Cleavage
Men, Women, and the Space Between Us
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4.7 • 6 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
What is the difference between men and women? Jennifer Finney Boylan, bestselling author of She’s Not There and co-author of Mad Honey with Jodi Picoult, examines the divisions—as well as the common ground—between the genders, and reflects on her own experiences, both difficult and joyful, as a transgender American.
Jennifer Finney Boylan’s She’s Not There was the first bestselling work written by a transgender American. Since its publication twenty years ago, she has become the go-to person for insight into the impact of gender on our lives, from the food we eat to the dreams we dream, both for ourselves and for our children. But Cleavage is more than a deep dive into gender identity; it’s also a look at the difference between coming out as trans in 2000—when many people reacted to Boylan’s transition with love—and the present era of blowback and fear.
How does gender affect our sense of self? Our body image? The passage of time? The friends we lose—and keep? Boylan considers her womanhood, reflects on the boys and men who shaped her, and reconceives of herself as a writer, activist, parent, and spouse. With heart-wrenching honesty, she illustrates the feeling of liminality that followed her to adulthood, but demonstrates the redemptive power of love through it all.
With Boylan’s trademark humor and poignancy, Cleavage is a sharp, witty, and captivating look at the triumphs and losses of a life lived in two genders. Cleavage provides hope for a future in which we all have the freedom to live joyfully as men, as women, and in the space between us.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this witty and wise memoir-in-essays, Boylan (She's Not There) reflects on her status as a trans elder more than 20 years after her transition. The book opens with an essay titled "Both Sides Now," and its namesake Joni Mitchell song offers an instructive reference point: throughout, Boylan strikes a balanced, clear-eyed tone, acknowledging that her years living as a man were not pure tragedy, and that living as a woman has not cured her of all longing. But gender is just one subject through which Boylan explores rich themes of in-betweenness. "The Heisenberg Variations" leans the furthest into literary criticism, with Boylan considering how the understanding of stories—including L. Frank Baum's Oz series and Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts—are altered by time, context, and readership. In "Daughters," Boylan writes movingly of her own child's gender transition, wrestling with her complicated feelings about "my own child turn out to be someone like me." Boylan is an accomplished and playful writer, adept at handling serious subjects with a light but poignant touch; she asserts more than once that she's "probably the wrong guy to ask," winking at the rigidity of gender discourse without mocking it outright. Readers will be equal parts entertained and edified.
Customer Reviews
Wow! Wow! Wow! Required Reading for All Humans
As a cisgender man, this book helped me feel the conflict, sadness, joy and complexity of Ms. Boylan’s journey. At times funny, at times heartbreaking, but always affirming and soulful. This book should be required reading for everyone. Her prose is elegant and smart. I will hold this book close to my heart.