mead); graduate study at Columbia after break; link to salon including faculty and grad students from several disciplines; research in Mexico with widow of Manuel Alvarez Bravo; learning about Mexican comics.(00:09:00) Interest in teaching and research in comic books, graphic novels, and popular culture as part of art history. (00:11:07) Recruitment to Comparative Literature in UMass; moved to area with Kitchen Sink Press and discussion with William Moebius, started teaching part-time in 1997; teaching popular arts in Comp Lit versus Art History. (00:17:00) Atmosphere of Comp Lit department since Couch's arrival: Moebius and attempts to establish international word and image group; opportunities and international dimension of the department, collegiality of Cathy Portugues and David Lenson. (00:20:10) Student response to classes on comic art; (00:24:00) questions from the Gen Ed Council of the Faculty Senate over whether the class fosters critical thinking dispelled; classes, exams, teaching assistants. (00:29:55) Students and trends in comic book art. (00:32:30) Work at Kitchen Sink Press; Dennis Kitchen; editing at the press; working with Will Eisner, a true genius, regrets only not working with Eisner as a scholar; working on The Crow series; organizing conference in 1998 on Eisner. (00:43:30) Seminar on international graphic novels; teaching at the other Five Colleges vs. UMass; Jewish tradition and comics. (00:49:50) Curating exhibitions in addition to teaching; natural history; library exhibitions, fighting antisemitism in comics and Eisner, brought Eisner to UMass twice, including announcing publication of his last book, The Plot. (00:55:00) Work and teaching on Eisner and antisemitism and Jews in comics; Yiddish culture, Eisner, and comics; History of the Jewish Graphic Novel (class); affiliation with both Native American studies and Judaic Studies at UMass. (00:57:30) Plans for the future in teaching and research; current projects.
- Interviewee:
- Couch, N. C. Christopher
- Interviewer:
- Adamites, Jessica
- Date:
-
June 5, 2013
- Format:
-
Audio recordings (nonmusical)
- Genre:
-
Oral histories (document genres)
- Location:
-
Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries
Box 001 (shelf locator) - Collection (local):
-
UMass Amherst Sesquicentennial Oral History Collection
UMass Amherst Oral History Collection
- Series:
- Academics
- Subjects:
-
University of Massachusetts Amherst--History
University of Massachusetts Amherst--Faculty
Antisemitism in art
Comic books, strips, etc.
Graphic novels
University of Massachusetts Amherst. Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Program in Comparative Literature
Kitchen Sink Press
Eisner, Will
Kitchen, Dennis
Lenson, David, 1945-
Moebius, William, 1941-
- Extent:
- 01:05:05
- Link to Item:
- http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/murg1_207_2013-i020
- Terms of Use:
-
Requests to publish, redistribute, or replicate this material should be addressed to Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst Libraries.
Contact host institution for more information.
- Place of origin:
-
Amherst (Mass.)
- Language:
-
English
- Identifier:
-
murg1_207_2013-i020