Trans Rights Readathon Day 4
Happy #TransRightsReadathon Day 4 everyone! I've been reading as fast as I can, and so far I'm at 3 books completed! That's 1,076 pages read, and at $56/book (my $10/book pledge + your $46 in pledges) $168 raised for the Trans Health Legal Fund! (I know some of you have said you still want to pledge, so if that's you please don't forget to let me know what you want to donate so I can add it to the fundraising total!)
If you really want to spend some money on trans books this week, allow me to suggest this booklist! A Room of One's Own is a trans and queer-owned bookstore in Madison, WI-- and this list is books they are trying to gift to Briarpatch's Teens Like Us program. According to the bookstore, "Briarpatch is a Madison nonprofit organization that provides resources for LGBTQIA2S+ youth who are experiencing houselessness." There are LOTS of trans books on the list. So, in one fell swoop you can buy trans books from a trans-owned bookstore to support trans and other LGBTQIA2S+ houseless youth. Seems like a good deal to me!
I just finished reading Fairest: A Memoir by Meredith Talusan, which was a finalist for the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction. Oh goodness. Friends, this is one that is going to percolate slowly through my brain, so talking about it so soon after reading feels a bit like eating unripe fruit. But, I'll do my best. First, a note: Because I frequently hype books for kids and young adults, I feel it important to mention that Fairest is not a book marketed for children. It is marketed in the adult memoir genre, and while it does contain some scenes from the author's childhood, the book largely focuses on adult experiences, and thus contains adult themes. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way... let's talk.
Fairest tells the story of Meredith Talusan's experiences and journey grappling with identity amid the wildly differing lenses within Filipino, American, and British culture. The story is told in a non-linear way, weaving memories and drawing connections between her past and present selves and in a way that supports and shapes the narrative into a cohesive story arc. It is a masterful piece of writing, told with a frankness that I appreciated. Meredith explores a wide range of topics, from internalized colorism as a Filipino with alibinism in a colonialist society to her halting steps from manhood to womanhood. She shows all the messy bits. She leaves you knowing that the story is far from over. If you love memoirs that prioritize honesty, this is a book for you.
What I'm Reading Next: Poetry! I'll be making a Poetry Friday post tomorrow, so for the rest of the day I'll be focusing on reading a YA verse novel and some ebooks of poetry I've discovered because of the readathon.
Why I'm excited about it: Poetry! Honestly, over 1,000 pages of prose in 3.5 days is a lot for my brain. Some poetry will be a nice palate cleanser before I dive back into prose.
What are you reading this Trans Rights Readathon? Why do you love it?