Griffin Rae Birdsong’s A Pansexual Adventure Through Time: A Transition Autobiography is a work that defies the usual boundaries of genre and expectation. Combining comics, illustrations, and poetry, the book is at once a playful, wistful, and deeply personal account of gender transition, sexual exploration, and the small, tender moments that make life both confusing and magical.
Julia Serano, author of Whipping Girl, called it a “beautiful, poignant, and oftentimes hilarious collection of trans coming-of-age poems,” capturing the spirit of the book perfectly. Birdsong’s work is an unlikely and necessary antidote to the trans narratives that tend to focus exclusively on dramatic triumphs or tragic endings, instead embracing the messy, whimsical, and deeply human in-between moments that define existence.
The autobiographical aspect of the book is where its power truly lies. Birdsong invites readers into her life with a frankness and humor that is disarming and accessible. She writes candidly about her identity as a trans woman, her experiences navigating a society that is often indifferent or hostile to trans people, and the subtleties of growing up queer in Idaho. Through her poetry and prose, she explores themes of nostalgia, pubescent whimsy, lust, and the pursuit of the American dream, creating a tapestry of experience that feels both deeply personal and broadly relatable.
