Trans Bear Diaries: Calling My Deadname Home

(Paperback)

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In this extraordinarily compelling trans memoir, Avi, a bearish trans man and Psychology Professor, navigates sex and dating in a phallic-centric universe of men who love men. But something is missing. To become the man he aspires to be, he needs to reconnect with Talia, his hyper-feminine straight female past, and invite her back in. This memoir explores what it means to come home to oneself with brutal honesty, humour, and self-compassion, going well beyond gender. From growing up in a working-class right-wing Israeli family and barely finishing high school to pro-Palestinian activism and escaping compulsory military service by faking madness, to attaining a PhD from Yalea triumph after poor schooling. Told in three episodes, early transition, later transition and Talias story, this memoir tackles contemporary gender and social issues. At its heart is a universal theme: to become who we already are, we must integrate the past into the present.

Reviews

'This is a fascinating work of intelligence and generosity' Julia Bell

Author Bio

Avi Ben-Zeev is a gay transgender man, high school failure, and Yale Ph.D. A psychologist and writer, hes compelled by emotional truth. His story Angel won the UKs first transgender writing competition, and his anthology Trans Homo Gasp! was a Lambda Award