14 Valentines Day 2: Transgender Issues
Continuing on with 14 Valentines, I have more recs for you. But this time, it is mostly for actual books, with pages and everything! I know, I know - don't fall over from the shock - I do read things not on my computer every once in a while. ;-) (For day 2 of 14valentines: Transgender Issues)
Non-Fiction
Transgender History by Susan Stryker
This is an AWESOME place to start if you consider your self entirely uninformed on most things related to transgender issues. I think that it is quite possibly the most readable academic book I have ever read in my entire life, but without sacrificing any of the important intellectual questions.
How Sex Changed: A History of Transsexuality in the United States by Joanne Meyerowitz
Not quite the best book I have ever read on the subject, but it does a very nicely readable history. Meyerowitz sketches out a much more detailed history than Stryker's book has time to go into and includes some very interesting food for thought about the role of medicine in the lives of many in the transgender community.
In a Queer Time and Place by Judith Halberstam
JUDITH HALBERSTAM! *flaps and flails* I kind of really love her work a LOT. I don't know that I agree with all of it all the time, but I always respect what she has to say and she always makes me re-examine many of the easy assumptions that I hold in my life. I have only read the first two chapters of this so far, but if the rest of the book is even half as interesting as those two, then it is well worth the effort.
Fiction
(Sadly, I am only just now starting my Transgender Lit class tomorrow, so while I know and in fact own many other books on the subject, which I am certain will be wonderful, I have not yet read them and so can not offer them up for recommendation. Next year though, I am certain I shall have a completely kick-ass recs list for this day! For this year however, if anyone is really interested, I am more than happy to e-mail you a copy of our book and movie list. Consider this the abbreviated, more tangentially related list. :o)
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The main character Cal is in fact intersexed, which is not always considered as falling under the umbrella of transgender for various reasons. However, this is such a BEAUTIFUL work of fiction I just had to make an exception for it. Historically grounded and humanly compelling and gah. If I could have picked one book in the entire world that I could claim as having written, this would be that book.
Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
Cross-dressing priests FTW! This book also somewhat sketchily straddles this line between trans-related and not, but I would contend that Fr. Damien's experience of living as a man, while it might not have started out as an identity at the beginning of the book, honestly had transformed into one by the end. Also, it is just an awesomely compelling and well-written book in its own right, even if the majority of the book focuses more on issues of faith than Damien's gender.
Also, have some fanfic! stepps's bandom crossdressing and transgender master list includes some stories that I might personally quibble with (because they are VERY tangentially related) but it is very comprehensive and most of them are well worth a glance. kyuuketsukirui's transgender masterlist is much more narrowly defined, but it encompasses as many fandoms as people have found fic for.
Non-Fiction
Transgender History by Susan Stryker
This is an AWESOME place to start if you consider your self entirely uninformed on most things related to transgender issues. I think that it is quite possibly the most readable academic book I have ever read in my entire life, but without sacrificing any of the important intellectual questions.
How Sex Changed: A History of Transsexuality in the United States by Joanne Meyerowitz
Not quite the best book I have ever read on the subject, but it does a very nicely readable history. Meyerowitz sketches out a much more detailed history than Stryker's book has time to go into and includes some very interesting food for thought about the role of medicine in the lives of many in the transgender community.
In a Queer Time and Place by Judith Halberstam
JUDITH HALBERSTAM! *flaps and flails* I kind of really love her work a LOT. I don't know that I agree with all of it all the time, but I always respect what she has to say and she always makes me re-examine many of the easy assumptions that I hold in my life. I have only read the first two chapters of this so far, but if the rest of the book is even half as interesting as those two, then it is well worth the effort.
Fiction
(Sadly, I am only just now starting my Transgender Lit class tomorrow, so while I know and in fact own many other books on the subject, which I am certain will be wonderful, I have not yet read them and so can not offer them up for recommendation. Next year though, I am certain I shall have a completely kick-ass recs list for this day! For this year however, if anyone is really interested, I am more than happy to e-mail you a copy of our book and movie list. Consider this the abbreviated, more tangentially related list. :o)
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The main character Cal is in fact intersexed, which is not always considered as falling under the umbrella of transgender for various reasons. However, this is such a BEAUTIFUL work of fiction I just had to make an exception for it. Historically grounded and humanly compelling and gah. If I could have picked one book in the entire world that I could claim as having written, this would be that book.
Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
Cross-dressing priests FTW! This book also somewhat sketchily straddles this line between trans-related and not, but I would contend that Fr. Damien's experience of living as a man, while it might not have started out as an identity at the beginning of the book, honestly had transformed into one by the end. Also, it is just an awesomely compelling and well-written book in its own right, even if the majority of the book focuses more on issues of faith than Damien's gender.
Also, have some fanfic! stepps's bandom crossdressing and transgender master list includes some stories that I might personally quibble with (because they are VERY tangentially related) but it is very comprehensive and most of them are well worth a glance. kyuuketsukirui's transgender masterlist is much more narrowly defined, but it encompasses as many fandoms as people have found fic for.