Photo by Andras Vas on Unsplash When Dave Eggers published The Circle in 2013, some readers dismissed it as dystopian satire — a cautionary tale about a fictional Google–Amazon–Facebook mashup gone too far. But more than a decade later, Eggers’ world feels less like satire and more like a mirror. Mae Holland, the novel’s protagonist,...
Photo by Delia Giandeini on Unsplash Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble presents one of the most profound philosophical challenges to the traditional understanding of gender. Building upon Simone de Beauvoir’s foundational work, Butler delves into gender as a performative act, pushing the boundaries of the gender binary and asking us to reconsider how identity is constructed...
Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash What does it mean to “become” a woman? Simone de Beauvoir’s famous line — “One is not born, but rather becomes, woman” — has never lost its relevance. But the more I sit with it, the more radical and heartbreaking it feels. In The Second Sex, Beauvoir doesn’t just...
Mason Deaver’s novel “I Wish You All the Best” dives into complex issues within the LGBTQIA+ community. The story begins with Ben coming out to their parents as nonbinary and being kicked out of their house, to then living with their sister and exploring their queer identity in an accepting environment. Analyzing the themes of...
Photo by Olena Bohovyk on Unsplash Social and legal name changes are a popular topic within the queer and trans community. But, while it’s become easier to change your name on your government I.D. in certain states/countries, it is much harder to change your name as an author in a well-established career. This question came...
