What happens when a deeply personal story about identity becomes a national target? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Maia Kobabe, the author and illustrator of the award-winning and heavily challenged graphic memoir, Gender Queer.

Maia opens up about the journey of creating a book that has become a lifeline for countless queer and questioning readers, while also finding itself at the center of a firestorm of censorship. We discuss the surprising, heartfelt responses from readers that convinced em to share eir story with the world, the painful reality of being targeted by bad-faith critics, and eir passionate defense of the freedom to read.

This is a conversation that goes beyond the headlines, exploring how a single book can help people find the language for their own identity, open up crucial conversations with family, and become an act of quiet resistance. Join us for an honest look at art, authenticity, and the ongoing fight for the stories that matter.

Discover more of Maia Kobabe: https://redgoldsparkspress.com/

Flamer author and illustrator Mike Curato joins Unban Coolies for a powerful conversation about identity, queerness, faith, and surviving adolescence when the world tells you there is something wrong with who you are. Flamer has become one of the most frequently challenged books in America, appearing on the ALA’s Top 10 Most Challenged list, not because it is explicit, but because it tells the truth about a queer teen trying to stay alive.

In this interview, Mike speaks openly about what it was like to revisit his own memories of shame, bullying, and suicidal ideation, and he also clears up the biggest misconceptions about the book including what it does and does not depict. He explains why fiction became a tool for protecting his younger self, how comics gave him a language when prose could not, and why representation for queer Asian youth is still urgently needed.

Note that later in the conversation, Mike also talks about GAYASIANS, his new graphic novel for adult readers. The conversation itself is not explicit, but the book is intended for adults.

This conversation is part of the Unban Coolies series, featuring authors whose work is targeted by censorship but deeply needed by young people seeking belonging, representation, and honesty.

Jason Reynolds joins UNBAN COOLIES to explore how stories create space for every reader. We talk about friendship as the most valuable relationship, why difference should pull us closer, and why openness can be more honest than empathy when you cannot know someone else’s life. Jason reflects on Long Way Down, the pressure to stay silent, and what it takes to break cycles. He shares a work in progress about the bully — and why humanizing kids who cause harm can help us change the environment around them. We unpack his library is a menu metaphor and why book bans do not protect children; they erase choices and experiences. Plus: creative instinct, trusting your voice when school did not, and the role of books in classrooms and libraries.

About Jason Reynolds:

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Long Way Down, Look Both Ways, Stamped, Stuntboy, and Ain’t Burned All the Bright. Recipient of a Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Based in Washington, DC.