Kuklin was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then studied theater at New York University and the Herbert Berghof School.
Her nonfiction works frequently cover controversial topics (e.g., AIDS, poverty, and transgender youth), and often blend photography with writing.
Beyond Magenta has been the center of controversy because some considered it anti-family; it included offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, and political and religious viewpoints; and it was unsuited for age group.
Librarians also noted that they wanted to "remove [the book] from collection to ward off complaints.
"[2] According to the American Library Association, it was the 27th most banned and challenged book in the United States between 2010 and 2019.