Arguing Comics

19 Thursdays in Winter–Spring 2024

January 11, 18, 25
February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 4, 11,* 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 23

7:30–8:50pm Eastern / 4:30–5:50pm Pacific

$100/month

This class includes “Reading Comics” (which comes right before it). This is a seminar — the default is for students to have their cameras turned on.

* No class on April 11 — the Hendrickson family will be on vacation

This course piggybacks on “Reading Comics”, which comes right before it.

When you sign up for this class, you’ll automatically be signed up for “Reading Comics”, too. Its price is included in this one. When you purchase this class, you’ll get the links to both of them.

In “Reading Comics”, we work hard to get a clear understanding of what the text says. In “Arguing Comics”, we use the text to practice disagreeing!

The purpose of being a kid is to explore — and to explore ideas. The scary thing is that it’s harder to explore ideas than it used to be… because people have gotten worse at disagreeing.

Why? We seem to be trapped in tribalism. Blame social media, or cable news, or whatever — people feel they’re in a war, and anyone who disagrees (even about the smallest, stupidest thing) can look like the enemy… or worse, a traitor.

Alas, this makes it dangerous to explore new ideas.

This course teaches the art of civil disagreement to explore the ideas in Calvin & Hobbes.

Disagreeing well is a powerful skill. If you learn it, you’ll benefit for the rest of your life — you’ll be able to see different sides of any new issue you tackle. And you’ll understand people who think differently than you.

This art is taught in a few books, including How to Have Impossible Conversations by Peter Boghossian. There are dozens of helpful tricks — once you master them, you’ll be able to have a great conversation with almost anyone about almost anything.

In this course, you’ll learn some of those tricks.

But would you like to know the most fundamental move? Don’t try to agree. Instead, try to exchange models — use each other to get clear on what’s going on in both your heads.

When you exchange models with someone you disagree with, you both see more clearly.

One of the jokes throughout Calvin & Hobbes is how Calvin (the boy) and Hobbes (the tiger) disagree about almost everything. 

What’s right and wrong? What’s the point of art? What’s the nature of life, the Universe, and Everything? Calvin & Hobbes is filled with disagreements about things that matter. 

In this course, you’ll get to honestly explore the big questions with your peers.

Do I have to come to the earlier course?

You probably should… but if not, make sure you spend some time really understanding what the strips are saying.

Will this class be cameras-on, or cameras-off?

The first class (“Reading Comics”) is a cameras-off webinar. But this will be a cameras-on seminar. (Why? Text is a horrible medium for disagreement. It’s important to see and hear the person you’re disagreeing with.)

My kid hates being on camera — can they have theirs off?

Yes! When you sign up at the check-out, just check that box and explain why.

Watch our open house!

We did an open house the week before class started… and you can watch it right now!

Experience what the classes will be like. See the big picture of why this could change your kid’s experience of reading. Just 60-ish minutes long. Kids and parents welcome.