#TransRightsReadathon
Earlier this month, trans Jewish author Sim Kern [signal boosting: Tony’s Place Houston] announced a decentralized fundraiser event called #TransRightsReadathon that’d run from March 20th-27th.
The goal: devour as many books by trans & nonbinary & 2spirit & genderqueer & agender & gender expansive authors (& identities outside of what’s listed here) as possible (not just during that week but always), while encouraging readers to donate to trans people and to local trans organizations.
I’m a few days late in writing this, as it’s March 22nd now.
I don’t always run on linear time.
My publisher, Mason Jar Press, during #TransRightsReadathon, has a “Trans Rights Readathon Bundle” of poetry books for sale (mine included!), and they’ll will use the sales of the bundle in a donation to Trans Maryland.
From their website:
Trans Maryland is a multi-racial, multi-gender, trans-led community power building organization dedicated to Maryland’s trans community.
by trans folks, for trans folks
For access to FREE lit during #TransRightsReadathon - there’s kith books; Sim Kern’s free ARCs & eBooks list; this small (incomplete) list of poems I personally love:
More Americans Believe They’ve Seen a Ghost Than a Trans Person [Ally Ang]
Every Day Is A Trans Day [H. Melt]
Treatise on a trans NDN love scene [Kai Minosh Pyle]
trans people gather for a name reveal party and play Apples to Apples except all the cards are fill-in-the-blank [Lucas Scheelk]
I Told My Grandfather My Name [J. Jennifer Espinoza]
Ode to Trucking Company Names That Include ‘Trans’ [Dri Chiu Tattersfield]
Earth Gazing [Lior Hardin]
any time i tweet like an angry trans person [SG Huerta]
TRANS POETICA [SG Huerta]
i didn’t tell my best friend i was non-binary because we were bros [lukas ray hall]
a list of minor trans gods [E.J. Schoenborn]
MAD MENSCH: swallow:tale press
Before the AWP discussion, I wanted to announce that I was recently published in Mad Moments #2 - swallow::tale’s semi-regular feature on short-form Mad creativity.
Trigger warnings include: COVID-19 pandemic, alcoholism, classism, antisemitism.
ft. the following poems:
Yossel the Working Class Peacock
It Can Drive Me To Relapse, ah yes, it cannot be anything other than a 2020 vintage, paired with “Reasons I Drink” from Alanis Morissette
Now That’s What I Call Temp Work Vol. 1
I’m honored to be considered a Mad mensch, and a non-academic scholar. I aim to live up to both.
AWP 2023 Seattle
Even after months of reminders (from myself and others) sent to AWP participants to wear a mask, both indoors and outdoors, to protect themselves and local communities (including me)…
I still saw many pictures of maskless faces.
I am very angry.
I am choosing to tell you my anger, with text, because that is my energy level.
Betrayal is the word that best defines this moment.
Yes. Betrayal.
The many pictures of maskless faces at AWP Seattle, I see as an act of betrayal to the over one million passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (in Turtle Island alone), to those grieving the dead, to the long-haulers, to the Essential Workers, to the Frontline Workers, to the disabled and immunocompromised increasingly left behind in the poetry & writing world, and yes, also to me, because I’m in a couple of these categories myself!
[#CovidIsNotOver]
[Do not apologize; we don’t have time - at all! - for this conversation, reader; wear a fucking mask!]
For financial and COVID-safety reasons (i.e. lack thereof), I was not in attendance at AWP Seattle.
I did, however, attend Brown Bag Lit’s virtual Fake AWP Events, and I held an impromptu poetry reading when my urge to relapse on alcohol was really strong!
I wanted to give space for a few accounts of those who were at AWP this year:
Raye Hendrix experiencing ableism after the “Neuronasty: A Poetics” panel
Evelyn Berry discusses anti-trans legislation & how the calls to move AWP 2024 away from Missouri will effect southern trans writers
Taco Bell Quarterly responding to AWP’s request for donations (with its history of financial inaccessibility to low-income creatives)
Hana Choi experiencing academic elitism while talking with a journal editor
Kay Ulanday Barrett experienced ableism & lack of virtual accessibility options for The Wilds Off-site AWP reading
& as per KB Brookins: “the lit world is still too white”
If you’ve made it this far, please consider…
signing up for KB Brookins’ “Poetry & the bodymind” FREE virtual workshop!
donating to the Autistic People of Color Fund!
donating to Michael LaBorn’s “Making space for Black and Brown authors!” fundraiser!
donating to Kai Minosh Pyle’s “Support U.P. Two-Spirits & Allies” fundraiser!
reading Amanda Tink’s “Black Inc. has stumbled with its anthology of neurodivergent writing. The term is not a diagnosis – it is part of a political movement” article!
checking out TransTorah!
checking out the Trans Halakha Project!
checking out the Nonbinary Hebrew Project!
checking out the Tzitzit Project!
Donations are never required, but are always appreciated:
Venmo: Lucas-Scheelk
CashApp: $LucasScheelk
honored to be included ❤️ thank you for this post!