Trans-Sister Radio (2000)
Page 32
I also want to thank two transsexual surgeons: Dr. Stanley Biber of Trinidad, Colorado, and Dr. Sheila Kirk of the Transgender Surgical and Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their knowledge (as well as their patience) is astounding. I am deeply indebted as well to their assistants. Pamela Kirk--who is Dr. Kirk's life partner as well as professional assistant--is a thoughtful, sharp, and encouraging reader. Marie Pacino, who works with Dr. Biber, is as indefatigable as she is resourceful.
Other readers offered different--but no less important--varieties of technical counsel, especially Phoebe Barash and Bill Jesdale, each of whom is an educator and school principal; Ken Neisser of the Gersh Agency; Mark Vogelzang, president and general manager of Vermont Public Radio; and Tom Wells, attorney and bookseller. Writers Jay Parini and Dana Yeaton were also kind enough to read early drafts of the novel and share with me their wisdom.
The transgender canon is large and (not surprisingly) diverse, and most authors who plumb the subject bring experiential passion to the subject. Some are more supportive of sexual reassignment than others, and some are more likely to link sex and gender with politics and power. The books that I found most helpful as a novelist--because of the author's insight, wisdom, or honesty--included: In Search of Eve, by Anne Bolin; Gender Outlaw, by Kate Bornstein; Sex Changes, by Pat Califia; Body Alchemy, by Loren Cameron; Speaking As a Woman, by Alison Laing; Conundrum, by Jan Morris; Transsexuals: Candid Answers to Private Questions, by Gerald Ramsey, Ph.D.; The Transsexual Empire, by Janice G. Raymond; and The Transsexual's Survival Guide I and II, both by JoAnn Altman Stringer.
Four novels were particularly inspiring and thought-provoking: The Extra Man, by Jonathan Ames; Stone Butch Blues, by Leslie Feinberg; The Illusionist, by Dinitia Smith; and Myra Breckinridge, by Gore Vidal.
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