Tessa Hulls, who wrote and illustrated “Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir,” presented at Schoolcraft College Sept. 21 as a part of the Focus Series by Pageturners, the College’s book club.
Bringing her knowledge of the world and experiences learning about the hardships of family, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tessa Hulls recently gave a group of Schoolcraft College students some advice: find a way to live your life while still taking care of your responsibilities.
“I want them to think about all the ways one can navigate a life. There are often paths that you would have never thought of unless something sets you on them,” she said. “Just consider that we all get to chart our own way through life, and how you get to thread the needle between living authentically and showing up for the things you should show up for.”
Hulls, who wrote and illustrated “Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir,” presented at Schoolcraft College Sept. 21 as a part of the Focus Series by Pageturners, the College’s book club. Sponsored by the Schoolcraft College Foundation, Schoolcraft College International Institute and the College’s Center for Experiential Learning, Hulls shared the story of how she crafted her graphic novel, which traces the reverberations of three generations of women in her family.
A graphic novel drawn by Hulls, the book took her 10 years to complete as she researched her family, even needing to translate some family documents from Chinese. A longtime adventurer in her 20s, her grandmother, Sun Yi, passed away when she was a young adult. After that, she realized she needed to complete a new mission, one that led her to the creation of her book.
“When I turned 30, I set out to fill in the missing pieces of my family’s story,” she said. “I felt my family’s ghosts aching for the use of my voice. So, in 2015 … I stopped running and set out on the only adventure I truly feared: I embarked on an exhibition on my family’s past.”
Her book has received plenty of accolades, earning awards such as the Libby Book Award, Esiner Award and received the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Memoir or Autobiography.
In addition to her work on the book, Hulls has traveled the world as a cyclist and has worked as a chef in exotic locations such as Antarctica and Alaska, a place she calls home.
Connecting with a community college with a world-renowned culinary arts program such as Schoolcraft College was special for Hulls, who has spent time in plenty of kitchens preparing dishes.
“It’s a thread in my book that no one really talks about: Cooking to me was how I was able to open all these doors. It’s how I’ve traveled,” she said. “Cooking has actually been a throughline of so much of how I’ve moved through the world.”
Dr. Colleen Pilgrim, a Psychology instructor who played a role in bringing Hulls to campus, said her visit helped students better understand the background of creating an award-winning work.
“Having someone with the caliber of skills such as Tessa visit Schoolcraft showcases our commitment to connecting our students to the world,” she said. “Hearing from an award-winning author about her struggles, successes and journey to create this wonderful work helps give new insight to our students and the community.”
