“Whether I grow my hair or cut it short, wear makeup every day or none at all, it would be an expression of the specific woman I am at that point in time.” —The New York Times
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Unflinching Honesty: An Interview with Meredith Talusan
“Because the memoirist’s entire job is to expose inconvenient, difficult, tortured truths about themselves—otherwise one would just be left with a simple narrative in which the memoirist emerges as a character of virtue, and what does the reader get from that?” —The Paris Review
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‘Would You Be My Kiss‑in Partner?’
During a protest at Harvard, Josh Oppenheimer’s kiss shook me into the awareness that I was not quite a man. —Vulture / New York
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'You Don't Look Trans' Isn't a Compliment
"I came to understand that what I wanted was to be seen as my complete self — my gender, my race, my history — without being judged because of it." —Fairest excerpt at BuzzFeed News
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From the Philippines to Harvard, Boyhood to Womanhood, a Coming-of-Age Across Borders
Recounting her coming-of-age as a transgender Filipino-American person with albinism, Talusan sails past the conventions of trans and immigrant memoirs. Rather than flaying her identities one by one, she examines the links between them to illustrate that it is here, in the messy overlap, that a person is made. —Rawiya Kameir, The New York Times
Read More'Fairest' Reinvigorates the Trans Memoir Tradition
“By painting her life in such exquisite detail, Talusan breathes new life into the well-worn body of the transgender life story, showing the reader deep wells of complexity where, in a less truthful or less talented writer’s hands, oversimplification and cliché might reign.” —Kai Cheng Thom, The Boston Globe
Read MoreMeredith Talusan On Her New Memoir
“it was more important for me to know what possibilities are out there for me as a woman than to stay in a relationship in which I would never know what those possibilities are.” —Weekend Edition on NPR
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44 LGBTQ Books That Are Changing the Literary Landscape in 2020
“Talusan is one of the most stellar essayists writing today, and one of the very best at examining the many different meanings of transition.”—Michelle Hart, O: The Oprah Magazine
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“In this ‘journey across gender,’ Talusan communicates the captivating story of what it means to be true to one’s self.” —Bethanne Patrick, The Washington Post
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A Memoir Reflects On What Happens To The 'Fairest' Of Them All
“This nuance, this careful attention to looking and attempting to understand this journey not just from her own perspective, but also from those affected by it, gives a welcome maturity, depth and resonance to Talusan's memoir.” —National Public Radio
Read More"A compelling story for a wide variety of readers."
“Even for avid readers of memoirs, Talusan’s (journalist and founding executive editor of them., Condé Nast’s LGBTQ digital platform) debut will stand out from the crowd, not only because of the author’s unique experiences, but also because she presents them with a rare, frank vulnerability. “ —Sarah Schroeder, Library Journal
Read MoreHonest memoir 'Fairest' tells difficult truths
“At the end of this singular and beautiful memoir, her pain is still present, and there is some work left undone. She shows us that true growth does not come without grief and even necessary changes come at a cost.”—Ashley Riggleson, The Freelance-Star
Read More"A captivatingly eloquent memoir"
“The author examines queer otherness with relentless honesty, and she investigates how accidental whiteness did not automatically lead to the fairest outcomes, either for herself or others. A captivatingly eloquent memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews
Read More"Fairest is an extraordinary story of one woman’s self-reckoning."
“Talusan interrogates the complex intersection of who she feels herself to be and how others perceive her. Through this fearless self-awareness, Talusan demonstrates her intellect, creativity, sexuality and, most of all, a true dedication to expressing her inner self. “—Kelly Blewett, BookPage
Read More"Fairest is a welcome addition to transgender literature."
"An assured debut memoir with a cinematic flair."
“This elegant memoir examining whiteness, womanhood, and the shaping of identity will resonate with readers of any community, LGBTQ or not.” —Publishers Weekly
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