Why Representation Matters: Stan Yan's The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca
Schulze interviews Stan Yan about his debut middle-grade graphic
novel, The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang. They discuss his
journey from stockbroker to children's book creator, the six
major rewrites that shaped his story, the significance of Chinese
superstitions in his work, and his powerful realization about
representation in children's literature when he discovered he had
never drawn characters that looked like himself.


Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's
Book Review


Highlights:



Representation Awakening: Stan's pivotal
moment at age 50, when he realized he wasn't drawing characters
that looked like him, despite being inspired by his own
experiences


Six Major Rewrites: How the story evolved from
"Olfactory Memory" featuring a male protagonist to Eugenia's
supernatural journey through extensive revision


Cultural Authenticity: The role of Chinese
superstitions, particularly the unlucky number four, in shaping
Eugenia's character and family dynamics


From Comics to Kids: Stan's transition from
adult zombie apocalypse stories to children's literature and
why he finds child protagonists more compelling


The Scary Kids Book Challenge: His bucket list
goal to create a comic that would actually scare him, and how
that led to middle-grade horror


Junior Library Guild Gold: The unexpected
honor of being selected as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard
selection for his debut


Creative Process: Working digitally on iPad,
the importance of silence while writing, and his post-lunch nap
requirement






Notable Quotes:


"I don't want you to grow up thinking that you can't draw a main
character that looks like yourself, like me." —Stan Yan


"Your job is to torture your protagonist and what better time of
your life to torture your protagonist than when they're probably
at their most vulnerable." —Stan Yan on writing for 13-year-olds





Books Mentioned:


The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan (Fall 2025):
Amazon or Bookshop.org

There's a Zombie in the Basement by Stan Yan: Amazon or
Bookshop.org

Ghost Book by Remy Lai: Amazon or Bookshop.org

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson: Amazon or Bookshop.org






About Stan Yan: Stan Yan is an award-winning,
first-generation American-born Chinese writer, illustrator, and
educator based in Denver. He co-founded the Squid Works comic
creator cooperative, serves as co-Regional Advisor for the Rocky
Mountain Chapter of SCBWI, and teaches illustration at Rocky
Mountain College of Art & Design. His work spans comics,
children's books, and educational materials, with his graphic
novel debut earning Junior Library Guild Gold Standard
recognition.


Connect and Follow:Learn more about Stan Yan:
https://www.stanyan.me/


Credits:Host: Bianca SchulzeGuest: Stan
YanProducer: Bianca Schulze