Being Alive Book Club Fall Reads 📚️🏳️‍⚧️✨

We're talking about the movement for trans kids and Max Delsohn's debut collection

A quick hello from “take out the ACs” weekend here in Brooklyn, aka my semi-annual rearranging of seasonal clothes and the storage unit. The temperatures are starting to feel like fall, finally, and my house is gearing up for some cozy book reading—in between reminding everyone in NYC and VA (etc) to vote on Nov 4th!

Last week, the Being Alive Book Club gathered to talk Idlewild with author James Frankie Thomas. Two dozen people joined from across the country (NY, OH, IN, CA) and the world, including Canada and Scotland! I’ll post the conversation later this week.

I’m so grateful that so many of you enjoy reading (and being) together.

Below is our schedule for the rest of the year—October & November book selections, followed by a low-pressure December holiday hang. Trying a new thing and soliciting feedback on our meeting dates. For those who enjoy participating on Zoom, please select your preferred date from the three polls below. UPDATE: Dates and RSVP links below.

For those of you who enjoy just being along for the ride… non-BABC material also coming soon.

xx Kyle

Being Alive Book Club Fall Schedule

I forced myself to watch an attack ad from Aibgail Spanberger’s opponent in the VA Governor’s race, a rerun of the “she’s for they/them” critique that ran in last year’s Presidential campaign. The attacks don’t seem to be working—thank goodness—but of course, it continues to be a perilous time for trans people and trans kids in the South, especially.

My mission with the Being Alive Book Club is to break through the noise of people talking about trans people, with actual stories written by trans people.

This month, we’re partnering with the Campaign for Southern Equality to read their 2024 collection: Trans Kids, Our Kids.

CSE published this book to capture the effort and resilience of those kids and families fighting for trans rights in the South. Of all the books we’ve read so far, this one hits closest to home. I grew up in the South, spent my teens as a queer youth organizer, and am now a parent with trans kids in our family.

I realize we’re holding this event on a school night, but please know that I intend for this conversation to be kid-friendly (10+). Please pass along the invite to any families that you know who might be interested in attending. It is not a requirement to read the book to participate.

Join co-authors Alexis Stratton and Adam Polaski to discuss Trans Kids, Our Kids on Monday Oct 27 at 8p ET / 5p PT.

Max sent me a digital preview of Crawl, and my jaw hit the floor on page one. I immediately closed the PDF and decided I’d rather savor this story collection on paper. Ideally, soaking in a bathtub. Now my copy is filled with exclamation points.

Fair warning: this will be a hard pivot from October’s heavy kid (and activism) focused conversation into fully adult material. Max’s stories are hot and steamy, full of skin and self-consciousness. I can’t wait to talk with Max Delsohn in on Monday, November 17, just on the heels of his epic book tour visiting NYC, Portland, Seattle, LA, DC, Boston, Syracuse, Austin, Ann Arbor, Madison, Chicago AND Las Vegas! (I’ll be at the NYC launch.)

December is always busy; rather than add to your (reading) to-do list, let’s gather together to raise a glass to celebrate the first year of the Being Alive Book Club. We’ll discuss our reading highlights from the year and swap gift book recommendations.