In my first post, I mentioned that the piece was adapted from a short essay that I wrote for inclusion in a book entitled “Breaking Out of the Binary: A Gender Adventure” that was published last year. It was compiled and curated by Logan Matlock. Logan took this on as their senior project in college, calling upon friends and family and colleagues across a broad spectrum of gender experience to contribute.
The contributions took many shapes. In some cases, they were in the form of interviews, answering a specific set of questions. In others, they were essays on a specific question such as “What does gender mean to you?” Some contributions were in the form of poems and stories. One of the most genuine aspects of the compilation is that other than their own contributions, Logan did not edit any of the submissions. Each retains its own unique voice and spirit.
Interspersed with the written content are illustrations and quotations from a broad range of inspirational individuals. These provide a visual and emotional counterpoint to the written contributions that lend them additional perspective.
Logan begins the book with a selection of small pieces on a variety of foundational topics including “Transgender,” “Intersex,” “Non-binary,” “Queer,” “Drag,” and such. In addition, they provide a master list of definitions, a short piece on “Kinds of love”, and more. All these prologue elements help provide the insights necessary to understand and appreciate the journey that is about to take place.
Altogether, “Breaking Out of the Binary” is an amazing collection of ideas, perspectives, and thoughts brought lovingly together like so many treasured family fabric swatches to form an intricate and wonderful quilt. It is a quilt with a unique and delightful heart and vision. I hope you will be able to share that experience.
“Breaking Out of the Binary” is available on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Breaking-Out-Binary-Gender-Adventure/dp/B098CR95SD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=J56O9HLMKD6G&keywords=Breaking+Out+of+the+Binary&qid=1641342310&sprefix=breaking+out+of+the+binary%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-1
Erica and Friends 