There are artists who write to tell a story, and then there are artists like Ryka Aoki, who write to save lives, stitch together lost histories, and offer fragments of joy to those who’ve forgotten how to hold it. A poet, novelist, teacher, and martial artist, Ryka moves through the world like a quiet storm, gentle, grounded, but full of power. A two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, she has made her mark not only with books like He Mele a Hilo and Seasonal Velocities, but through her compassionate presence in classrooms, shelters, and queer community centers across Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, Transfeminist Perspectives, and The Transgender Studies Reader 2, not simply as literature, but as lived truth.
Raised in California and shaped by a complex mixture of cultural influences, Ryka brings to her writing a deep respect for memory, place, and music, often literally, as in her current novel-in-progress involving a runaway trans girl, a violin teacher bargaining with the devil, and a family of Vietnamese space aliens running a donut shop. What could be more Ryka than trauma, tenderness, absurdity, and sweetness, all tied together with a string of melody? Beyond the page, Ryka is a beacon for trans youth. At the LA LGBT Center, she teaches self-defense to queer and homeless teens, not just techniques, but dignity. She reminds us that while survival is often the first chapter in our lives, it is never the last. It is my deep honor and joy to welcome Ryka Aoki for this conversation.
