Deb JJ Lee’s (creating) closure

Modern Minorities

“It sucks that a lot of times when POC want to break into the industry, we have to publish a memoir first. But I personally had to — I've been needing to do this for a very long time.”

Deb JJ Lee, is an award-winning graphic novelist and artist. Their young adult IN LIMBO tells Deb’s Korean American coming of age story - covered by Quarantined Comics. When we shared that episode, they got in touch. Deb shares their experiences growing up between two cultures. For a while, Deb’s English wasn’t perfect. Teachers could not pronounce their Korean name. Her face and her eyes―especially her eyes―feel wrong. As we learned in this ranging conversation with Deb - this was a work they had to do, to not just work through a story, but to find closure in the aftermath. IN LIMBO is moving work of mental health, gender identity, and growing up. For many of us who have often felt like outsiders, this story is painfully familiar, and brings forth a lot of empathy for those around us invisibly struggling.

LEARN ABOUT DEB

• debleeart.com // instagram.com/jdebbiel
• IN LIMBO: goodreads.com/en/book/show/60316964
• PAST QC EP: modmypod.com/episodes/in-limbos-quarantined-teen-trauma
• forbes.com/sites/goldiechan/2023/09/15/understanding-the-mental-health-journey-in-the-korean-american-community-with-author-deb-jj-lee/
• hyperallergic.com/837651/the-candid-visual-storytelling-of-deb-jj-lee/

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