A random collection of over 1910 books and audiobooks authored by or about my transgender, intersex sisters, and gender-nonconforming persons all over the world. I read some of them, and I was inspired by some of them. I met some of the authors and heroines, some of them are my best friends, and I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing some of them. If you know of any transgender biography that I have not covered yet, please let me know.
"Titillating, provocative tale of how a curious, wayward little Texas boy, despite his traditional, conservative upbringing, becomes a transsexual escort and adult entertainer, making lots of money and living the fast life, only to lose it all
in the end, before picking up the pieces of a shattered life to carry on.
Guaranteed to open your mind, rattle your notions, and shock your senses!"
2011,
English,
Faith Turner,
Full title: "Three Strikes and You Are Not Out: A True Story"
"A true story about an individual who has been through a lot of emotional trauma. As a result of three marriages, other problems became more prevalent. These problems are cross-dressing, being a transvestite, and homosexuality.
This book also talks about a return back to health. By living as "One's True Self," as a transsexual, and putting trust back into the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ."
2011,
English,
Paulajean Anne Anderson,
Full title: "Bourbon Street Stripper to New Orleans Lady!: The Life of My Dreams; The Dreams of a Life"
"This is the story of a very confused kid, growing up in an abusive world that didn't understand him or who and what he was, but as you will see he didn't let much stand in his way of making his dream come true. Through pure determination, lots of sacrifices and humiliation his dream became a reality.
The book is loaded with warnings and pitfalls many young transsexuals fall into and are included not only as part of Daphiny's story, but as a warning to others, especially young transsexuals out there that think it's just too hard at home. That warning being, considering what all she had to fight through, home seems like paradise. And with today's acceptance of LGBT and some even having the ability to finish school her best advice would be to stay in school, be who and what God made you, transsexual, and be proud.
There were many battles she had to fight growing up on Bourbon Street and the other cities she traveled, that she luckily survived, but she would have given anything to have stayed home with her family and grown into who and what she was in a safe and supportive environment."
2011,
Daphiny Cook,
English,
Full title: "Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels" by Justin Vivian Bond.
"Hailed as "the greatest cabaret artist of [V's] generation" in the New Yorker, Mx. Justin Vivian Bond makes a brilliant literary debut with this candid and hilarious coming-of-age tale.
Bond recalls in vivid detail how it looked and felt to first discover Mom's lipstick (Iced Watermelon by Revlon), and how dreary it could be for a trans/queer kid to join the Cub Scouts. Always haunted by the knowledge of being "different," Bond began to create intimate friendships with girls, and to feel increasingly at risk with boys.
But when the bully next door wanted to meet secretly, Bond couldn't resist. Their trysts went on for years, making Bond acutely aware of how sexual power and vulnerability can be experienced at the same time. With inimitable style, Bond raises issues about LBGTQ adolescence, parenting trans/queer children, and bullying, while being utterly entertaining."
2011,
English,
Justin Vivian Bond,
"A Woman Denied... The Early Years is a biography of one beautiful woman named Raymond. Raymond was born in Pretoria. She spent a few years of her childhood in Soweto, Johannesburg. Her father, a stubborn traditionalist, had always wanted a boy. With two little girls in the house, he had reason to yearn for a little boy.
When Raymond came, all wishes and hopes, pride, and joy were shattered as the baby came with mixed gender. Neither could the baby be a boy or a girl... but subsequent domination from an abusive and drunkard father saw that the baby would lead a life as a boy.
Needless to say, it put paid to Raymond's mother, Evelyn's desire to raise a happy and healthy baby... as simply a baby she loved.
The account of the times and life of this wonderful and humble child is a tear-jerking story. Get in her shoes and walk through her trials and tribulations as she grows through life in the 70s and 80s. Experience the hurt and the abuses she had gone through; cry with her as all undeniable signs of womanhood surface...
2011,
English,
Rebone Makgato,
South Africa,
"Dánská dívka" is the Czech language edition of The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff. It was published twice in the Czech language in 2011 and 2016.
Having gender reassignment surgery in the 1930s was an unusual and sensational affair, and the man who took the step to do so was the Danish painter Einar Mogens Andreas Wegener, who after the operation took the name of Lili Elbe.
The operation took place at the Institute for Sexology in Berlin, where the male organs were removed. The surgery was performed by Felix Abraham at the recommendation of Magnus Hirschfeld.
Einar Wegener was married to the beautiful, celebrated artist Gerda Wegener. They lived in a highly unusual marriage. Their life fate is told in this book, which is a fiction novel based on authentic events and diary entries from Einar Wegener.
The book is based on facts but there are some tiny differences. The Dane Einar, a landscape painter of Jutland, and the American Greta, a well-known portraitist, met during their studies in Copenhagen and got married. Their life together is gradually disrupted by Einar's tendencies to cross-dress.
In female disguise, she becomes the model for Gerda's recognized portraits. However, his sexual bipolarity means an enormous psychological burden in intimate coexistence. When the couple can no longer resist the condemnation of the Danish conservative society, they settle in Paris. Einar's mental and health condition intrigue many specialists, they propose various solutions, until finally a German surgeon takes up the case and in Dresden in 1931 Einar's dream comes true as she becomes a woman, she takes the name Lili Elbe, but their marriage falls apart.
2011,
2016,
Czech,
David Ebershoff,
Lili Elbe,
Full title: "Just One Letter: My Journey from M to F" by Kirstie Mcewan.
"This is the story of my life from my earliest memories to the present day. I am male to female transsexual and as such have led a life of many ups and downs, most notably spending the best part of 50 years in total denial of my condition.
I start my story on the day I told my wife why our marriage had been such a sham for the previous 5 years and admit that I am transsexual. The book progresses on two paths. The first describes my early childhood and development into an adult, getting married and having children. The second path describes my journey of transition following the disclosure to my wife. It details the process up to and including my Sex Reassignment Surgery in January 2010."
2011,
2016,
English,
Kirstie Mcewan,
