TJ Klune is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it’s important — now more than ever — to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.

Support for this event is provided by the Parshley Christ Endowment for Living Writers. The course and program are led by faculty in the Department of English and Creative Writing with generous support from the Olive B. O'Connor Fund as well as the President and the Provost/Dean of the Faculty. A signature program of Colgate University since 1980, Living Writers is a master class in how works of literature come to be.

In coordination with Colgate’s Arts, Creativity, and Innovation Initiative, Living Writers, University Museums, and the Ryan Family Film Series proudly present the Fall 2025 Queer X-travaganza on September 11, 2025. This evening celebrates queer and trans visibility, creativity, and permanence in the arts. 

Following T.J. Klune's talk, a shuttle will be available to transport guests to the Picker Art Gallery's opening of X: Gender, Identity, Presence, which will take place at 6 p.m. in the Dana Arts Center. The evening concludes with the premiere of Death Spiral, a new performance by Nicki Duval and Robbie Trocchia, featuring figure skater Milk, in the Experimental Exhibition and Performance Space (EEP), located in Bernstein Hall, at 7:30 p.m.

Lastly, the collaborating sponsors of this day’s programming would also like to highlight the Colgate Arts Council for its generous sponsorship and support of this kind of community engagement and enrichment.