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.
Original title: "Liberdade Ainda Que Profana" (Freedom Even If Profane) by Ruddy Pinho.
When we turn to the literature of trans authorship in Brazil, we inevitably arrive at Ruddy Pinho, who in 1980 debuted on the literary scene with the poetic biographical work Eu, Ruddy. In that period Ruddy did not yet recognize herself as a woman, nor did she bring this issue explicitly to her writing, which only occurred after the publication of her second autobiography, Liberdade ainda que profana (1998), in which she celebrates her 35-year career as a hairdresser, and she identifies as a woman.
Ruddy Pinho, also known as “A Maravilhosa”, was a celebrated transgender hairdresser from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was known for her work with famous clients, including Susana Vieira and Marilia Pêra. Ruddy Pinho made a significant contribution to the hairdressing industry, including creating the “lioness cut” that marked the career of singer Simone Bittencourt and was widely copied in the 1980s.
1998,
Brazil,
Portuguese,
Ruddy Pinho,
Original title: "O sabor do cio" (The taste of heat) by Ruddy Pinho.
"O sabor do cio" is the second poetry book by Ruddy (Ruddy Pinho). In that period the author did not yet recognize herself as a woman, nor did she bring this issue explicitly to her writing, which will only occur after the publication of her autobiography, Liberdade ainda que profana (1998).
Ruddy Pinho, also known as “A Maravilhosa”, was a celebrated transgender hairdresser from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was known for her work with famous clients, including Susana Vieira and Marilia Pêra. Ruddy Pinho made a significant contribution to the hairdressing industry, including creating the “lioness cut” that marked the career of singer Simone Bittencourt and was widely copied in the 1980s.
1981,
Brazil,
Portuguese,
Ruddy Pinho,
Original title: "Quando eu passo batom me embriago" (When I put on lipstick I get drunk) by Ruddy Pinho.
"Quando eu passo batom me embriago" is the third book by Ruddy (Ruddy Pinho). In that period the author did not yet recognize herself as a woman, nor did she bring this issue explicitly to her writing, which will only occur after the publication of her autobiography, Liberdade ainda que profana (1998).
Ruddy Pinho, also known as “A Maravilhosa”, was a celebrated transgender hairdresser from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was known for her work with famous clients, including Susana Vieira and Marilia Pêra. Ruddy Pinho made a significant contribution to the hairdressing industry, including creating the “lioness cut” that marked the career of singer Simone Bittencourt and was widely copied in the 1980s.
1983,
Brazil,
Portuguese,
Ruddy Pinho,
Original title: "Eu, Ruddy" (Me, Ruddy) by Ruddy Pinho.
“Eu, Ruddy” is a significant work in the history of LGBTQIA+ literature in Brazil. It is considered the first book written by a trans person in the country. In that period the author did not yet recognize herself as a woman, nor did she bring this issue explicitly to her writing, which will only occur after the publication of her second autobiography, Liberdade ainda que profana (1998).
Ruddy Pinho, also known as “A Maravilhosa”, was a celebrated transgender hairdresser from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was known for her work with famous clients, including Susana Vieira and Marilia Pêra. Ruddy Pinho made a significant contribution to the hairdressing industry, including creating the “lioness cut” that marked the career of singer Simone Bittencourt and was widely copied in the 1980s.
1980,
Brazil,
Portuguese,
Ruddy Pinho,
Original title: "Certos Movimentos de um Coração" (Certain Movements of a Heart) by Ruddy Pinho.
"Certain Movements of the Heart is another book by the poet Ruddy, who lays bare her soul in a cadence of feelings, without mask, hypocrisy and/or camouflage, seeking what is most valuable - authenticity.
Ruddy combines Love and Art "as inseparable brothers and lovers in unusual incest invading her BEING".
She opens her heart and sings: "I threw into the sea / the key to my heart. /Now it's going to be cool./ I left the door open/for anyone who wants to come in." And she goes further, in her cry of criticality and commitment to the true FEELING and LIVING in the poem Amor Louco - "Call the ambulance/ the mayor/ the police/ Call the TV/ the cinema/ the radio./ I want everyone to know that I have a love/ larger than life/ on the fringes of screams and spits/ beyond clandestine whispers/ above howls and rumors/ an incandescent love of infinity."
1988,
Brazil,
Portuguese,
Ruddy Pinho,
Original title: "Nem Tao Bela, Nem Tao Louca" (Not So Beautiful, Not So Crazy) by Ruddy Pinho.
"In this book you will find in more than 300 pages a mature woman, mother, friend, lover, warrior and religious. A Ruddy she didn't even know herself. Showing that in Brazil, despite all the social and political problems, it is possible to win, to be different, to be respected and to grow old. Of course, the glamorous ever-present in his life was not left aside in his passages with the personalities of the artistic world. New York and Paris are constant backdrops of hilarious narratives. Some records of these memories then in the more than 80 photos enclosed throughout the book."
2007,
Brazil,
Portuguese,
Ruddy Pinho,
