MARSHA! MARSHA! MARSHA!

This month we're reading Tourmaline's tour de force—The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson

A full decade ago, when independent film was the center of my universe, I had a fortuitous lunch with an impressive artist/filmmaker/writer developing a short film about the legendary, but not well-known, trans activist Marsha P. Johnson. I had heard Marsha’s name uttered in the same breath as Sylvia Rivera, but was embarrassed at how little I knew about them both beyond name recognition. I’ll never forget the lunch because Tourmaline’s passion for telling Marsha’s story was infectious. She knew portraying Marsha on screen would raise awareness. While the film went on to premiere at Outfest (and is available to stream)—it only just scratched the surface of Marsha’s essence. Marsha deserves a wide release.

Cover page for Tourmaline’s Happy Birthday, Marsha! script.

Lucky for us, Tourmaline didn’t stop with the short. She continued to tirelessly research Marsha’s life so that her legacy and the world that she inhabited would not be lost to our collective history. This dedication to honoring Marsha has given birth to two new books: the properly dignified biography, MARSHA, and the sumptuous picture book, One Day in June.

Officially, we’re reading MARSHA this month, but why not buy a few copies of One Day in June to pass around?

As any queer person (or parent of a school-age kid transitioning into summer) can tell you: June is B-U-S-Y. And the weather is mostly phenomenal, at least up here in the Northeast. As fun as our monthly book club chats are, they really can’t (nor shouldn’t) compete with being gay IRL.

Also, to say it out loud, I’m bracing for the end-of-the-month Supreme Court decision season malaise. Instead of a formal author visit this month, I’m hosting a casual Pride decompression gathering on June 30. We’ll light candles for Marsha, discuss community history, and share what has made us proud this month. (Now you have homework—go make me/you/us proud between now and then!)

Thank you for reading with me and supporting trans writers.

here, queer, and nose in book,
xx Kyle

BABC is open to ALL— there are many ways to participate, none of which absolutely require reading the book.

• Option A: Read alongside me by reading this newsletter and enjoying Tourmaline’s book in the format of your choosing.

• Opt B: Discuss with other readers in the Being Alive Book Club chat.

• Opt C: Join our book club hang on Zoom Monday, June 30th. See registration link above.

More questions? New here? Check out the Being Alive Book Club FAQ!