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. 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.
“From Wall to Wall looks at our barriers, and who’s inside and who’s outside,” said Kuklin. “And No Choirboy is
about individuals who did a terrible deed and were literally imprisoned
within walls. 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. It occurred to me they
must go through a long process of finding out and learning to express
who they are. I decided I wanted to learn more about that.”
Kuklin researched relevant organizations that could put her in touch
with individuals to interview. 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. Through the center,
Kuklin was able to connect with five of the teens profiled in Beyond Magenta.
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.
A Close Collaboration Finds a Publisher
Even before she began taping the hours-long interviews with her
subjects, Kuklin spent time getting to know the teens individually. “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. “I transcribed the interview tapes myself, since I
have to hear and feel the voices in order to write them.” She then
edited the interviews, queried the teens for clarification if necessary,
shaped their narratives, and shared them with the interviewees. “We
worked together to make sure that everything included in the book was
honest and authentic,” she said. “It was very collaborative.”
Kuklin also consulted with the teens about the book’s title, which
is a spin on a line in a poem written by Luke, the Wisconsin
participant, who is an FTM transgender person. In his poem, the narrator
responds to the question, “What are you?...you gotta choose…Pink or
blue?” with the words, “…I’m a real nice color of magenta.” After a
lengthy deliberation of options for the title, Kuklin sent her subjects a
group e-mail suggesting Beyond Magenta, and was happy when they all agreed to it.
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Photo: Bailey Kuklin
Susan Kuklin.
|
At Candlewick, senior editor Hilary Van Dusen willingly gave the
book project the nod after Ken Wright (at the time an agent with Writers
House, now publisher of Viking Children’s Books) submitted the proposal
to her.
But not immediately after. “Honestly,
it sat on my desk for a while, since I wrestled to figure out how it
would fit on our list,” Van Dusen said. “Then I showed it to some
colleagues, including our editorial director, Elizabeth Bicknell, who
agreed that we should publish this book that had the potential to be
controversial. We both understood that Candlewick would stand behind the
decision and offer support to the author and people who share this book
out in the world. There hasn’t been anything like Beyond Magenta published, and we realized there was a huge need for it.”
When Kuklin turned in the manuscript and her photographs, Van Dusen
said she was amazed. “The honesty with which these teens were able to
speak to her and the way she brought out their voices were remarkable.
There is a lot of in-house excitement about the publication of this
book.”
A Pleased Participant
Jessy, one of the FTM teens featured in Beyond Magenta, was
very happy to be part of the book project. “Above all, what inspired me
to participate was the kind love, support, and warmth I received from
those around me,” he said, “especially from those at the Callen-Lorde
Community Health Center, who stood by my side every step of the way
during my transition.”
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| Jessy, one of the teens featured in Beyond Magenta. Copyright © 2014 by Susan Kuklin. Reproduced by permission of Candlewick Press. |
Asked if he
discovered more about himself through his interviews with Kuklin, Jessy –
who aspires to become a doctor and has been accepted to medical school –
responds emphatically: “Yes, yes, and yes! Being interviewed by Susan
made me reflect upon myself in all kinds of ways. It made me realize how
far I've come from where I started, and I was able to see how much I
grew mentally, emotionally, and physically. I was able to share
heartfelt experiences and perspectives, as the interviews made me dig
into my deepest thoughts and feelings.”
As he reflected on how he’d like Beyond Magenta to
have an impact on others, Jessy referenced people who have or are
considering transitioning – and those who are close to them. “I hope
teenage readers will see that transitioning is a learning experience
that one should embrace no matter what hardships they may come across
along the way,” he said. “No one says that it’s going to be easy, but
who and what you become at the end is worth it all. If a reader is a
parent or loved one of someone who is transgender, remain loving and
supportive because the difference you make will be more than words could
ever express.”
Referring to the six teens as
“my kids,” Kuklin made it clear that she bonded closely with them during
the four years she spent working on Beyond Magenta. “I am not
objective at all, but am completely passionate about these teens,” she
said. “I hope the book shows readers that these teenagers are not
stereotypes, but are lovely, interesting, multidimensional individuals
from whom they can learn. My ultimate hope is that readers can see
reflections of themselves in some facets of these teens. My second hope
is that the book will give people more of an understanding when they see
someone a bit different from themselves – an understanding that that
person is not too different after all.”
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin. Candlewick, $22.99 Feb. ISBN 978-0-7636-5611-9
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