The pandemic inspired a cartoonist to explore their Wuhanese roots and queer identity
In the early months of the pandemic, Wuhanese American illustrator and writer Laura Gao drew a life-changing comic.
Gao, who goes by the pronouns they/them and she/her, wrote and drew "The Wuhan I Know," a cartoon about the Chinese city behind the coronavirus headlines. They wanted people to know that Wuhan, where they were born, is home to a rich culture, a caring people and great breakfast noodles – not just the starting point for a global pandemic.
The comic went viral on Twitter and was covered by multiple news outlets, including NPR, sparking the interest of an agent and eventually landing them a book deal. Fast forward two years, and Gao is the author of a hilarious and heartfelt new book, Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American.
