Lan Dong, professor of English and Louise Hartman Schewe and Karl Schewe Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois Springfield, has written a new book examining the life, career and cultural influence of award-winning graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang.

Published by the University Press of Mississippi, “Gene Luen Yang” is the first book-length study of the acclaimed American cartoonist, author and educator. The book explores how Yang's personal experiences have shaped his storytelling and his efforts to promote understanding across cultures through comics and graphic novels.

Yang, a 2016 MacArthur Fellow, is best known for his groundbreaking graphic novel “American Born Chinese,” which became the first graphic novel to win the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award and the first to become a finalist for the National Book Award. His work promotes understanding between cultures and draws inspiration from folklore, history, literature and popular culture.

Dong's book traces Yang's career from self-publishing minicomics to creating award-winning graphic novels and writing superhero stories for DC and Marvel Comics. It examines how Yang incorporates Asian American experiences into his storytelling, including his interpretations of familiar characters such as the Monkey King and Superman.

Drawing on extensive research and close readings of Yang's work, the book combines a literary biography with critical analysis of his comics and graphic novels. It also examines his influence in education, where he has advocated for using comics to teach subjects ranging from mathematics to computer programming.

Dong is the author or editor of six books and has published extensively on Asian American literature, children's and young adult literature, comics and graphic narratives.

“Gene Luen Yang” is part of the University Press of Mississippi's Biographix series and is available in e-book, paperback and hardcover formats.