Best of
Trans

2012

Goblinheart


Brett Axel - 2012
    A youngster named Julep, who lives in a forest tribe, insists on growing up to be a goblin rather than a fairy. The tribe learns to accept that Julep is a goblin at heart, eventually coming around to support the physical transition that must be made for Julep to live as a goblin.

Second Son: Transitioning Toward My Destiny, Love and Life


Ryan K. Sallans - 2012
    The reader is pulled through Ryan's transition from infant to child, child to body-obsessed teenage girl, teenage girl to eating-disordered young woman, female to male, daughter to son, and finally a beloved partner to a cherished fiance'. A unique lens on life and love. Ryan candidly shares his struggle to find love and acceptance; a struggle that transcends through every layer of society. He nearly died from an extreme case of anorexia as an insecure female college student. The only thing that saved him was his inner spirit begging for a chance to live. ? Second Son chronicles Ryan's battle with his family, his romantic partner, and his body. He unblinkingly focuses on the empowerment he achieved as he underwent gender reassignment surgeries and traces his evolution into manhood. ? It took twenty-nine years for Ryan to find himself. The world is now ready for this intimate and honest autobiography that will educate and empower men and women around the globe. At a time when fighting to find oneself is popular, Ryan's story will resonate with people everywhere who are journeying to find their own destinies, love, and life.

Seasonal Velocities


Ryka Aoki - 2012
    Through her poetry, essays, stories, and performances, Ryka Aoki has challenged, informed, and shared with queer audiences across the United States. Available on Amazon, as well as directly from the press at Trans-Genre.net.

God Bless the Child


Katie Leone - 2012
    If you find reading Dave Pelzer "A Child Called 'It'" and Cathy Glass "Cry Silent Tears" rewarding than this heartwarming story of overcoming the past and finding acceptance will keep you up all night turning the pagesas you run the gamut of emotions. Jeremy Bergeron is a four year old boy who will do anything to earn the love of his parents. But that is a love that they are unable or unwilling to give. Suffering fromthe neglect of his mother and the physical abuse from his father, Jeremy does everything in his power to survive. Chase Milan is a rookie K-9 police officer. His job is to confront evil and get it off the streets. He knows about crime, but he has never before had to deal with its aftermath. With his canine partner, Neesa, Chase doesn't realize the struggles that come with picking up the pieces once tragedy has torn through a life. With the squeeze of a trigger, two lives heading on different paths converge and Chase learns exactly what it's like to pick up the pieces and build a life that has been shattered by violence. Because he is signed up to be a foster parent, he gets temporary custody of the child. But his wife is unable to deal with a child who fears every shadow and finds comfort in hiding behind the sofa. When atop all the other issues, questions about his gender identity make the family question everything they once believed was certain. Chase was only supposed to take Jeremy into his home for a week as social services locate the next of kin, but his life will never be the same again.GOD BLESS THE CHILD is a story that will both touch and challenge you, a story that will have you tap into your deepest emotions. A novel that dares to ask the question "How far will you go to make sure a child grows up happy and healthy?"

Chained Melodies


Debrah Martin - 2012
    CioranIf chaos theory applied to anyone, it’s Will and Tom. Best friends since childhood, life takes very different courses for them until they’re thrown back together in the middle of their own individual chaos. Surviving the terrors of war in Northern Ireland and the heartbreak of childlessness and a broken marriage, Tom learns that bravery isn’t about daring death, it’s about facing life. For Will, it’s about being yourself – or in his case, herself, as he starts an unusual journey towards being just that; the woman, Billie.Chained Melodies is the extraordinary story of how two men find not just courage, but self-belief and the true nature of love."Touching and almost heart-breaking, this is a novel to tickle your heart strings."“...breath-taking and intriguing...”“...a 'must read" novel.'”“..quite beautiful, with a certain poetry in the tone."

One in Every Crowd


Ivan E. Coyote - 2012
    Coyote's wry, honest stories about gender and identity have captivated audiences everywhere. Ivan's eighth book is her first for LGBT youth, written for anyone who has ever felt different or alone in their struggles to be true to themselves. Included are stories about Ivan's tomboy youth and her adult life, where she experiences cruelty and kindness in unexpected places.Funny, inspiring, and full of heart, One in Every Crowd is about embracing and celebrating difference and feeling comfortable in one's own skin.Ivan E. Coyote was also featured in the anti-bullying anthology It Gets Better.

Jack


Adrienne Wilder - 2012
    1971. Born in the wrong body Jack finds himself lost and trapped in a town where he feels out of place. Acceptance – or even tolerance – doesn’t exist in Union, or within his family. When Jack attempts suicide following his mother’s death, Jack’s sister Emma has him committed to Meadow Field Psychiatric Hospital, where they continue to try and change him, convince him that how he feels and who he is, is wrong. But in this most unlikely place, among the most unlikely friends and unspeakable fear, Jack learns that all acts have consequences, some things cannot be changed, and love isn’t defined by the body it comes in.*This book contains strong language, violence, disturbing acts, and mild sexual content. Not intended for readers under 17.

