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Summary: A poignant view of a fascinating life
Review: As a transsexual woman, Calpernia Addams has walked an incredible path. Aside from her strict Fundamentalist upbringing, she was dragged into a national spotlight after her boyfriend was murdered in a 1999 "gay" bashing on an Army base. Such is the range of experience so touchingly recounted in Calpernia's autobiography Mark 947.In the bible the book of Mark, chapter 9, verse 47 begins with "And if thine eye offends thee, pluck it out," a dramatic metaphor for the sex change that she'd wanted for many years. The title of this work is a jab at the biblical scripture she was bombarded with from early childhood. To escape this strict world, and her own inexplicaple feelings, Calpernia ran away to join the Navy, ending up in Desert Storm. Later, on a lonely outpost on an Aleutian island, she becomes increasingly aware she does not fit in as a guy. The remainder of the story details an ongoing awakening into her sexuality and gender, from her first steps in "drag" to her crowning as Tennessee's Entertainer of the Year. Sweetly yet tragically, these pages introduce and then all too quickly take away the love of her life, Army PFC Barry Winchell who loved her as his girlfriend. The final chapters vividly portray her anguish, the dazed nightmare of the murder trial, and her beginning steps into acceptance. This is an amazing and touching first book, one that I would recommend to anybody.
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Summary: A well-written book by an obviously brilliiant artist!
Review: What blew me away upon reading this is how superlative this is compared to other TS autobiographies. Calpernia is a seriously gifted writer! She has written here possibly one of the best autobiographies I have ever read, TS or not. Her prose is beautiful, her memories flow logically for the reader, and the whole book is laced with humor. She conveys her feelings very clearly, without falling into cliche. She also does not attempt to whitewash her life. It is all here, even the parts that are clearly the most painful to her. If you decide you have to read one TS autobiography in your life, this is the one you should read! Calpernia has written a truly amazing literary journey! This book also stands up as great art. I mean that. I think that she should continue to write books. She is gifted, and could write great novels.
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