Tag: leslie feinberg

Drag King Dreams

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

Reflection on Transgender Warriors

If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation…want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters…. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
  Frederick Douglass, 1857

I have been reading Leslie Feinberg’s,

Transgender Warriors,

in the few chapters,

I have read,

I have learned,

much,

and it has brought me to,

reflection on the nature of gender,

and transgender,

I always thought,

I didn’t understand,

much about,

transgender,

maybe,

I get it more,

than I thought.

Sometimes, you read,

something,

and it crystallizes,

your thoughts.

For instance,

I had read,

before,

in the bad old days,

before Stonewall,

that when cops,

arrested homosexuals,

in bar raids,

they could charge you,

if you weren’t wearing,

three pieces of,

gender appropriate,

clothing,

and I thought,

fuckin’ fascists,

I would fail,

by that criteria,

everyday,

most,

days,

it’s one piece,

three guesses as to what that might be:-)

strangely enough,

I have never seen,

being butch,

as cross dressing,

I don’t attempt to pass,

for anything,

but,

maybe it’s just another,

degree.

I don’t know.

Deserves, reflection.

But, I’m grateful,

to Feinberg,

for insight and illumination.

If you are not transexual,transgender, or intersexual,if you’re not a cross-dresser, bigender, or drag queen or king, then perhaps you already understand that defending our rights to be who we are is inextricably tied to your own right to explore and define who you are . Each individual has a stake in trans libearation– Transgender Warriors page 92

Never,

thought of it,

quite like that before,

I’m thick,

sometimes,

but, I do attempt,

to catch up.

It can be quite the process.

In the last six months,

Feinberg,

post-modernism,

genderQueer,

and discussions,

here,

and elsewhere,

have helped in,

my quest,

to be less thick.

The process goes on.

Just, wanted to let,

you in on,

my reflection.

Later girls,

BB

Library visit

Beautiful March day,

which means,

cold and blue,

The Habs?

Don’t even get me started,

they’re playing like crap,

and,

duh?

they’re losing.

Controlled breathing exercise.

I’m trying to read,

Maurice by E.M Forster,

I have to say,

I don’t really like it,

but,

maybe,

I just need,

lighter.

Still reading,

the Bruce Chatwin biography,

it’s good,

but, it takes time,

and concentration,

two things I seem,

to be,

in short supply,

of,

lately.

Haven’t read much,

since the beginning,

of the year,

a lot of it has been,

very demanding,

some of it dark,

most of it,

excellent.

I went to the library,

today,

any excuse is good,

I had to bring back,

The Powerbook,

but,

it wasn’t really due,

I just wanted to walk,

on Ste-Catherine.

So, I picked up,

two Jane Rule books,

that I have never read,

The Young in One Another’s Arms,

and,

This Is Not For You.

I’ve read two,

of her novels,

Desert Of The Heart,

which I loved,

and,

Contract With The World,

which I didn’t.

Jane Rule,

is a woman for who,

I have respect and admiration,

tough, smart.

Seen her interviewed,

many times,

a fine mind,

a good heart.

These books,

aren’t too long,

and will help,

in my quest to know,

the history,

of lesbians and queers,

in general,

a long time,

interest.

I have also,

been reading,

Transgender Warrior,

Leslie Feinberg’s history,

of transgender,

an informative,

and,

enlightening,

read.

Can’t say enough,

good about,

Feinberg,

Stone Butch Blues,

is in my opinion,

a must read,

for anyone,

and,

everyone.

Well,

off to read:-)

Later girls,

BB

 

Stone Butch Blues

I read  Stone Butch Blues.

 It is magnificent.

 Not a false note.

You pick it up, you can’t put it down.

I had high expectations. This book exceeded them.

I intend to buy several copies to give as gifts, it’s that good.

This book should be required reading .

 It deserves to be on the same bookshelf as :

The Diary Of Anne Frank,

 If This Is A Man by Primo Levi,

 and To Kill A Mockingbird.

The same courage,

 indomnitable spirit,

 senseless cruelty and,

 power of the human spirit. 

Jess, the main character, suffers so much and is treated so unfairly by life’s bullies and yet,

 she never loses her humanity.

 She is  treated with hatred and violence or at best, disgust,

 and all she wants is what we all want,

 to be accepted.

The prose is tight, Feinberg is a talented writer.

This book is not depressing nor is it upbeat it is — hard and True.

To quote Leslie Feinberg’s afterword from 2003:

Never underestimate the power of fiction to tell the truth.

It is about a specific time and place and a marginalised segment of society and yet, it is universal.

1950’s Buffalo, New York becomes, anywhere and everywhere.

Great Literature does that.

I’m grateful I read this book.

 I’m grateful I was born, when I was born,

 and that brave women like Leslie Feinberg came before me.

If you have not read Stone Butch Blues.

You Must.

Later girls

BB

Gonna get me some classics

Tomorrow I’m going to the bookstore, to shop for some classics.

You would think, I would like to get away from bookstores but, what can I say it’s a disease.

I want to pick up Stone Butch Blues, I don’t understand how come I have never read it, puzzling.

I’m also going to pick up, Ties That Bind, the Sarah Schulman non-fiction. I believe Sarah Schulman is one of the most daring and thought provoking writers I have ever read. I’m really looking forward to it. In the coming weeks I plan on posting some thoughts on her books and Stone Butch Blues. So tomorrow I spend what is left of the gift certificates.

Later girls

BB