To Be A Trans Man

To Be A Trans Man is a heartfelt collection of stories about transition, discovery, and experience collected and written by Ezra Woodger. Due out 21st Oct 2022 from Jessica Kingsley Publishers, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback format. 

This is a very well written survey of trans men, transmasculine folks, and gender nonconformity. The author speaks from a place of ruminative authority and experience and does so with a surprising amount of maturity given his (relatively) young age. The bulk of the book is taken up with interviews of 8 trans and/or transmasculine men and include wide ranging interview format Q&A on identity, activism, art, aesthetics, the process of transitioning, and sometimes joy. Most of the interviews had a palpable sense of relief and a feeling of the decisions surrounding their transitions having been innately right and correct for them. 

The particular format of the interviews meant that there was less information about lived experiences and challenges, and more a collection of profiles showcasing each subject's activism and spheres of influence. I still think that the information which is covered is -vitally- important and improving awareness and access to services and resources is literally lifesaving, important work, I just wish it could've been slightly more one-on-one personal (obviously not in a prurient way). 

I think this is an important book, and I'm not aware of any others with precisely this focus; certainly there aren't many. This would be a superlative choice for library acquisition, for LGBTQIA+ and allies, for families in transition, and for fostering genuine dialogue.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.