more evidence that Lisa Marchiano invented "transgender social contagion"

cover image for my recent Medium post
about Lisa Marchiano

In February 2019, on this very blog, I published Origins of “Social Contagion” and “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria,” which investigated the history of when these terms first appeared online and how they spread. The main finding of that piece was that the concept of “transgender social contagion” appears to have been invented by someone who went by the handle “skepticaltherapist” in a comment posted on February 20, 2016, on the anti-trans parent website 4thwavenow. I was not able to determine who exactly skepticaltherapist was, but I provided evidence that they went on to become one of the founders of the anti-trans website youthtranscriticalprofessionals.org (YTCP).

A couple days ago, I published a follow up piece on Medium entitled Did Lisa Marchiano Invent “Transgender Social Contagion” and “No Transition Before Age 25”? It was based on recent findings that Marchiano ran YTCP (which has since been confirmed) and that she possibly invented ROGD too. Based on this, I proposed that Marchiano was also likely skepticaltherapist — aka, the person who invented the notion that “social contagion” is turning kids transgender. 

In this post, I provide further evidence that this is indeed the case.

my latest email update

My latest email update is out – you can read it here. Highlights include: 

• Signed Books for Sale! (for the holidays or otherwise)
• Two new essays: Penises, Privilege, and Feminist & LGBTQ+ Purity Politics and Anti-Trans “Grooming” and “Social Contagion” Claims Explained (both no-paywall links)
• More news about my latest book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back, including a September book interview on the podcast Vox Conversations (now called The Gray Area)
• A podcast interview about Whipping Girl for This Queer Book Saved My Life
• New social media platforms I'm on (including Mastodon, Post.News, Tumblr, and TikTok).

If you want to receive my email updates directly into your inbox (never more than once every few months), you can sign up here: http://eepurl.com/CxWWf 

Signed Books for Sale! (for the holidays or otherwise)

photo of Julia with her two most
recent books: 99 Erics & Sexed Up

It's that time of the year again, when you may be considering presents to get your friends and family (and perhaps for yourself as well). Which means it's time for me to shamelessly peddle my wares!

If you know someone who appreciates my past books, I bet they'll like my latest (and IMHO best) book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back. It is currently available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook — those links will take you to the Seal Press website, which offers a variety of outlets to choose from. Alternatively, you can (and should!) pick up a copy at your local independent bookstore — if they don't have it in stock, just ask them to order a copy for you!

While I'm not able to sell signed copies of Sexed Up at this time, it is possible to get signed copies of any of my other books — here's how:

I have two self-published books – 99 Erics & Outspoken – which you can purchase signed copies of directly from the "stuff to buy" page of my website for $25 (PayPal or credit card), shipping included (instructions via that link). The shipping will be through USPS Media Mail, which they say takes 2 to 8 business day to deliver – this means your mailing address must be in the U.S. to do this (if not, see alternatives below). Here's more about each of those books:

Penises, Privilege, & Purity: a new essay about LGBTQ+ intra-community debates

So my latest Medium essay just dropped! 

It's entitled Penises, Privilege, and Feminist & LGBTQ+ Purity Politics. It's a longer read, but worth it, as it explains many intra-community debates. This includes lesbian stereotypes about bisexual women (such as the myth that we are "perpetually heterosexual privileged"), how those relate to "gender critical"/TERF stereotypes of trans women, plus recent debates between trans male/masculine and trans female/feminine communities. Basically, I show how all these sentiments stem from sexual stigma and our culture's bizarre patriarchal and heteronormative beliefs about sex and penises.

I think this is the best thing I've written since... well, since my latest book Sexed Up, I suppose. In fact, it's the first piece I've written that really builds upon some of the ideas that I introduce and flesh out in the book, including the Predator/Prey mindset and how sexual stigma shapes many popular stereotypes about queer people.

Here is the no paywall link, so you can readily share it with others: https://juliaserano.medium.com/penises-privilege-and-feminist-lgbtq-purity-politics-bafd1f25fe3e?sk=5098f46767404745b65d298b79aa8066

If you're on Twitter, here's a whole thread about it.

And if you like it, please give it lots of "claps" (up to 50, I think) so that other Medium users will see it.

