{"id":29627,"date":"2023-06-29T13:32:18","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T17:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/?p=29627"},"modified":"2023-06-29T13:32:23","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T17:32:23","slug":"transitions-a-mothers-journey-coming-from-top-shelf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/transitions-a-mothers-journey-coming-from-top-shelf\/","title":{"rendered":"Transitions: A Mother’s Journey Coming From Top Shelf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u00c9lodie Durand explores gender identity and family dynamics in Transitions: A Mother\u2019s Journey<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Based on true events,\u00a0Transitions<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is an emotional, informative, and ultimately affirming book, perfect for allies seeking to support transgender loved ones. It is scheduled for release in\u00a0November<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Award-winning graphic novelist \u00c9lodie Durand<\/strong> (Parenthesis<\/em>) achieves a new landmark in nonfiction comics with Transitions: A Mother<\/em><\/a><\/strong>\u2019<\/em><\/a><\/strong>s Journey<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. A sympathetic and moving story of a family\u2019s journey to acceptance, Transitions<\/em> is translated for English-speaking audiences for the first time by Evan McGorray<\/strong>, and will be published by Top Shelf Productions in November 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Transitions<\/em>, university biologist Anne Marbot learns that the 19-year-old she raised as \u201cLucie\u201d is a transgender man named Alex. Struggling to understand her son\u2019s new identity, she\u2019s overwhelmed by questions. How can this be? Who put these ideas in your head? What if you regret it? Am I overreacting? How will your grandparents react? Why didn\u2019t I see it coming? Why is this so easy for others? Am I a bigot? What does gender really mean, anyway? How can I be the parent my child needs?<\/em> The news of her child\u2019s transition hits Anne like a tidal wave, sweeping away all her certainties and the comfort of her tidy life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It soon becomes clear that Alex is not the only one embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The road is not easy, and sometimes their relationship is bitterly strained. But Alex is sure of himself, and Anne is determined to be strong for his sake. With time, she too will be transformed, rediscovering her identity as a mother in profound new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I met Anne, there was no resource in France for parents living through the transition of their child,\u201d says cartoonist \u00c9lodie Durand. \u201cAnne felt powerless to understand or support her son. She had this desire to bear witness for others, to find a way to help.\u201d Thus Durand was invited to adapt Anne\u2019s experience into Transitions<\/em>. \u201cAs I began to research the issues, it was like a relief for me to explore the role of gender in our private and public lives,\u201d continues Durand. \u201cIt became clear that gender is a concern for us all \u2014 that this intimate story is also the story of every family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With grace and sensitivity, Transitions<\/em> captures the unique journey of well-meaning loved ones who struggle to reconcile new gender identities with their old assumptions. Deeply researched and drawn from the family\u2019s true experience, this captivating graphic novel is a must-read companion for allies and families navigating trans issues and a compassionate roadmap to acceptance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCreating this book,\u201d says Durand, \u201cinvolved many challenges: being fair, respecting everyone’s word, taking into account the complex feelings of Anne and Alex, and those around them.\u201d At the book\u2019s conclusion, Alex himself shares his own perspective in a six-page scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTranslating Anne and Alex\u2019s story was a moving experience that I cherish deeply,\u201d says Evan McGorray. \u201cI was brought to tears as I translated Alex\u2019s letter to his mother at the end. As a trans nonbinary person with trans friends and family members, I have witnessed so many different positive and negative reactions from parents to the trans experience. A mother\u2019s perspective is complex, often challenging, and \u00c9lodie Durand allows the reader to put themself in Anne\u2019s shoes. There is such beauty in her storytelling, fact-presenting, and artwork, and it was an honor to provide the English translation for such a seminal work for parents and loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe world needs this book now more than ever,\u201d says Top Shelf senior editor Leigh Walton. \u201cFriends and family who are navigating the gender transition of a loved one may first be struck by feelings of confusion, concern, or even grief. Those feelings are real and a place to start \u2014 but the story must not end there. By documenting this journey in public, warts and all, Anne Marbot and \u00c9lodie Durand offer a helping hand to allies everywhere and a beautiful path from disbelief to passionate support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking back, I am still surprised that the journey was so long and winding,\u201d reflects Anne Marbot. \u201cToday, I simply say: Alex is my son.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, when disinformation, bigotry, and malicious politicians are attacking transgender people from all sides, books like Transitions<\/em> can directly counteract such hatred,\u201d continues McGorray, the translator. \u201cI hope Transitions<\/em> will be a call to action and will inspire allies to educate themselves \u2014 something that should not be the sole burden of trans individuals. I dream of the day when the trans community can live without fear, and I know that Transitions<\/em> will bring the world one day closer to trans freedom, equity, and liberation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transitions: A Mother\u2019s Journey<\/em><\/a>
By \u00c9lodie Durand
Published by Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing
ISBN 978-1-60309-518-1
$19.99 US \/ $26.99 CAN
A 176-page full-color graphic novel
Softcover with flaps, 7.75\u201d x 10.25\u201d
<\/strong>On-Sale: November 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transitions: A Mother\u2019s Journey<\/em>\u00a0will be available everywhere books and comics are sold, and can be pre-ordered now. For more details and pre-order options, visit\u00a0Penguin Random House<\/a>\u00a0or visit\u00a0www.comicshoplocator.com<\/a>\u00a0to find a store near you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An artist and illustrator for both children and adults,\u00a0\u00c9lodie Durand<\/strong>\u00a0has been working for over 15 years. She graduated from the School of Decorative Arts of Strasbourg and the University of Paris VIII. After debuting with the international award-winning graphic memoir\u00a0La Parenth\u00e8se<\/em>, she has also drawn the children\u2019s series\u00a0Les grandes ann\u00e9es<\/em>, among other projects. In 2021, Top Shelf published\u00a0Parenthesis<\/em><\/a>\u00a0as her English-language debut, which won the inaugural Graphic Medicine Award and was named one of the American Library Association\u2019s Best Graphic Novels for Adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evan McGorray<\/strong>\u00a0is a non-binary translator based in Cleveland, Ohio who specializes in queer Francophone stories and the intersections of language and gender. They enjoy reading and translating works which celebrate and explore the full depths of the trans experience. Among other graphic novels, they are the translator of Catherine Castro & Quentin Zuttion\u2019s\u00a0Call Me Nathan<\/em>\u00a0(SelfMadeHero, 2022).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00c9lodie Durand explores gender identity and family dynamics in Transitions: A Mother\u2019s Journey Based on true events,\u00a0Transitions\u00a0is an emotional, informative, and ultimately affirming book, perfect for allies seeking to support transgender loved ones. It is scheduled for release in\u00a0November. Award-winning graphic novelist \u00c9lodie Durand (Parenthesis) achieves a new landmark in nonfiction comics with Transitions: A Mother\u2019s Journey. A sympathetic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":29628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gayleague.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}