The 2010 Text and Community book is Nat Turner, a graphic novel by the acclaimed artist and writer Kyle Baker. Published in 2006, Nat Turner is an original and vivid recounting of the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner, but it is also an exploration of the relationship between texts, images, and history. The graphic novel begins in Africa, with the capture of Turner’s mother by slavers, takes readers through a chilling depiction of the Middle Passage, and goes all the way through to Turner’s execution in November, 1831. The nearly text-free panels of the graphic novel are filled with a sense of urgency and interspersed with primary documents from the time, including passages from The Confessions of Nat Turner.
Interested in checking out Nat Turner for yourself. Explore a 15-page excerpt of Nat Turner online at the New York magazine.
