In one of the first Queer Lit episodes ever, I got to chat with LaVelle Ridley (University of Michigan) about her doctoral research on black trans life narratives in this one and I must say, she’s a tonic. From important observations on the role of storytelling in political and community activism to the deeply personal process of healing that appropriate representation can initiate, LaVelle covers it all. She’s a scholar, an activist, a pisces (hell, yes!), a creative writer, a mermaid, and an absolute delight to talk to. Don’t miss this one; it’s fun! Texts and people mentioned: Paradise on the Margins: Lessons and Dreams from Trans Women of Color https://www.paradiseonthemargins.com/ Atargatis https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/ Susan Stryker Maggie Nelson’s “The Argonauts” Janet Mock’s “Redefining Realness” (2014) and “Surpassing Certainty” (2017) CeCe McDonald Toni Newman Venus Di'Khadijah Selenite Laverne Cox and Jac Gares’ “FREE Cece!” Ridley, LaVelle. "Imagining Otherly: Performing Possible Black Trans Feminist Futures in Tangerine." TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly 6.4 (November 2019): 481-490. LaKisha Simmons “Tangerine” Mya Taylor Kiki Rodriguez Mj Rodriguez POSE Kai Cheng Thom’s “Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars” Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” https://lavelleridley.wixsite.com/mysite