MOCA TALKS with Mike Curato – Gaysians

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) invites you to an inspiring conversation with award-winning author and illustrator Mike Curato, as he discusses his highly anticipated adult graphic novel debut, Gaysians. Best known for his award-winning young adult graphic novel Flamer, Curato returns with a heartwarming, tender, and fierce exploration of queer Asian American friendship, love, and self-discovery.

Set in early-2000s Seattle, Gaysians follows AJ, a young gay Filipino man navigating life in a new city, seeking connections, and building a chosen family. When AJ meets K, a dazzling drag queen; John, a shy gamer; and Steven, a charismatic flirt, their “Boy Luck Club” offers him both a lifeline and a home. But as the group faces a sudden crisis, their friendship is put to the test in profound and powerful ways.

Join us as Curato shares the personal and creative journey behind Gaysians, highlighting themes of identity, belonging, and the transformative strength of community. Moderated by Yifan Wu, MOCA’s Senior Director of Events and Operations, this program promises a vibrant celebration of queer storytelling, representation, and the courage to embrace one’s true self.

About Mike Curato

Mike Curato is the author and illustrator of the children’s book series Little Elliot. He has also illustrated What If… by Samantha Berger, All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle, Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, The Power of One written by Trudy Ludwig, and If I Were a Fish by Corook and Olivia Barton. He has contributed to What’s Your Favorite Color? by Eric Carle and Friends, Sunny Day: A Celebration of the Sesame Street Theme Song, and Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors and Teens on the Dark Side of Love. Publishers Weekly named Mike a “Fall 2014 Flying Start,” and that same year, he won the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Founder’s Award. His debut young adult graphic novel, Flamer, was awarded the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Young Adult and the 2021 Massachusetts Book Award for Middle Grade/Young Adult. Gaysians is his adult debut.

About Gaysians

From the acclaimed author of the young adult graphic novel Flamer comes a heartwarming adult debut following four gay Asians navigating love, identity, and friendship—a celebration of queer chosen family.

When AJ moves to Seattle in the early aughts, he’s ready to reinvent himself as a gay Asian man—but his dreams hit reality fast with no friends, no job, and an apartment so far out, “not even lesbians live there.” Then a spilled drink at a bar introduces him to K, a glamorous drag queen; John, a shy gamer; and Steven, a reckless flirt. AJ’s “Boy Luck Club” helps him find love, pride, and belonging—until a brutal attack tests everything they know about friendship and family.

Meticulously observed and gorgeously illustrated, Gaysians is a fierce, funny, and tender story of queer resilience and self-discovery.

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