Yesterday,
being so bloody,
hot,
and the,
air conditioning,
at the bookstore,
not really,
working,
I wasn’t very busy,
but,
you know,
enough.
I finished,
Leslie Feinberg’s,
Drag King Dreams.
I was going to,
write about it,
last night,
but,
I had to let it,
marinate,
seep in.
Anyone,
who has read,
this blog,
more than,
once,
knows,
I have much,
respect,
and,
admiration,
for Feinberg.
Hir life,
hir struggle,
hir politics,
and most,
of all,
for hir work.
Transgender Warriors,
is an important,
contribution,
to furthering,
our collective,
understanding,
of,
transgender,
and in fact,
the whole notion,
of gender.
Stone Butch Blues,
is a work,
of such power,
that it shook me to,
my core,
I hardly have,
words to express,
what a,
moving experience,
reading that book,
was,
for me.
So,
I very much,
wanted to like,
Drag King Dreams,
I didn’t expect ,
to like it as much,
Stone Butch,
the bar being,
as high,
as it is.
Well,
I have to say,
I’m glad I read it,
and I read it,
all of it,
but,
I am disapointed.
I didn’t hate it,
I woudn’t have,
finished it,
if that was the case,
but,
it left me,
wanting more,
or maybe less?
I know,
that’s a strange,
thing to write,
but,
that’s how I feel.
Some of the characters,
were fascinating,
and I wanted,
to know more,
and yet,
there are,
too many.
Some of,
the plot directions,
are very interesting,
and it seemed to me,
they could have been,
a novel in of themselves.
For instance,
Max and Ruby’s past activism,
Max’s growing up,
the relationship with hir Aunt Raisa,
before and after,
the death of hir mother.
The cyber connection,
she makes,
and what could,
come of that,
perhaps,
finally a love,
to call hir own.
So many threads,
not spun.
And yet,
I really liked,
Max,
hir sadness,
hir loneliness,
but,
also,
how she lives hir life,
with pride and honour,
principles.
They are all of them,
beautiful brave people.
I think,
too much was attempted,
in one novel,
maybe it’s the sophomore jinx,
how can you top,
a grand slam,
like,
Stone Butch Blues?
If you read one Feinberg,
let it be Stone Butch,
if you are interested,
in all hir work,
check this one out.
I don’t regret reading it,
for any number of reasons,
but,
I wish she had written,
a series instead.
I’d like to know,
what you girls think.
Later girls,
BB