This essay was made possible by my Patreon supporters. If you appreciate that I make writings like this available for free online, please consider supporting me there.

new book readings, talks, interviews & debunking pseudoscience

I just published my latest email update, chock-full of new news. you can read it online here: https://mailchi.mp/64d1973d6b99/new-book-readings-talks-interviews-debunking-pseudoscience

and if you want to receive my email updates directly to your inbox, you can sign up here.

It is a fairly long update, so I won't reiterate it all here. But highlights include:

1) links to several recent interviews (in print, podcast, and YouTube forms) with me about my new book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back – this includes two of the book events I did back in July. These interviews, as well as all the book excerpts, reviews, etc., can also be found on the Sexed Up webpage I just linked to.

2) On September 22nd, in honor of, Bisexual Visibility Day, I will be reading a few bi+ specific passages from Sexed Up at Fabulosa Books (489 Castro St, San Francisco, CA). The event begins at 7pm; masks are recommended but not required. Here is the Facebook invite for the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1091569688453976 – please come out if you can!

3) Just in time for the 2022-23 academic year, I've updated my booking webpage to include a bunch of new presentations, some Sexed Up-themed, others covering trans, bisexual, LGBTQIA+, and feminist issues I often write about. If you are part of a conference or college organization that's looking for speakers, definitely check it out!

4) Debunking anti-trans pseudoscience, in two parts:

First, J. Michael Bailey and his protégé Kevin Hsu recently published a study in Archives of Sexual Behavior that attempts to refute the existence of “autogynephilia in women.” Jaimie Veale and I wrote a response that the journal just published: Autogynephilia Is a Flawed Framework for Understanding Female Embodiment Fantasies: A Response to Bailey and Hsu (2022) [PDF link]. In it, we point out numerous methodological and interpretive flaws with their study—including how their results are incompatible with Blanchard's original taxonomy—and make the case that “autogynephilia” is a flawed framework for considering both trans and cis women's sexual fantasies and desires.

Second, some of you may recall my 2019 Origins of "Social Contagion" and "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria" post, which is essentially a timeline of all the major events regarding the invention and dissemination of these ideas within anti-trans activism. I just updated the timeline with a newer entries, many of which are recent studies that undermine or outright disprove the basic tenets of these theories. All those new entries can be found in the Post-Publication Note toward the beginning of that post.

So that's what's in the update – please check it out!

newly added Sexed Up book event and interview!

Hello everyone! I've already mentioned that tomorrow (Thursday July 21st), California Institute of Integral Studies is hosting an online conversation between me and Abeni Jones entitled On Sexualization and Society. We will be talking about my latest book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back. It will take place at 7pm PDT (10pm EDT), suggested price of $10 but pay what you can. Info about registering for the event and accessibility accommodations can be found via the link. Please come out!

But if you can't make it, I'm happy to announce that one more Sexed Up book event has just been added: On Thursday, July 28th, I will be doing a Conversation with Carol Queen in which we will talk about Sexed Up. The event is FREE and will take place at the Berkeley Good Vibrations store (2504 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702) from 5:30 - 6:30pm PDT—there is very limited seating, so you must pre-register via the link if you wish to attend in person (masking required). But you can also watch it online (and for FREE) on Good Vibes’ Instagram Live.

Whether you can make it to these events or not, you should definitely check out the latest Sexed Up interview (by Marcie Bianco) that just came out in The Advocate: Author Julia Serano Separates Sex From Stigma in Sexed Up. It discusses how the book came to be, some of the topics it covers, how me being a biologist influenced my writing, and more! 

virtual book events! plus a new book excerpt!

Hi folks, lots of news to share!

First, I just published a new excerpt from my latest book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back – it's from a section of the last chapter entitled Sexual Dystopias and Utopias. While not explicitly discussed in the piece, it grew out of my concerns with “no kink at Pride” discourses, but it’s also pertinent to recent “don’t say gay” bills and claims that LGBTQIA+ people “groom”/“sexualize” children by merely existing. Here is the no paywall link. And if you like it, please give it lots of "claps" (up to 50, I think) so that other Medium users will see it!

For even more Sexed Up-related excerpts and writings, please check out my just-released July 2022 email update.

