Meet Emery Lee

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emery Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emery, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The process was kind of inevitable for me. As I was finishing college, I ultimately came to the conclusion that the only work I could stand to do was creative work. My disability makes it difficult to work consistent schedules, and I really struggle with tasks that don’t excite me, so I knew I’d never last trying to pull off a nine-to-five office job, but writing has always been a big part of my life, so even though it’s not seen as a “safe” career, it really posed the most reasonable way forward for me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I got my start as a professional author relatively young, so people sometimes assume I had a really easy and fast process, but I’ve been writing since grade school, so it’s actually been a pretty long road for me. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s been easy, especially because I write stories about queer people of color, which traditional publishing as an industry has never been particularly fond of, but I think that’s a big part of what makes my stories resonant with readers. I hear from a lot of readers who feel my story is the first one they’ve ever come across that depicts people like them or that my stories offered insights into corners of the world they’ve never seen explored before. At the end of the day, my goal is always to write books that encourage people to see things in a different way and that give hope to people who’ve historically been told they aren’t welcome or aren’t worth telling stories about. I just don’t see the point in rehashing stories other people have already told because those stories are right there waiting, and I want my work to be in conversation with that of other queer creators and creators of color.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I never limit myself to Los Angeles proper when people come in from out of town. I’m a big believer that southern California is full of hidden gems for anyone willing to make a little extra commute. For a summer trip, I’d definitely take them to 626 Night Market in Costa Mesa to give them a good taste of the area. I’d probably bring them to The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, my favorite bookstore, get dinner at Din Tai Fung in Arcadia so we can also stop at Kinokuniya. We’d need Porto’s for dessert one day, and then another day we could go to Sawtelle to get dinner at Chinchikurin, boba tea from Teaspoon and taiyaki from Somi Somi. I’d take them down to San Diego to explore Balboa Park, especially the Japanese friendship garden and drop by Mysterious Galaxy, another favorite bookstore of mine. And if they made it through all of that, we’d definitely have to go to Diamond Bar for hotpot and stop at Bubble and Cone for some delicious ice cream!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are too many people who’ve helped me along the way to name everyone, but I really have to thank my university professor, David James Poissant, whose work really inspired me as a writer and whose support really encouraged me as a budding creator, as well as author Becky Albertalli, whose books really paved the path for mine and whose friendship has really kept me moving forward even when things have been rough.

Website: emeryleebooks.com

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