Wake Now in the Fire: A Graphic Novel
Jarrett Dapier, A.J. Dungo (illustrator)
Description (from Kirkus Reviews): When Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir Persepolis is abruptly pulled from classrooms in Chicago Public Schools, a diverse ensemble of teens at Curtis Tech express their outrage. Best friends Aoife and Kendall plan a walk-out protest. Student journalists Xochitl and Jackson are determined to use the power of the press to make a stand. The ban brings up painful memories for Stanford-bound senior Weston, who’s aware, thanks to traumas in his personal history that are mirrored by events in Satrapi’s book, of the risks of speaking out. Aditi, an immigrant who works hard to make her parents’ sacrifices worthwhile, is jolted into re-evaluating the cost of achievement. Meanwhile, teachers push back in their own ways, fostering conversations about freedom of access and the motivations behind censorship. As the movement gains national attention, Aoife and Kendall’s friendship is tested, but they—along with the other students—begin to realize the power and potential that they hold.
I heard an NPR story about Wake Now in the Fire and came away with a misunderstanding: that this graphic novel, along with its central subject, Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis, had been banned by some school districts. Since I read and review banned books, I thought I had the makings of a twofer, that I could combine my 10-year-old banned book review of Persepolis with a new banned book review of Wake Now in the Fire.
As noted, I had misunderstood. There are no reports of Wake Now in the Fire being banned or restricted by any school districts, at least in the U.S. There goes my twofer. Still, Wake Now in the Fire is about book banning and student protests, sensitive subjects on the right. While it hasn’t been banned or challenged so far, it certainly could be, and I expect that somehow, somewhere, forces of darkness are mobilizing against it. It feels like a banned book, it looks like a banned book, and it reads like a banned book. Therefore I review it as such.
In my 2016 review of Persepolis, I wrote about the grad student who filed a FOIA request for Chicago Public Schools meeting minutes, memoranda, directives, and correspondence related to the 2013 district-wide banning of Persepolis. It was that grad student’s persistence that broke open the story, revealing that the banning came from the CEO of CPS herself, and possibly even higher, from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. Turns out the author of Wake Now in the Fire is that former grad student, Jarrett Dapier, so it’s clear he knows the subject well.
But Wake Now in the Fire isn’t just about the banning of Persepolis by CPS and the student protests that followed. It’s also, maybe even more so, about the students: their lives, their troubles, their dreams—and their stories make it more than a mere history.
Wake Now in the Fire is a fictionalized history: the details of Persepolis’ banning, the names and actions of the CPS administrators involved, etc., are accurate; the recounting of the student-led protests and their aftermath is factual. It is the lives of the students and some of the adults they interact with (teachers, parents, librarians, etc.) that are fictional (but as I understand based in reality). Jarrett Dapier, for one thing, changes the names of students, teachers, librarians, and even schools. For another (an interesting another at that): Dapier removes himself from the story and has a high school student file the FOIA request. That’s a significant change from what actually happened, but the result—42 pages of sensitive emails released to student protest leaders, who took full advantage of the information contained therein to publicize and fight their case—reflects what historically happened.
I don’t know how far the lives and troubles of Dapier’s fictional student leaders diverge from reality, but those lives and troubles are what make Wake Now in the Fire an engaging and memorable read. These kids are dealing with a lot—and the result is young adult literature that crosses over into adult novel territory. Dapier tells a hell of a story.
One pissy little gripe about the illustrations: all the kids are drawn in bulky, loose clothing. They look like walking piles of laundry, and it can be hard to tell one from another at first. I don’t know, maybe that’s how Chicago high schoolers dressed in 2013, and maybe the story unfolded in winter. But I had to work a little to get into the illustrations.
Tell you what, 20 years ago I would have said graphic novels were for adults too lazy to read a real book. I have progressed since then, and when it comes to this particular graphic novel, I can honestly say I can’t imagine it in any other format. It is, in and of itself, a great read—4.5 of 5 stars!