Pamela Ribon, a writer and alumna of the Department of Theatre and Dance, will address graduates of the UT College of Fine Arts Class of 2019. The ceremony will take place Friday, May 24 at 3 p.m. in Bass Concert Hall on the UT campus.
Ribon (B.F.A., Drama Production, 1997) is a screenwriter (Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet), TV writer (Samantha Who?), comic book writer (SLAM!, Rick and Morty) and best-selling novelist (You Take It From Here, Going in Circles, Why Moms are Weird, Why Girls Are Weird).
Her critically-acclaimed graphic novel, My Boyfriend is a Bear, (co-created with Cat Farris) was listed on several Best of 2018 lists, including Publisher’s Weekly and The AV Club. Ribon is currently adapting the romantic comedy as a live-action feature for Legendary Entertainment.
Ribon’s comedic memoir Notes to Boys (and Other Things I Shouldn’t Share in Public) was praised by NPR as “brain-breakingly funny.” She’s known as a pioneer in the blogging world with her successful website pamie.com, where she launched such viral essays as “How I Might Have Just Become the Newest Urban Legend” and “Barbie F*@#s it Up Again,” the latter of which led to #FeministHackerBarbie, a revamp of Mattel’s products and marketing for Barbie, and the creation of Game Developer Barbie as “Career of the Year.”
While pursuing her undergraduate degree at UT, Ribon was active within the Austin theater and comedy scene. She wrote and directed several "Best of the Fest" pieces for Hyde Park Theatre's FronteraFest, and was a performer, writer and co-director for The Velveeta Room’s long-running house sketch and improv troupe Monks’ Night Out. She went on to direct several spin-off troupes and showcases. While she was a student, Ribon also worked for UT’s Annual Fund and was one of their top fundraisers.
Image: Photo of Pam Ribon by Jason W Upton
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Read or watch Pamela Ribon's 2019 commencement speech at the College of Fine Arts