In sixteen essays that blend memoir, cultural criticism, investigative journalism, and a dash of fanfiction, Walker places her own experiences within the larger context of the pressing and underdiscussed aspects of contemporary American womanhood that make up daily life. She recounts an attempt to eviscerate a corporation's attempt at pinkwashing their way into bath bomb sales while simultaneously confronting her “pick me” impulse to do so. She interrogates her relationship to labor, from the irony of working in a transphobic workplace in order to cover gender-affirming surgery to the cruel specter of the girlboss that none of us ever think we'll become. She explores the allure and violence of assimilating into white womanhood in all its hegemonic glory, exposes the ways in which the truth of trans women's reproductive healthcare is erased in favor of reactionary narratives, and considers how our agency is stripped from us—by governments, employers, partners, and ourselves—purely on account of our bodies.
An acerbically witty, confrontational and shrewd examination ... Walker stands apart from other culture writers who know how to deliver a joke, thanks to her extreme emotional depth and attention to detail ... A refreshing, if at times slightly episodic, take on culture, capitalism, transness, health care and art, shot through with touching, raw moments of truth from the author’s own life.
Elegantly presents, critiques, and resets the contemporary American discourse on the rights, history, and culture of trans people ... she writes like in a deep conversation with a trusted friend: serious, loving, generous, and full of care. Through reflection, research, and humor, Walker contextualizes and confronts the sometimes fraught, usually intense, and always nuanced interplay between the self, one’s experience of gender, and the ties that bind communities ... For lovers of personalized essays with a journalistic bent, this essay collection is not one to miss.
After a grounding early essay on Walker’s entrée to corporate journalism, covering “Healthcare and Identity, capital letters and all,” for a unionized but distressing outlet she dubbed “Free Surgery Depot Dot Com” for its much-needed insurance, topics get less personal and sometimes fantastic ... A long piece on late artist Greer Lankton is especially gripping, and vivid in its depictions of Lankton’s work and life ... Walker comfortably and capably moves between the global and the personal in this collection as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.
