On Thursday, September 29 2016, the freshman convocation was held in the Performing Arts Center, and was centered around Ellen Forney as the guest speaker. Forney was the illustrator for the common reading book from the summer, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part – Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. She explained how Alexie had contacted her and asked if she would be interested in being his illustrator since he was a fan of her previous works. Forney then discussed many topics and ideas with the audience, such as her different styles of drawing and the specific meanings and purposes of each; for example, how more whimsical and loose drawings that seemed to be created more sloppily and quicker presented a different meaning than a formal sketch with proportionate aspects would. Along with the information she was sharing about her illustrating techniques, she also included a presentation with actual illustrations from Alexie’s novel to help give the audience a visual of what she was explaining.

She later discussed her newest book, Marbles, in which she takes the readers through her experience of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and also how she overcame the adversities that came along with receiving the diagnosis. Forney also shared a few illustrations from Marbles as well.

All in all, it was an interesting event to attend, and offered an effective recap of the summer reading and some of the themes that were present within it, as well as get a sense of what some of Forney’s other work looks like. At the end of her presentation, she strongly encouraged the audience to share their stories and experiences with the world, whether it be through writing, pictures, or more specifically, through comics.