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Saint-Clair’s latest novel, Morgan in the Mirror, moves away from her usual lesbian contexts, and tackles the issue of transgenderism – a most relevant matter for the health and survival of humankind because fear of the unfamiliar is part of the global problem of discrimination against ‘the other’.
If our survival as a community is based on our ability to become compassionate, accepting human being capable of caring for each other, even in the absence of understanding, then Saint-Clair tests our readiness by giving us Morgan and the challenge his personal circumstances present to the world.
Gender and sexuality have never been frozen in binary oppositions of either/or, but have always existed as mere stations along a rich and gloriously multicoloured continuum. Christen discovered this truism after her own surprising heart-connection with Maddy but can she now accept Morgan, her new love interest, as he stands before her at the mid-point of his trans-gender journey from female to male?
Excerpt
In this scene, Morgan is 23 years-old and a post chest-op transman, unbeknowkst to his would-be lover, Christen.
He says, “I want you.”
She chuckles against his ear. “I know.” She nuzzles him. “Hey … Morgan … Tell me you have condoms. There’s no way I can make lo–” His lips are buried in her hair. “Chris … we need to talk.” He only whispers because he doesn’t dare speak any louder.
“Oh no, we don’t. Talking’s for later. So where d’you keep them, huh?” She urges him, hand pressed over his groin. “Condoms … Morgan?”
He moves her hand away from him. “Christen.”
Aware of a shift of energy in his body, she opens her eyes.
“What’s up?”
“Sit,” he says gruffly. “Please.”
She sits but, tugging at his belt buckle, she reaches for him again.
He detaches her fingers from his belt buckle, steps back, briefly crosses his arms before taking two steps towards the hallway and stops, as if in two minds, before reaching in his back pocket. He flips his wallet open, rifles through it to pull out a snapshot. He walks back to the sofa and holds the picture level with Christen’s eyes.
“Oh. Great. So why show me this now?” she frowns. “Your girlfriend?”
He shakes his head and drops his weight in the armchair behind him.
Christen peers at the fresh-faced woman. “So, who’s the chick, then?” Tall and thin in a white T, the camera has caught the girl leaning out of a window. Her hair, in short but loose curls, looks mussed by a breeze as she smiles squarely into the camera, seemingly amused by something the photographer might have said. “That chick … it’s me.”
Christen’s eyes snap to Morgan’s face. “What d’you mean?”
Her lips hold on to the smile as she peers more carefully at the picture.
If our survival as a community is based on our ability to become compassionate, accepting human being capable of caring for each other, even in the absence of understanding, then Saint-Clair tests our readiness by giving us Morgan and the challenge his personal circumstances present to the world.
Gender and sexuality have never been frozen in binary oppositions of either/or, but have always existed as mere stations along a rich and gloriously multicoloured continuum. Christen discovered this truism after her own surprising heart-connection with Maddy but can she now accept Morgan, her new love interest, as he stands before her at the mid-point of his trans-gender journey from female to male?
Excerpt
In this scene, Morgan is 23 years-old and a post chest-op transman, unbeknowkst to his would-be lover, Christen.
He says, “I want you.”
She chuckles against his ear. “I know.” She nuzzles him. “Hey … Morgan … Tell me you have condoms. There’s no way I can make lo–” His lips are buried in her hair. “Chris … we need to talk.” He only whispers because he doesn’t dare speak any louder.
“Oh no, we don’t. Talking’s for later. So where d’you keep them, huh?” She urges him, hand pressed over his groin. “Condoms … Morgan?”
He moves her hand away from him. “Christen.”
Aware of a shift of energy in his body, she opens her eyes.
“What’s up?”
“Sit,” he says gruffly. “Please.”
She sits but, tugging at his belt buckle, she reaches for him again.
He detaches her fingers from his belt buckle, steps back, briefly crosses his arms before taking two steps towards the hallway and stops, as if in two minds, before reaching in his back pocket. He flips his wallet open, rifles through it to pull out a snapshot. He walks back to the sofa and holds the picture level with Christen’s eyes.
“Oh. Great. So why show me this now?” she frowns. “Your girlfriend?”
He shakes his head and drops his weight in the armchair behind him.
Christen peers at the fresh-faced woman. “So, who’s the chick, then?” Tall and thin in a white T, the camera has caught the girl leaning out of a window. Her hair, in short but loose curls, looks mussed by a breeze as she smiles squarely into the camera, seemingly amused by something the photographer might have said. “That chick … it’s me.”
Christen’s eyes snap to Morgan’s face. “What d’you mean?”
Her lips hold on to the smile as she peers more carefully at the picture.
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Φίλε erva_cidreira
Μπράβο που διατηρείς στην επικαιρότητα το θέμα της ομοφυλοφιλικής λογοτεχνίας. Δεν μπορώ να ξέρω αν τα βιβλία για τα οποία μιλούν τα δυο τελευταία ποστ σου είναι πραγματικά καλά μυθιστορήματα. Όμως κι αν ακόμη πρόκειται για «Άρλεκιν», οι ομοφυλόφιλοι των αγγλόφωνων (και άλλων) χωρών μπορούν να είναι ευτύχείς που έχουν τόσο πλούτο τίτλων οι οποίοι είναι γραμμένοι πάνω στο δικό τους τρόπο ζωής. Μόνο τελευταία ο Πολύχρωμος Πλανήτης αλλάζει κάπως τα δεδομένα και στην Ελλάδα. Ίσως αν αρχίσουν να βγαίνουν περισσότερες από τις ιστορίες της δικής μας ζωής σε βιβλίο, και εμείς, και οι ετεροφυλόφιλοι κυρίως, να αποδεχτούμε καλύτερα τη διαφορετικότητά μας, και να φτάσουμε πιο κοντά στο αίτημα της ανεκτικής κοινωνίας. Για να το πω αλλιώς, η λογοτεχνία και όλες οι τέχνες είναι κι αυτοί τρόποι να μάθουμε να προσεγγίζουμε το διαφορετικό.
Το μεγάλο πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζουν οι γκέι συγγραφείς στα «λαϊκά» αυτά λογοτεχνικά είδη, όπως είναι το ρομαντικό ή ροζ μυθιστόρημα, βρίσκεται στο ότι πέρα από τους ομοφυλοφοβικούς αποκλεισμούς σε επίπεδο εκδοτών, διανομέων, βιβλιοπωλών, βιβλιοκριτικών κλπ έχουν να αντιμετωπίσουν και τις παραδοσιακά ετεροσεξιστικές δομές του είδους που απειλούν να αλλοτριώσουν τη γκέι ματιά, και άρα τη γκέι κουλτούρα που επιθυμούν οι συγγραφείς να εκφράσουν.
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