Baopu #116: An Essay With No Thesis

Baopu, a red-haired Asian person, is drawn sitting at a desk in a two panel comic. They are working on a piece of writing and thinking to themself, "So annoyed!" They go on to think more, "When people see I'm an immigrant they assume two things: that I must LoVE living here and that must STRUGGLE with it... It's not that I don't STRUGGLE. But I also live life according to my other emotions like curiosity, which propells me more than anything, which is so over looked, like being queer, which goes so hand in hand with the fluidity, of space, place and time, so in truth why does it always have to —" And then the thoughts run out. An essay with no thesis.

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Yao Xiao

Yao Xiao is a China-born illustrator based in New York City. Yao Xiao creates artwork depicting a poetic visual world where complex concepts and human emotions are examined, amplified, and given physical form. Her work has helped people all over the globe connect at unique moments, from the celebration of the 20 Year Anniversary of the SXSW Interactive Festival, to the grand release of pop singer Katy Perry's single 'Dark Horse.' She has created deeply emotional and beautiful graphics for editorial print publications, pop music record covers, concert posters and book covers. Yao Xiao's serialized comic Baopu currently runs monthly on Autostraddle. It is an original comic exploring the nuances in searching for identities, connections and friendships through the fictional life of a young, queer emigrant. Baopu stands for 'holding simplicity,' a Taoist ideal of wishing to return to a simpler state. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Etsy or her website.

Yao has written 135 articles for us.

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