NEW YORK CITY—Read My Lips burst onto the scene in 1997 without precedent. It was unique, radical, endearing, outrageous, and very funny. It stood the orthodox academic and medical theories about transsexuals on their heads. At last, a trans-intellectual built a theoretical foundation of transgenderism in accessible language, and, most importantly, laid out the tools to fight back against gender oppression. The book has influenced queer academics and gender-queer folk everywhere for more than 15 years and its message remains radical.
The landmark Read My Lips, considered to be a canon of trans-writing, has been re-published as an e-book by the Magnus Books imprint of Riverdale Avenue Books. It will also be available in a trade paperback edition on Amazon.com and on other popular online retail sites.
"It's great to see this book back in print again," said author Riki Wilchins. "This reissue contains corrections and restores cuts from the first Firebrand printing and will stand as the definitive version. I'm so glad to be working with Don and Magnus!"
Riki Wilchins is an author, activist and gender theorist. The founding Executive Director of GenderPAC, she is the author of Queer Theory/Gender Theory: An Instant Primer and co-editor of GenderQueer: Voices from Beyond the Sexual Binary. Her work has been published in periodicals like the Village Voice and Social Text, as well as anthologies like Feminist Frontiers, Language Awareness, and The Encyclopedia of Identity. She has been profiled in the New York Times and Time magazine selected her as one of "100 Civic Innovators for the 21st Century." She lives in Washington, DC.
Magnus Books editor-in-chief Don Weise stated, "Read My Lips is a foundational text that gave voice to the modern trans activist movement. I've long known of the book; however, it wasn't until reading it in the present day that I saw how ahead of her time Riki was in her thinking—and how many of her arguments are as relevant today as ever. That she writes so effectively with an unlikely combination of anger, intelligence, and humor makes Read My Lips that much more impressive. I'm thrilled to add this classic to the Magnus list."
The Magnus edition includes a forward by Julia Serano, best known for her book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, a collection of personal essays about misogyny and the myths and misconceptions about transsexual women. Julia is also an accomplished spoken-word artist, performing at a variety of high-profile events, including Toronto Pride, San Francisco Pride Main Stage, The San Francisco Dyke March, Ladyfest Bay Area, and The National Queer Arts Festival.
Praise for Read My Lips:
"I couldn’t put this down. Finally, someone cuts through the crap about gender identity politics…. Read this book!"—Susie Bright
"In this wonderfully provocative book, Riki Wilchins refuses the traps and cages of a gender-specific society and does it in a way that promises greater freedom for us all. With its belief in the richness of gender contradictions and fluidity."—Joan Nestle
Read My Lips can be purchased and read online, or purchased as a paperback here.
For more info, email Jackie Markham or call 800-762-4761.
