Gallery5, a local art gallery and music venue in Richmond, put out an open call focusing on the theme of “Queer Joy,” which led me to think of the function of art in my life as a queer person. The theme prompted my idea to ask my friends who are artists about their relationships with art, starting with my friend and often collaborator, Deirra Clyburn. Our discussion  touched on queer  and racial identity and the ways those topics weave their way through her art. After the interview, I used the transcript as the text for the book, pulling large quotes and placing them next to Deirra’s art.