“I needed to know who each was as a person, to get as much authenticity as possible, and was careful to explain to them exactly what the book would cover,” she said. For geographical diversity, she sought out a sixth teen through Proud Theater, a nonprofit, all-volunteer theater group for gay and lesbian youth in Madison, Wis.Įven before she began taping the hours-long interviews with her subjects, Kuklin spent time getting to know the teens individually. Through the center, Kuklin was able to connect with five of the teens profiled in Beyond Magenta. She contacted the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in Manhattan, which primarily serves New York’s LGBT community and has a teen health outreach program. Kuklin researched relevant organizations that could put her in touch with individuals to interview. I decided I wanted to learn more about that.” It occurred to me they must go through a long process of finding out and learning to express who they are. It suddenly came to me – what if you’re imprisoned by your own body? And I began thinking about people who are born as one sex but never believe that they really are that sex. “And No Choirboy is about individuals who did a terrible deed and were literally imprisoned within walls. “ From Wall to Wall looks at our barriers, and who’s inside and who’s outside,” said Kuklin. These include 2002’s From Wall to Wall, a photo essay revealing how walls define spaces and keep things in and out, and 2008’s No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row, in which young inmates discuss their experiences. The author, who has written and photographed more than 30 books for children and young adults, explained that Beyond Magenta “seems to follow the strain” of several of her earlier works. Accompanying the narratives are portraits and candid photos of the teenagers taken by Kuklin, as well as family photographs. Based on the author’s in-depth interviews, the book follows the teens’ emotional and physical journeys before, during, and after their realization of their gender identity. Six transgender or gender-neutral young adults candidly share their stories in Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin, a February release from Candlewick.
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