what i'm reading this week: trans lit

Happy hump day, folks. Hope you’re all staying safe and finding a little joy this week.

I want to tell you what I’m reading right now, and then give some other trans literature recommendations but, first, I wanted to remind you that I *have* talked about other stuff, too.

So here’s a summary, if you’re new, or if you want to catch up:

On craft:

• the art of the simile

• the art of the metaphor

• the art of personification

• the art of titles (or, title discourse ft. seething jealousy)

• on good poems

On publishing:

• on being self-taught // on first getting published

• the art of the cover letter (and bio!)

• getting paid for our writing

• on submission fees

• journals with fast-response times

More:

• on applying to MFA programs

• on leading workshops

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Now, here are the books I’ve read this week, all of which were written by authors under the trans umbrella (yay!).

• Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg (still in progress—you can download the .pdf for free here.)

• Greyhound by Aeon Ginsberg

• to love and mourn in the age of displacement by Alan Pelaez Lopez

• At First & Then by Danielle Rose

And, since we’re already on the subject of trans lit, I recommend these books, too—ones I’ve read and loved:

• how to be a good girl by Jamie Hood

• Wound from the Mouth of a Wound by Torrin A. Greathouse

• Time Is the Thing a Body Moves Through by T. Fleischmann

• Haunt by Jody Chan

• What Runs Over by Kayleb Rae Candrilli

• Transit by Cameron Awkward-Rich

• [insert] boy by Danez Smith

• hir by Taylor Mac

• Boy with Flowers by Ely Shipley

• M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang

Anyone have a recommendation for me?

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If you’re looking for new trans lit, or queer lit, or books by women, etc. etc., remember that, if you live in the US, The West Review will send you five surprise books for $30—though of course just message me if you’re looking for a certain genre in particular, and I’ll make it happen. That money goes straight to contributors—mostly emerging writers, who are brilliant and skillful and deserve to be compensated for their work.

Anyways: decolonize and deheterosexualify your reading habits.

That’s all for today, folks. Thanks for being here.

-DB
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