There are books that whisper, books that shout, and then there are books like Das Tagebuch der Johanna E.: trans. schamlos. direkt, books that simply bare it all, unfiltered and unapologetically alive.
Johanna E., Austrian stewardess, yoga teacher, and former star of the German reality show Transgender – Mein Weg in den richtigen Körper, is no stranger to bold decisions.
In my earlier interview with her on The Heroines of My Life, I was struck by her fierce honesty, her radiant resilience, and her refusal to be anyone other than herself. Now, Johanna takes her truth-telling to the next level in her intimate, chaotic, and deeply human book, Das Tagebuch der Johanna E.: trans. schamlos. direkt. Published as a beautiful, large-format edition, the diary reads like a series of emotional explosions, pages soaked in vulnerability, contradictions, and courage. The premise is as provocative as the title. After a client gives her a blank diary, Johanna begins pouring her heart and raw experiences onto the page. She writes of love and lust, shame and yearning, spiritual quests and sexual confessions. She is “mutig,” “naiv,” and “zerrissen,” brave, naive, and torn. She doesn’t shy away from contradictions; she lives in them.
