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Celebrating Transmasculine Stories for Young People--The Ship We Built and Stay Gold

Event date: 
Thursday, July 16, 2020 - 7:30pm to 9:00pm

In the last few years we have seen the beginnings of an expansion of transmasculine narratives in books for readers of all ages. Where once we had to read between the lines or transpose our own trans narratives on to characters in the form of fanfiction or metafiction, now there are an increasing number of transmasculine stories being published by major publishing houses. Charis welcomes authors Lexie Bean and Tobly McSmith to discuss the differences in tone, style, and scope of their books and explore what it means that published stories for trans and non-binary people are increasingly diverse in their concerns and audiences. 

Lexie Bean's, The Ship We Built, which is geared towards middle readers, tells the story of 10-year-old Rowan, who has too many secrets to write down in the pages of a diary. He is neither the "right kind" of girl, or the "right kind" of boy. His mom ignores him. And at night, his dad hurts him in ways he's not ready to talk about yet. This heartfelt, emotionally raw narrative delicately and respectfully covers complex issues including homophobia, transphobia, substance abuse, sexual abuse, and racism, that many young people around the world face, compounded by Rowan's status as a trans boy. 

Tobly McSmith's, Stay Gold, which is geared at teen readers, tells the story of Pony who just wants to fly under the radar during senior year. Tired from all the attention he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s looking for a fresh start at Hillcrest High. But it’s hard to live your best life when the threat of exposure lurks down every hallway and in every bathroom. Then, on the very first day of school, Pony and Georgia, a cheerleader who is trying to keep a low profile until graduation, lock eyes. How is Pony supposed to stay stealth when he wants to get close to a girl like Georgia? Funny and poignant, clear-eyed and hopeful, Stay Gold is a story about finding love—and finding yourself.

This event will take place on crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. You do not need any app or special equipment to watch. Please register here.

This event is free and open to all people, especially to those who have no income or low income right now, but we encourage and appreciate a solidarity donation in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Charis Circle's mission is to foster sustainable feminist communities, work for social justice, and encourage the expression of diverse and marginalized voices.

We will be archiving this event and adding closed captioning as soon as possible after airing so that it will be accessible to deaf and HOH people. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org. We are actively learning the best practices for this technology and we welcome your feedback as we begin this new way of connecting across distances.

By attending our virtual event you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to info@chariscircle.org immediately.

Lexie Bean is a queer and trans multimedia artist from the Midwest. Their work in film, literature, and curation revolves around themes of bodies, homes, cyclical violence, and LBTQIA+ identity. Lexie is a Lambda Literary Award Finalist and passionate about creating honest and complex trans narratives that "transition and grow" alongside them. Their writing has been featured in Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, The Feminist Wire, Ms. Magazine, Them, Logo's New Now Next, Bust Magazine, Autostraddle, and more. The Ship We Built is their debut novel supported with residencies at the Sundress Academy, Paragraph New York, and the Santa Cruz Bookshop. Like the protagonist, Lexie has a deep resonance with water, letter writing, and is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. 

Tobly McSmith is author of Stay Gold, a young adult novel about love, staying true to yourself, and transgender issues. He has created The Stay Gold Fund to provide financial assistance for gender affirming health care to transgender and non-binary people in need. Tobly is the co-creator/writer of eight somewhat successful musical parodies, including Friends!, The Office!, Love Actually! and The Katdashians! Tobly was born in Texas, and now lives in New York City with his two cats, Bam-Bam and Bananas. For more info: www.staygoldpony.com and www.staygoldfund.org

Event address: 
Online
The Ship We Built By Lexie Bean Cover Image
$16.99
Email or call for price.
ISBN: 9780525554837
Published: Dial Books - May 26th, 2020

Tender and wise, The Ship We Built is about the bravery it takes to stand up for yourself—even to those you love—and the power of finding someone who treasures you for everything you are.


Stay Gold By Tobly McSmith Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780062943170
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: HarperTeen - May 26th, 2020

Debut author Tobly McSmith delivers a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Becky Albertalli, and Jenny Han.


Event Summary: 
Charis welcomes authors Lexie Bean and Tobly McSmith to discuss The Ship We Built and Stay Gold.