"Is that a man or a woman?" Jess knows these words are pointed at her and no matter how many times they are shot in her direction, they still sting. Not the words themselves, necessarily, but the vitriol behind them. It's not easy for Jess to find a place where she can belong especially when she doesn't even feel like she belongs in her own skin. From her early childhood in upstate New York to her first time out dressed in a suit and tie, from her jobs in factories to her decisions regarding her own gender identity, we watch Jess try to navigate a world where she is not only ignored or shunned but is even violently hated. Being brave enough to be different means to accept a myriad of losses - but there is community, too. A imperfect community, sure, but one that can shine bright with its inclusion of those who are less of a binary and more of a spectrum.
This book isn't pretty. Stone Butch Blues is raw and intimate: It's like a giant open wound that Leslie Feinberg is showing us and saying LOOK! LOOK at this pain! Look at how we have been treated and the way we have been violated and shoved under the boots of bullies! Look at our deep need to be loved and appreciated the same way that any other human being needs to be loved and appreciated! I couldn't help but feel so much compassion for Jess's journey and she tries so hard to figure out her feelings, to process her trauma and to just feel secure and loved. While not the most beautifully written or literary book, it is gorgeous it its portrayal of the coming of age and life experience of a person whose courage to live a life true to their heart means that their heart is constantly being broken. It's about the trickiness of small-town life and a hard look at the labor movement in America and the plight of the worker - that piece surprised me a bit. Stone Butch Blues absolutely calls to action the worker and the activist to fight for better conditions for workers AND for a safer and more inclusive world for people like Jess.
*so many trigger warnings - assault, anti-semitism, racism, bigotry, homophobia - also some graphic scenes of sex and violence
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