None of the Above
Reflections on Life Beyond the Binary
By Travis Alabanza
Harry Hartog's review
In this captivating memoir, Travis reflects upon phrases people have directed at them about their gender non-conformity, using them as a framework to critically examine what it means to exist in a world that perceives their identity as Black, mixed race & non-binary to be deviant. Travis writes with such clarity and earnestness about the complexity of being trans - the uncertainty, the joy, the relentless questioning. I really loved how much room they allowed for the idea of doubt in the face of people demanding trans people to be able to pinpoint exactly when they *knew* they were trans. In truth, many of us do not have such a definable experience to relay, and the desire for trans people to do so comes from a will to further codify, individualise and make digestible the complex nuances of being trans in our world today. Refreshingly easy to read and wonderfully eloquent at the same time, I could not put this one down. - Joyce, Harry Hartog Marrickville
Description
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2022: POLITICS
'No memoir like it' - Independent
'Travis Alabanza writes with such generosity and ease even the most provocative suggestions start to seem obvious . . . Profound and funny' - SHON FAYE
'Will challenge, empower and move your soul' - Glamour
'Lucid and glorious' - YRSA DALEY-WARD
In None of the Above, Travis Alabanza examines seven phrases people have directed at them as a Black, mixed race, non-binary person. Some are deceptively innocuous, some deliberately loaded or offensive, some celebratory; sentences that have impacted them for better and for worse; sentences that speak to the broader issues raised by a world that insists that gender must be a binary. Through these seven phrases, Travis Alabanza turns a mirror back on society, giving us reason to question the very framework in which we live and the ways we treat each other.
- ISBN:
- 9781838854331
- Format:
- Paperback / softback
- Pages:
- 224
- Published:
- Publisher:
- Canongate Books
- Imprint:
- Canongate Books
- Weight:
- 154 g