Second, I have two Sexed Up virtual book events coming up in the next couple weeks. Both will have ASL interpretation and require pre-registration – here are the details:

On Thursday July 14th, I'll be reading from Sexed Up and engaging in conversation about the book with Jude Doyle at a virtual event hosted by the NYC bookstore Bluestockings. The event is from 7 - 8:30pm EDT (4 - 5:30pm PDT), tickets are $0 - $15, and you can register for the event here.

Then on Thursday July 21st is On Sexualization and Society, a live online conversation about Sexed Up between me and Abeni Jones, hosted by California Institute of Integral Studies. It will take place at 7pm PDT (10pm EDT), suggested price of $10 but pay what you can. Info about registering for the event and accessibility accommodations can be found via the link.

As always, you can learn more about the book – including praise, reviews, excerpts, interviews, plus links to purchase it – at the Sexed Up webpage.

reviews & an excerpt from my new book Sexed Up!

My latest email update just came out. If you want to receive these sorts of updates directly into your inbox, you can sign up here. Since it's chock-full of reviews, excerpts, and info about my new book Sexed Up, I have transcribed it here in its entirety...

In last month's update, I announced my new book, Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back (Seal Press), and encouraged y'all to pre-order it. It officially came out a week ago, so hopefully many of you have your copies by now and are diving in!

If you haven't picked up the book already, no worries, you can do so today! It’s available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook – those links will take you to the Seal Press website, which offers a variety of outlets to choose from. You can also go to your local bookstore or library and ask them to order a copy for you. 

If you are hesitant, this email should have what you need to convince you to pick up a copy of Sexed Up!

For starters, last week I published Sexed Up: a chapter-by-chapter preview of my new book on Medium. As the name suggests, it describes all the sex, sexuality, and sexualization topics that are covered in the book, and which chapter(s) you'll find them in.

The Guardian image that accompanied my excerpt

Also last week, The Guardian published an excerpt from Chapter 3, "Unwanted Attention." Their version is entitled What I learned about street harassment after I transitioned. While most people who have navigated the world being perceived as female will likely relate to some of the experiences I describe, my interpretation differs somewhat from that standard feminist "sexual objectification" explanation, and provides insight into forms of street harassment faced by other marginalized groups.

In my last email update, I shared praise the book has received from other authors. Here, I will share a few of the early book reviews that have come in so far:

“Serano succeeds in explicating a wide range of complex ideas about gender, sexuality, and identity, and offers incisive new frameworks for reckoning with some of the most discussed issues in contemporary feminism and queer culture. The result is a nuanced and approachable guide to ‘making sex more equitable’.”
—Publishers Weekly (full review via link)

“Sexed Up doesn’t just identify a common problem; it identifies a common ground for solidarity and resistance. ”
—NBC News (full review via link)

“A feminist argument about sexism and patriarchy from a fully trans- and queer-inclusive point of view... When Serano introduces a concept ... I expect the idea to pervade and permeate feminist thought.”
—Liber: a Feminist Review (full review via link)

“Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back gives every bit of [Julia’s] usual rigor as it interrogates the ways that people who hold stigmatized identities are desexualized, hypersexualized, sex-shamed or sex-policed. ”
—Xtra (full review via link)

“An engaging and thoughtful addition for any library’s popular human sexuality collection.”
—Library Journal (full review via link)

I will be adding new reviews, excerpts, and interviews to the Sexed Up webpage as they arise. There, you will also find links to order the book in hardcover, ebook, or audiobook formats. And if you enjoy the book, please spread the news far and wide, and leave it a good review on Goodreads, Amazon, and elsewhere!

Pre-order my new book: “Sexed Up”!

My latest book, Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back, will be published by Seal Press on May 17, 2022 – three weeks from today! I believe that it is my best and most important book (fwiw, I have not claimed this about any of my other post-Whipping Girl books).  

I highly encourage you to pre-order it now if you can, as this really helps to convince bookstores to carry it. It’s available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook – those links will take you to the Seal Press website, which offers a variety of outlets to choose from. You can also go to your local bookstore or library and ask them to order a copy for you. 

While Sexed Up covers a lot of ground (see description below), it is especially timely given the recent conservative/GOP onslaught of accusations claiming that everything they oppose (e.g., LGTBQIA+ people, critical race theory) is tantamount to “grooming” or “pornography.” Sexed Up explains why these sorts of sexualizing charges resonate with so many people, and how we can effectively challenge them.

