Essay collections are always hit or miss, but this is more hit than miss because of the thoughtful way that Norris grew the collection from existing writing. The audiobook design was similarly well-planned, with narrators matched to content for an overall immersive listening experience. I definitely found voices in this collection whose work I added to my TBR pile, which is part of the goal of picking up any anthology, and I'll definitely be on the lookout for publications from Electric Literature because Norris has earned my trust as an editor.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an audio ARC.

I really enjoyed each of the different essays in this book, each which gave different perspectives on the trans and gender nonconforming experience from multiple different racial and cultural backgrounds. I found many of the essays to also be enlightening and relatable, especially as an individual who has been struggling with my own gender identity.

I loved listening to "Both/And", it was a great follow up as of just finishing "So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color by Caro De Robertis". Who also happened to be a highlight author in this collection.

5 stars

I came to this collection for Denne Michele Norris, whose work I've admired for a long time and whose debut novel I recently very much enjoyed. Because I appreciate Norris so much, I didn't get much further than her name and the briefest synopsis of this audiobook before clamoring to request it.

As anticipated, there is so much more to love than just the aforementioned obvious incoming wins. This is a collection of highlights, and I love how much variety there is in focus, identity, and tone. Sometimes, this topic can lead to a lot of dark, heavy material. Not everything comes up roses here, but not everything is about challenges, barriers, and national despair (a nice break from reality, where that is all I think about!).

There's a good mix of legendary icons in here (eh-hem, two words, Akwaeke Emezi) and folks who may be newer to many readers. For me, the works are consistently strong, engaging, and well positioned. I also loved listening to the audio version and absolutely recommend this option when and where accessible.

I recommend this highly to interested parties, and if you're not interested, well, I hope you get reprogrammed sooner rather than later. Happy to help by Clockwork Orange-ing this excellent material right into your pried open eyeballs.