Transposes


Dylan Edwards - 2012
    The result is laugh-out-loud funny, heartbreaking, challenging, inventive, informative, and invites the reader to explore what truly makes a man a man.Includes a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Alison Bechdel (Fun Home, Are You My Mother?)

The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy


S. Bear Bergman - 2012
    Somewhat reminiscent of the Disney film Prep & Landing, THE ADVENTURES OF TULIP, BIRTHDAY WISH FAIRY gives an inside look into what exactly happens to all those wishes, what Wish Fairies eat for lunch, and what kinds of tools they're issued. Tulip receives a wish from a child known as David who wishes to live as Daniela. He doesn't understand how to help, so he seeks the wise counsel of the Wish Fairy Captain and learns some new Wish Fairy Skills (while also introducing the concept of trans-identified children in a friendly, sympathetic way). Tulip gets in a little hot water, but ultimately his compassion and thoughtfulness win the day, while serving as a model for readers.

Pearl


Kelly Rand - 2012
    She lives with her mother, works a mundane job to support them, and makes no waves among the ladies of her sleepy 1920's Canadian town. Secretly, though, she watches the flappers and so-called "loose women" with envy, dreaming of what glamorous lives they must have. And that's before Clark walks into her life. Clark embodies the world that Edith wishes she could be a part of. He's slick and dangerous and sexy in a way Edith has never experienced. So when Clark offers her a window into his world, she dives through without thinking. On the other side, though, her black and white world explodes into shades of gray, challenging Edith in ways she never imagined.Length: 9,600 words (24 pages)

My Child is Transgender: 10 Tips for Parents of Adult Trans Children


Matt Kailey - 2012
    What do you do now? This short, accessible guide is aimed at parents of transitioning adult children, offering ten tips to help you navigate one of the most challenging, and ultimately rewarding, times in your life. It is also helpful for other family members and loved ones looking for guidance.From "Lose the Blame" to "Learn to Let Go," the practical tips offered in My Child is Transgender: 10 Tips for Parents of Adult Trans Children will help you learn to support your child and yourself as you both move forward into new beginnings.Matt Kailey is an award-winning author, blogger, college instructor, and community activist who began his transition from female to male in 1997. Since that time, he has educated thousands of people about transgender and transsexual issues through his presentations, trainings, books, and popular blog and website, Tranifesto.

Backwards Day


S. Bear Bergman - 2012
    Andrea looks eagerly forward to Backwards Day every year, so she can turn into a boy for the day. But one year she doesn't turn along with everyone else. She's miserable. The very next day, however, she turns into a boy - and stays that way! He's delighted, but his parents are distressed, and take him to the big city to consult with Backwardsologists. When they finally figure out what's happened, the miracles of Backwards Day are fully revealed to the reader."

The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard


Tom LégerCarter Sickels - 2012
    28 authors from North America converge in a single volume to showcase the future of trans literature and the next great movements in queer art.

Teeny Weenies: And Other Short Subjects


Matt Kailey - 2012
    When she finally realizes that being the best girl - and woman - she can be is no match for being the man she's supposed to be, there's only one solution, and it's not another purse, pair of pumps, or push-up bra. Teeny Weenies and Other Short Subjects takes a long, hard look at getting the short end of the stick, both before and after transition from female to male. This collection of humorous essays from award-winning author and transsexual man Matt Kailey explores identity, sexuality, and growing up female in a world with two sexes, two genders - and no exceptions.

Transitions of the Heart: Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance by Mothers of Transgender and Gender Variant Children


Rachel Pepper - 2012
    It offers a view that will educate everyone about the trans experience. It offers emotional support to family and friends close to someone experience transition and educations to those who may not fully understand what the “T” in LGBTQ means. What do mothers really think of their transgender and gender variant children? Sharing stories of love, struggle, and acceptance, this collection of mother's voices, representing a diversity of backgrounds and sexual orientations, affirms the experience of those who have raised and are currently raising transgender and gender variant children between the ages of 5-50.  There are stories here of birth mothers and adoptive mothers, single mothers and married mothers, stepmothers and grandmothers, and heterosexual mothers and lesbian mothers. They have children of all ages, ranging fro six to sixty. Their children are gender nonconforming, gender variant, gender queer, transgender, and “pink boys.” Many mothers are active in PFLAG groups and other community based support groups. Often "transitioning" socially and emotionally alongside their child but rarely given a voice in the experience, mothers hold the key to familial and societal understanding of gender difference. Edited by Rachel Pepper, a gender specialist and co-author of the acclaimed book The Transgender Child, Transitions of the Heart includes both a glossary of terms as well as a resource guide. It will prove an invaluable resource for parents coming to terms with a child's gender variance or transition.

