While mentors are an important part of any new experience, for newly out or newly transitioning trans men, they are sometimes hard to come by. But Zander Keig, MSW, and Megan Rohrer, MDiv, decided to solve that problem with the book Letters for my Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect, a collection of essays by trans men reflecting on their transition experience (disclaimer: I have an essay in the book, but I get no royalties or other financial compensation for sales from the book).
Since the book was published in 2011, it has become increasingly popular – with new guys looking for guidance, with “elders” who transitioned years ago, but who like to read about others’ experiences, and with allies wanting to support a trans friend or loved one through transition. I interviewed Zander Keig by e-mail about the book, and here’s what he had to say :
Matt Kailey: Tell us a little bit about the people behind this collection – Zander Keig, MSW and Megan Rohrer, MDiv.Zander Keig: Megan and I met while we were seminary students at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, in August 2002. Megan is a full-time Lutheran pastor, the executive director of Welcome, a non-profit in San Francisco that “seeks to provide a faithful response to poverty,” and the brainchild behind Free Farm, which has “grown and given away over 3 1/4 tons of fresh organic produce” since 2010.
I am a medical social worker for a federal government healthcare system, working with people experiencing challenges with a lack of housing and employment, as well as dealing with substance abuse and mental illness. In addition, I am a board member for Welcome and TransMentors International, the volunteer coordinator for Trans Youth Family Allies (TYFA), and a regular presenter at Gender Odyssey.
MK: What made you decide to put together this particular collection? Where did the idea come from and why is it important?
ZK: One day I was having a conversation with Megan about what I perceived to be a dearth of mentors in the FTM community. What I envisioned was a way for post-transition trans men to stay involved in the FTM community to provide guidance to their brothers. We decided to publish a book, an anthology of transition narratives, which offers a retrospective lens of the journey taken by the writers. The hope was that, in looking back, the writers could glean a bit of wisdom about the challenges and celebrations they have encountered and share that with the readers.
The writers were prompted with a couple of questions: write a letter to your pre-transition self sharing what you wish you had known before embarking on the path or write a letter to your brothers sharing your thoughts about your journey and what obstacles and surprises you have faced.
The concept of letter writing was inspired by the life and work of Louis Graydon Sullivan (1955-1991), a pioneering trans man who was a prolific letter writer. He was engaged in ongoing correspondence with FTMs around the world for years. In Letters for my Brothers, we include a piece from Lou’s correspondence with David, an early-transition trans man. Lou’s gentle, but firm, tone made him an excellent mentor to the hundreds of trans men he impacted and influenced.
Megan and I found Lou’s careful counsel, movement making, and community building inspiring! The FTM community, worldwide, owes a debt of gratitude to Lou, who was the original architect of what came to be Female to Male International, an organization that provides trans men around the world a community of brothers.
Twenty percent of the books proceeds benefits FTM Mentors, a mentor-matching database with 2500+ profiles from folks around the world!
MK: Was it difficult to find contributors and how did you find them? How did you select the essays to include?
ZK: I was primarily responsible for soliciting writers. I reached out to my circle of friends, posted on national and regional FTM listservs, and, with the help of others, had the Call for Submissions posted on various blogs, listservs, and websites I was not connected to directly. Megan was primarily responsible for selecting and editing the submissions. We did not outright reject a story, but some writers were unable to adhere to the editing timeline.
We wanted a wide representation of voices, and I believe we achieved that. We have stories from people of various races, ethnicities, ages, geographic locations across the United States, abilities, education, and class. We also have stories from trans guys who are straight, gay, bi, poly, and kinky. There truly is something for everyone!
MK: How has the book been received by the community and what feedback have you gotten?
ZK: I have received very positive feedback from the community. Several community web-portals and blog-portals have recommended the book and I have found it listed with Becoming a Visible Man by Jamison Green and The Testosterone Files by Max Wolf Valerio. It is an honor to be listed alongside pioneers of the FTM Community. The book is even available at some libraries. In addition, Letters for my Brothers is online at: Facebook Group and Page, Tumblr and Twitter.
Even my mother-in-law wrote a fantastic review of the book on her blog.
MK: The book was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. How did you feel when you found that out and what does it mean for the book? Were you able to attend the awards?
ZK: Megan and I were contacted by a Lambda Literary Foundation representative, who urged us to submit Letters for my Brothers for consideration. We were honored to have been contacted directly. The fact that a self-published, word-of-mouth-promoted book was on the radar of people associated with the Lambda Literary Foundation was flattering and strengthened my commitment to provide mentorship resources to the FTM community.
MK: What is your next project?
ZK: I am currently involved in promoting another self-published FTM-focused anthology: Hung Jury: Testimonies of Genital Surgery by Transsexual Men (Transgress Press, 2012). I am also working on my memoir, which is being audio-recorded and released in bits with visual images under the title Zanderology prior to being released in book format in 2013.
MK: What else would you like to say?
ZK: I would like to thank all of my brothers who have purchased, shared, or borrowed the book and tweeted, reblogged, and posted about the book. I would also like to express appreciation for all the great people who have encouraged their professors to include the book in Gender Studies courses. I have spoken with professors from around the country who are/will be using Letters for my Brothers in their class. As a matter of fact, a professor from my alma mater, Metro State, uses the book in two of her courses!! She did not know I was an alum when she first ordered the book last year.
This post originally appeared on Matt Kailey's award-winning website Tranifesto.com. Republished with permission.