Praise for Sexed Up:

“Julia Serano continues to be one of the most remarkable feminists writing today. Sexed Up is a must-read for anyone who cares about feminism, misogyny, and how we talk about sex.”
—Jessica Valenti, New York Times-bestselling author of Sex Object

“A brilliant tour de force on an under-theorized topic – sexualization – and the havoc it wreaks on so many lives, especially the most marginalized. I can't wait to discuss this book: it's essential reading.”
—Kate Manne, author of Down Girl

“Julia Serano brings us the incisive, clear-eyed analysis of today’s culture wars that we so desperately need. Thoughtful and deeply researched, Sexed Up provides a more compassionate way of dealing with our cultural programming around sexuality.”
—Annalee Newitz, Lambda Award-winning author of Four Lost Cities

“How lucky we are to have Julia Serano – a writer who brings razor-sharp analysis to the most challenging issues we face today. Sexed Up is another worthy addition to the canon, brimming with the unique patience, care, and clarity Serano brings to untangling our sexual preconceptions.”
—Jude Ellison S. Doyle, author of Trainwreck

Book description:

Feminists have long challenged the ways in which men tend to sexualize women. But pioneering activist, biologist, and trans woman Julia Serano argues that sexualization is a far more pervasive problem: it’s something that we all do to other people, often without being aware of it.

Why do we perceive men as sexual predators and women as sexual objects? Why are LGBTQ+ people stereotyped as being sexually indiscriminate and deceptive? Why are people of color still being hypersexualized? Serano confronts these presumptions head-on, showing us how they arise from unconscious biases rather than reflecting reality. While many view sexualization as a mere component of sexism, racism, or queerphobia, Serano persuasively argues that liberation from sexual violence comes through collectively confronting sexualization itself. She then reveals powerful new ways to resist, providing numerous strategies designed to foster sexual equity without sacrificing sexual diversity in the process.

Lively and provocative, Sexed Up provides a breath of fresh air for seasoned activists and newcomers alike. Once again, Julia Serano proves that she is an unmatched voice leading us toward necessary change.

More praise, plus early book reviews:

“Fascinating, comprehensive, and clearly explained, Sexed Up leads the reader through a radically sensible analysis of what sexualization is and how it happens. (Hint: You're soaking in it!) As we work to create a sex-positive culture, we'll reference this vitally important book again and again.”
—Carol Queen, PhD, Author of Exhibitionism for the Shy and co-founder of the Center for Sex & Culture

“Julia Serano acutely speaks to many nuances in gender and sexuality that unjustly dictate the safety, value, and autonomy of marginalized genders. Immersive and precise, she traces enduring stigmas to their illogical roots.”
—Koa Beck, author of White Feminism

“Julia Serano has done it again, taking an idea you thought you understood and unfolding depths to it you never knew were there. Sexed Up is the sexualization rethink you didn't know you needed.”
—Jaclyn Friedman, author of What You Really Really Want

“Julia Serano is a razor-sharp observer and a generous, compassionate, and liberatory thinker. Sexed Up is a wise, nuanced, and unapologetic guide to understanding what goes on under the hood of sexualization in American culture.”
—Dr. Hanne Blank Boyd, historian and author of Straight

“Serano succeeds in explicating a wide range of complex ideas about gender, sexuality, and identity, and offers incisive new frameworks for reckoning with some of the most discussed issues in contemporary feminism and queer culture. The result is a nuanced and approachable guide to ‘making sex more equitable’.”
—Publishers Weekly (full review via link)

“An engaging and thoughtful addition for any library’ s popular human sexuality collection.”
—Library Journal (full review via link)

More information about the book (including the Table of Contents) can be found at my Sexed Up webpage. And once again, here are the links to pre-order it in either hardcover, ebook, or audiobook formats.

crowdfunding for Japanese translation of Whipping Girl

Some good news to share: The Tokyo-based publisher Thousands of Books has made an arrangement with my publisher (Seal Press) to translate my first book Whipping Girl into Japanese!

The translation is dependent on their ability to raise money for this effort via crowdfunding. So if you (or someone you know) are excited about this prospect, here are the links where you can contribute. They also share further information about the publisher, project leader, and translator for the book.

