Why Art and the Human Voice Matter
Katie Yee ’13
What happens when you ask a room full of students, “What is love?” and then ask AI the same question?
That was just one of the thought-provoking moments during a recent visit from Katie Yee ’13, who joined students for the Speaker Series, Why Art and the Human Voice Matter. Personable, funny, and refreshingly candid, Katie spoke from the heart about writing, art, and the importance of human connection.
Katie is an author from Brooklyn, whose work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, Joyland, No Tokens, The Believer, the Washington Square Review, and Literary Hub. Her first novel, Maggie; or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar, was a New York Times Notable Book in 2025, won the 2025 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and was longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel.
Katie closed out her presentation by sharing a fascinating story about her fellow Hunter HS alum Kevin Chui ’13, an engineering student whose passion for art led him to create a stop-motion animation featuring HCHS students and faculty. The film unexpectedly went viral and caught the attention of Cheers Elephant, the band whose song appeared in the short. The connection came full circle when the band visited the HCCS campus that year and performed their song featured in Kevin’s film - MORE (watch it here).
In an age of emerging AI technology, students left with a fresh perspective and a renewed appreciation for the human voice, the stories, emotions, and ideas that make art worth experiencing.
In an age of emerging AI technology, students left with a fresh perspective and a renewed appreciation for the human voice, the stories, emotions, and ideas that make art worth experiencing.
Hunter College Campus Schools
71 East 94th Street
New York, NY 10128
Elementary School: 212-860-1292
High School: 212-860-1267
71 East 94th Street
New York, NY 10128
Elementary School: 212-860-1292
High School: 212-860-1267
Professional Photography © Laura Dwight
