Miss Major Speaks & Young Men In Love
By Vaughn Frantz Miller
Miss Major Speaks
“If you don’t take the time to figure out what it is you want to do, and by that I mean who you is, that will get in the way. If you don’t take the time to enjoy yourself, whatever creature that “self” may be, you won’t get very far.”
I know I’ve reviewed some action-packed books in my time, but the twist on the action packed in this book is that it all really happened. Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary with Toshio Meronek and Miss Major is a quick but eventful read. Come pick up this book and soak in the words of a veteran of the Stonewall Riots, a show girlunlike any other who lived in New York City as the ballroom scene took off, a lady who robbed banks: the Miss Major who lived with the kidney of a wonderful man from our very own San Diego.
There’s even more to read about than everything listed above, too.
This is a really cool book. I wish we had books like this for everyone who’s worked tomake a difference in our LGBTQ community. Reading conversations on the lives, thoughts, and critiques of community activists is truly inspiring. It is a treasure unlike any other. Miss Major sees the systems of oppression–or as she calls them, The Powers That Be–as an international struggle which has been going on longer than her long life. I appreciated her insights into the political and social development of our nation. She points out the shortcomings of our movement and pushes the reader to reflect on what ways we may contribute to those shortcomings.
I understand such an idea can feel like a critique or pessimist rambling, but the reality is that orienting a social movement to focus on the most marginalized instead of those with the greatest ability for assimilation makes us all safer. Miss Major, no matter what she is saying or how she was saying it, spoke in this collection of interviews from a place of fierce, thoughtful love. Such writings are profoundly moving and have helped me refocus my own evaluations ofnonprofits, political actions, and choices with the questions “who is benefiting from this? Who is being left behind? Who is not here at all?”
Other than that, this book explores the long and eventful life of a smart, resourceful woman who has seen and done more than most of the fictional characters I’ve written about thus far. It was also really cool to read about her as someone living in San Diego. I’d heard ofMiss Major before this book, but had no idea she used to live here! It was especially cool to see our local hero, Tracie Jada O’Brien, mentioned in the acknowledgments. It made me a lot prouder to be part of this San Diego community.
There is only one copy of this book available at San Diego Public Libraries, so I would encourage you to order your own from a local bookstore. Lambda Archives also has a copy inits library, so reach out to them if you want to check it out.
Young Men In Love: A Queer Romance Anthology
If you’re looking for a series of hyper-short stories that’ll make you go “awww!” here’s the book for you.
Young Men In Love is a series of comics which goes across the gay spectrum in every way you can imagine: from the first love of a boy entering puberty to the endless dance between the ancient Northern and Southern winds. There’s your regular human on earth browsing comics, another features two demon hunters, one’s a man in a haunted house, and then there’s pirates.
“If I keehauled every man who sneaked off to kiss a crewmate, I’d have an empty ship and some very happy sharks.”
I think my only critique of this book is that the majority of these stories center on new relationships. Sure something new is thrilling, but I prefer seeing love that’s endured.Regardless, I still found the budding romance stories adorable.
I loved the diversity in this anthology! The art styles vary significantly, along with the body types of the main characters. Chiseled men look great and all, but I love seeing guys who are bald or balding, guys who are heavy in the hips and gut, guys who are drawn awkward in their lankiness. Love is for every type of man across race, style, and body type. You really do see it all in this charming anthology.
There are two copies of Young Men In Love available at San Diego Public Libraries.