This is the main crowdfunding link; it is in Japanese, but many browsers can translate the page for you:

https://greenfunding.jp/thousandsofbooks/projects/5658

And here is a supplemental crowdfunding page on Indiegogo, which is in English and in USD currency:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/japanese-translation-of-whipping-girl#/

Like I said, please feel free to share these links, as they have until mid-April to raise the necessary funds for the translation.

99 Erics on Kirkus Reviews' Best Indie Books of 2021!

Earlier this year, I was happy to announce that my first foray into fiction, 99 Erics: a Kat Cataclysm faux novel, was the winner of the Publishing Triangle’s 2021 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, and an Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) 2021 silver medalist in LGBT+ Fiction.

On top of all that, Kirkus Reviews just released their "Best Books of 2021" issue, and they included 99 Erics on their Best Indie Books of 2021 list! The entire list can be found via that link (you'll have to scroll down for 99 Erics, as the list is alphabetical by author last name). 

The full Kirkus review of 99 Erics is available online; here is an excerpt:

“Serano has written about gender identity and feminism in her nonfiction books Whipping Girl (2007) and Excluded (2013); she explores many of the same ideas in her debut work of fiction. The writing is conversational in style, and though Kat claims to be uninterested in banal descriptions, the scene-setting in various California locales works well. Kat recalls the Manic Pixie Dream Girls so often used in male-oriented stories, but she’s decidedly more warts and all in her presentation, almost too quirky to function, and enthusiastic about her role as ruler of all the Erics. The result is a lovable composite of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1966) and a less murder-y version of Marvel’s Deadpool, using absurdism and humor to break down the fourth wall and the very idea of ‘normal,’ with all its silly little boxes and prejudices. If that makes the book sound serious, it isn’t — and that might be the most effective way it makes its readers think about identity. Knocks down literary conventions, sexual stereotypes, the fourth wall, and more in enthusiastic defense of the weird.”

As always, for more reviews, excerpts, details, virtual book readings, and where to purchase the book, please check out the 99 Erics webpage!

end of year update, plus signed books for sale!

Last week, I published my latest email update, you can read it via that link. (If you want to receive these email updates directly into your inbox, you can sign up here.)

The update includes links to all my writings from the past year! On top of that, it includes a special deal that I will reiterate here:

I am once again offering signed copies of two of my books – 99 Erics & Outspoken – for sale! (for $25, shipping included, provided that the address is within the U.S.)

99 Erics: a Kat Cataclysm faux novel is silly, surreal, and sex-positive — click that link for book reviews, praise, and excerpts. 99 Erics is the winner of the Publishing Triangle’s 2021 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, and an Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) 2021 silver medalist in LGBT+ Fiction.

Outspoken: A Decade of Transgender Activism and Trans Feminism collects many of my trans-themed writings from 2002-2014, including my early slam poems, and numerous essays written contemporaneously with my books Whipping Girl and Excluded.

All of the book-purchasing details (including signing instructions) can be found on the STUFF TO BUY page of my website. That page also has links to purchase my other books and music too. While I cannot sell signed copies of Whipping Girl or Excluded online, I do sometimes offer them as gifts on Patreon, so please consider supporting me there...

2 new essays on anti-trans activism & the "sexual predator" trope

A few months back, I published an essay entitled Transgender People, Bathrooms, and Sexual Predators: What the Data Say. It cited numerous research studies showing that trans people and trans-inclusion policies pose no threat to cis people in sex-segregated spaces. It also chronicled how similar campaigns to smear an entire marginalized group as supposed "sexual predators" have occurred previously, for instance, against Black people, Jewish people, and gays and lesbians. In other words, this is a standard trope that bigots and haters love to wield.

In the wake of recent events, I have two new "sequels" to that essay. The first is my formal response to being named in that anti-trans manifesto that was going around last week. (For the record, I am doing okay, all things considered.) In my response, I discuss how anti-trans activists' increasing attempts to smear trans people (and particularly trans women) en masse as "sexual predators" is directly responsible for expressions of violence such as this. You can read it here: On Being Explicitly Named in a Violent “Gender Critical” Manifesto.

The second new essay chronicles anti-trans activists' increasing promotion of "autogynephilia," a debunked psychology theory that they use to ... wait for it ... smear trans women en masse as "sexual predators." I also describe their recent attempts to wield "autogynephilia" in tandem with the fake diagnosis "ROGD" in order to undermine trans healthcare more generally. You can read that one here: Autogynephilia and Anti-Transgender Activism.

