Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
This was pretty good book! Loved the way the narrative was balanced in discussing the personal and informational. I know nothing about boxing so it was pretty interesting. Uses some language for transness i don’t totally love but like it’s just towards himself so that’s fine but not for me. He also does say some really powerful things about the trans experience and gender! It’s a really interesting exploration of masculinity but i feel like he does too easily shake off the GNC trans experience (but does acknowledge it). Uhhh.... looking forward to my non-fiction writing class’s discussion of it I guess???
3.5
This is a memoir about a trans man who trains to box at Madison Square Garden.
I recommend it for anyone who wants to know what it is like for a man to figure out how to actually be a man, without being a jerk.
This is a memoir about a trans man who trains to box at Madison Square Garden.
I recommend it for anyone who wants to know what it is like for a man to figure out how to actually be a man, without being a jerk.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Transphobia
Amateur follows Thomas Page McBee as he trains for a charity boxing match at the Madison Square Garden, becoming the first trans man to fight there.
As he tells us about his training, he also tells us about his doubts, his fears, and also what it means to be a (good) man.
"People sometimes think that being trans means I live "between" worlds, but that's not exactly true. If anything, it has just created within me a potential for empathy that I must work every day, like a muscle, to grow."
While it covers a period of only a few month of Mcfee's life, it also details how things have changed since he started his transition and how this has affected not only the way people see him but also how he sees others.
I discovered McBee last year through a podcast and read (and loved) his first book, Man Alive.
While Man Alive was mostly about the author finding out who he was, Amateur is about what masculinity means, and the expectations that comes with it.
It was great to see McBee's growth since his first book; the author has matured, not only in his life at that time, but also in the way he is writing.
"The notion that gender is a birthright is hard for many people to shake, and I am uncomfortable proof that it's not."
From a personal point of view, I think Man Alive resonated with me more than Amateur, but both together are a wonderful insight into McBee's mind. I look forward to see where his where his journey takes him.
As he tells us about his training, he also tells us about his doubts, his fears, and also what it means to be a (good) man.
"People sometimes think that being trans means I live "between" worlds, but that's not exactly true. If anything, it has just created within me a potential for empathy that I must work every day, like a muscle, to grow."
While it covers a period of only a few month of Mcfee's life, it also details how things have changed since he started his transition and how this has affected not only the way people see him but also how he sees others.
I discovered McBee last year through a podcast and read (and loved) his first book, Man Alive.
While Man Alive was mostly about the author finding out who he was, Amateur is about what masculinity means, and the expectations that comes with it.
It was great to see McBee's growth since his first book; the author has matured, not only in his life at that time, but also in the way he is writing.
"The notion that gender is a birthright is hard for many people to shake, and I am uncomfortable proof that it's not."
From a personal point of view, I think Man Alive resonated with me more than Amateur, but both together are a wonderful insight into McBee's mind. I look forward to see where his where his journey takes him.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Thomas Page McBee is the first trans man to fight a boxing match at Madison Square Garden, and in this book he writes about his training and his attempts to define “masculinity”. I really appreciated his perspective and insight, and his writing is beautiful. I’m very grateful my coworker brought this to my attention.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
fast-paced