My Awesome Place: Autobiography of Cheryl Burke


Cheryl Burke - 2012
    Her rise to prominence as the spoken word artist known as Cheryl B brought with it a series of desctructive girlfriends and boyfriends and a dependence on drugs and alcohol that would take nearly a decade to shake.In the months following her death, members of Burke’s close-knit writing group, who had met continuously for nine years, worked to compile her drafts, essays and emails into a completed manuscript which was eventually synthesized into its final form by Burke’s close friend, novelist Sarah Schulman. This autobiography tracks her struggle to transcend her working class New Jersey roots and define herself as an artist against the backdrop of an unforgiving city, a series of disastrous girlfriends and boyfriends, and an intense, intimate relationship with drugs and alcohol. By the time Burke got sober in 2001, she had witnessed–and made major contributions to– one of the most remarkable artistic transformations that New York City has ever experienced.

Trudi in Paris (2)


Adrienne Nash - 2012
    In "Trudi (1)" the little boy had become "Trudi the Model" and accepted her benefactor's invitation to move to France where he set her up to live in comfort so she could study medicine. "Trudi in Paris" is a look into the epicurean world of the wealthy, where the rich deny themselves nothing and partake in the finest food, automobiles and designer outfits. In this world, Trudi is able to retain her humanity and continue to blossom as a sophisticated, intelligent and stylish young woman, all while she maintains her medical studies. In addition, as in the first book, there are also wonderful scenes of deep sensuality between Trudi and her lover, the enigmatic Simon. There is also an interesting mystery to be solved as this novel reaches a crescendo. At the end, we want even more of Trudi and the author offers us the promise in a future book. I'm looking forward to that!

Bumbling into Body Hair: A Transsexual's Memoir


Everett Maroon - 2012
    A comical memoir about a klutz's sex change, Bumbling into Body Hair shows how a sense of humor - and true love - can triumph over hair disasters, resurrected breasts, and even the most crippling self-doubt.

The Sissy Pilot


Sara Desmarais - 2012
    Follow the tale of self-discovery, as our pilot (our sissy pilot), with the help of his loving fiancée, discovers, much to his surprise, that he likes working as and living as a woman. And follow the tale of his relationship with the love of his life, his fiancée, too, as he discovers no matter how much she loves him as a woman, deep inside, she still craves a man, and both wonder, if she will, if she should, cuckold him.

Two Spirits, One Heart: A Mother, Her Transgender Son, and Their Journey to Love and Acceptance


Marsha Aizumi - 2012
    Two Spirits, One Heart chronicles Marsha's personal journey from fear, uncertainty, and sadness to eventual unconditional love, acceptance, and support of her child who struggled to reconcile his gender identity. Told with honesty and warmth, this book is a must-read for parents and loved ones of LGBT individuals everywhere. “Marsha and Aiden’s moving story of confronting and overcoming fear—and of the love and deeper bond that emerge between a mother and her son because of that profound journey—shows how all families can accept each other’s humanity. I was deeply inspired by the honesty, awareness, and healing found in these pages.” —Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force About the authors: Marsha Aizumi is an educator, motivational speaker, and advocate for the LGBT community. She serves on the National Board of Directors of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). You can visit Marsha online at www.marshaaizumi.com Aiden Takeo Aizumi is a committed activist for LGBT rights. In 2010, he was honored as a youth leader with the Paul A. Anderson award from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. He currently serves on the PFLAG National Transgender Gender Non-conforming Advisory Council. Aiden is also pursuing a bachelor's degree in education.

Transfeminist Perspectives in and beyond Transgender and Gender Studies


Anne Enke - 2012
    Working from the premise that transgender is both material and cultural, the contributors address such aspects of the university as administration, sports, curriculum, pedagogy, and the appropriate location for transgender studies.Combining feminist theory, transgender studies, and activism centered on social diversity and justice, these essays examine how institutions as lived contexts shape everyday life."Transfeminist Perspectives in and beyond Transgender and Gender Studies is a very worthwhile book. Enke is knowledgeable about the field, and frames the issues nicely, explicitly addressing some of the core problems in feminism and women’s studies. This anthology shrewdly demonstrates how transgender studies can do feminist work, and it goes a long way toward furthering that important critical/political task."—Susan Stryker, Professor of Gender & Women's Studies at the University of Arizona, and author of Transgender History

Heidegger Stairwell


Kayt Burgess - 2012
    But the band thinks he's left a little too much of himself on the page—letting his experiences as a transgender man and his complicated "romance" with the lead guitarist eclipse the story of the group's dramatic rise and fall. Through notes and marginalia, the musicians argue over their friend's version of the truth and fight to put their own testimony on record.Kayt Burgess has an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University (United Kingdom). This is her first novel.

First Spring Grass Fire


Rae Spoon - 2012
    This first book by Rae (who uses "they" as a pronoun) is a candid, powerful story about a young person growing up queer in a strict Pentecostal family in rural Canada.The narrator attends church events and Billy Graham rallies faithfully with their family before discovering the music that becomes their salvation and means of escape. As their father's schizophrenia causes their parents' marriage to unravel, the narrator finds solace and safety in the company of their siblings, in their nascent feelings for a girl at school, and in their growing awareness that they are not the person their parents think they are. With a heart as big as the prairie sky, this is a quietly devastating, heart-wrenching coming-of-age book about escaping dogma, surviving abuse, finding love, and risking everything for acceptance.Rae Spoon lives in Montreal, Quebec.