By the way, both are on Medium (these are no-paywall links), so please read & share widely & give them lots of "claps" (up to 50, I believe).

[note: If you appreciate my work and want to see more of it, please check out my Patreon page]

6 recent Medium articles!

As some of you may know, I sometimes publish articles on Medium – that link will take you to my Medium page, where you can find all the pieces I've written there. Here, I will share my six most recent Medium articles, spanning back to December of last year. All of the links below are "friend links" that bypass the site's paywall – so feel free to read them all for free! 

For Bisexual Visibility Week, I published Bomb (image to right), which is a chapter from my award-winning book 99 Erics: a Kat Cataclysm faux novel. It humorously defuses many of the assumptions people face upon coming out as bisexual. It also critiques what Kat calls the "stereotype trap," as well as authors who turn their LGBTQIA+ characters' identities into "plot twists." If you enjoy it, many more excerpts from the novel can be found on the official 99 Erics webpage.

Transgender People, Bathrooms, and Sexual Predators: What the Data Say was months in the making. The piece not only compiles numerous research studies showing that transgender people are victims (not perpetrators) in such settings, but it also places these "bathroom panics" in historical context, showing how they evolved directly from Anita-Bryant-1970s-era claims that LGB people are "child molesters" out to "recruit children." The final section debunks more recent outlandish claims that trans people are "grooming" and "sexualizing" children. I wanted to touch on all these themes, not only because they unfairly disparage trans people, but because they are all more generally used to smear marginalized groups who are perceived as "other" in some way, and thus misconstrued as a potential "threat to women and children." 

I don't usually write about TV shows and pop culture, but I did just that in Here’s why some people find the Loki-Sylvie romance unsettling. Hint: the answer (or at least one of the answers) is unconscious transphobia...

I compile many of my writings related to transmisogyny in the piece What Is Transmisogyny? It includes a downloadable link to a brand new academic review article that I wrote on the topic.

The Dregerian Narrative (or why "trans activists" vs. "scientists" framings are lazy, inaccurate, and incendiary) is a new essay describing a very old anti-trans trope.

And finally, Transgender People, “Gay Conversion,” and “Lesbian Extinction”: What the Data Show was my response to the increasingly common anti-trans memes that lesbians are supposedly going "extinct" due to people transitioning, and/or that transitioning constitutes a form of “gay conversion therapy.” As the title suggests, I show that current research data do not support these claims.

That's it for now. If you appreciate the fact that I make these articles available for free, please consider supporting me on Patreon.

a statement about the thing

CW for mentions of child sexual abuse (CSA) and accusations thereof

so basically, it’s a trap. no matter what you do. 

because person X (who you don’t know personally) has threatened that if you (and 65 other people they “follow” on Twitter, the majority of whom you also don’t know personally) don’t immediately “unfollow” person Y, then they will publicly “name” you tomorrow. even though they have already tagged you and all these other people on a giant multiple-tweet public thread as part of said threat.

in other words, you’ve already been named, pre-naming.

99 Erics Wins Two Book Awards! (plus other news)

I recently sent out my latest email update – you can read it at that link. And if you want to receive these email updates directly to your inbox, you can sign up here.

The biggest news is that my latest book 99 Erics: a Kat Cataclysm faux novel, is the winner of not one, two book awards! 

First came the Publishing Triangle’s 2021 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction (shown to right). And I have since learned that it is an Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) 2021 silver medalist in LGBT+ Fiction (medal below). 

I am honestly a bit flabbergasted! Two of my past books were nominated for awards, but this is my first actual "award winning" book! 

Publishing Triangle described the book as: "Whip-smart, fast-paced, and drop-dead hilarious, Serano gives us the lighthearted fun read that we all need right now." So please consider adding 99 Erics to your summer reading list!

The book is available at all the usual online booksellers, and can be ordered from your local independent bookstore too – in fact, you should encourage them to carry it! 

If you're still tentative, check out the 99 Erics webpage, where you can download the first 5 chapters for FREE, plus read other excerpts, blurbs & reviews, or watch recordings of my virtual book readings.

Publishing Triangle finalist, review, and reading!

As some of you may know, my latest book 99 Erics: a Kat Cataclysm faux novel was recently announced as a finalist for the Publishing Triangle’s 2021 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction!

On April 23rd, the Publishing Triangle published a lovely review of the book; here it is:

99 Erics is such a delightful read! Julia Serano attacks gender norms, sexual stereotypes, gentrification, and homophobia. In addition, she breaks the fourth wall and gets super meta in this romp as her main character, Kat Cataclysm, dates 99 people—each of whom is named Eric. Kat is a writer who wants to learn how to better write conflict, so decides to go on these dates in the hopes of gaining enlightenment, in the process handing us hysterical anecdotes from dates with various Erics. Serano expertly navigates heavy issues while at the same time embracing the absurd. Whip-smart, fast-paced, and drop-dead hilarious, Serano gives us the lighthearted fun read that we all need right now.

The awards are on May 12th – wish me luck! Leading up to that, Publishing Triangle is hosting two finalists readings, featuring many of the writers up for awards. I will be a part of the Monday May 10th reading – all the details (including how to register) can be found on their Eventbrite page.

Hope you can make it out to the reading, and/or share the review, and/or spread the word about 99 Erics more generally!

new 99 Erics book reviews!

So a couple new 99 Erics book reviews were recently published and I wanted to share excerpts with you!

This excerpt is from Kirkus Reviews:

Serano has written about gender identity and feminism in her nonfiction books Whipping Girl (2007) and Excluded (2013); she explores many of the same ideas in her debut work of fiction. The writing is conversational in style, and though Kat claims to be uninterested in banal descriptions, the scene-setting in various California locales works well. Kat recalls the Manic Pixie Dream Girls so often used in male-oriented stories, but she’s decidedly more warts and all in her presentation, almost too quirky to function, and enthusiastic about her role as ruler of all the Erics. The result is a lovable composite of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1966) and a less murder-y version of Marvel’s Deadpool, using absurdism and humor to break down the fourth wall and the very idea of “normal,” with all its silly little boxes and prejudices. If that makes the book sound serious, it isn’t—and that might be the most effective way it makes its readers think about identity. Knocks down literary conventions, sexual stereotypes, the fourth wall, and more in enthusiastic defense of the weird.

the full review (with a few spoilers) can be found here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/julia-serano/99-erics/

The second review is from BookLife:

Serano (Whipping Girl) drenches readers in satire and absurdity in this “faux novel” written from the perspective of Kat Cataclysm, a wannabe author who decides to jumpstart her career by introducing more conflict into her life -- in the form of dating 99 men named Eric and novelizing the experience. With light chapters that recount Kat’s dates and failed relationships, the tone akin to conversational journal entries or letters to friends, Serano delves into issues of city life and contemporary romance, such as how money destroyed San Francisco or an analysis of Kat’s annoyance when straight men assume bi women will want a threesome ... The appeal, here, is in Kat’s noxious encounters with Erics and how she heroically mines them for witty considerations of the absurdities women face when dating -- and even occasional catharsis ... Takeaway: This meta-fictional satire in which a woman dates 99 Erics will please readers who favor pointed absurdity over emotion. Great for fans of: Daniel M. Lavery’s Something That May Shock And Discredit You, Spike Milligan’s Puckoon.

the full review (with a few spoilers) can be found here: https://booklife.com/project/99-erics-a-kat-cataclysm-faux-novel-52545

As always, you can learn more about 99 Erics (including free downloads, excerpts, virtual book readings, and how to purchase signed copies) at my website.

One final semi-related thing: Esquire recently published a piece called These 15 Feminist Books Will Inspire, Enrage, and Educate You, which includes my first book Whipping Girl!

signed books available for a limited time!

Last week, I published my latest email update, you can read it via that link. (If you want to receive these email updates directly into your inbox, you can sign up here.)

It includes a bunch of 99 Erics: a Kat Cataclysm faux novel news, including links to watch my now completed virtual book tour!

But in this brief post, I want to highlight a special offer I announce within it:

For a limited time, you can purchase SIGNED COPIES of 99 Erics and/or my 2016 book Outspoken: A Decade of Transgender Activism and Trans Feminism for $25 (shipping included) provided that you are in the U.S. – I am happy to make it out to whoever you wish. Just go to my STUFF TO BUY webpage for all the details!

That page also has links to purchase my other books and music too. While I cannot sell signed copies of Whipping Girl or Excluded online, I do sometimes offer them as gifts on Patreon...