janet mock: 21 century woman

Remember the name janet mock. she’s about to the next literary giant.

A friend told me to go to her blog, Musings On Love, and read the first entry. It reads … “You have until the age of 28 to decide between his dreams or yours,” a girlfriend of mine warned while having drinks last night. “You’ve got two years … I was having a carefree evening fueled by rounds of alcohol and predominantly light conversation. This girlfriend, who’ll remain anonymous, said based on her experience (tied in with her own regrets as an over-accomplished single woman in her mid-30s) in a nutshell that there’s no such thing as having it all and specifically if I want to be with Aaron, I have to give up my dreams to support his.” The entry is dated Sunday, September 13, 2009 with the tags gender and relationships. Those few sentences were beautiful and made me want to read more. I did and entered Mock’s life. Mock is a writer and editor for People.com, interned at In Style magazine, received an MA in journalism from New York University, and is dating a very handsome man. In all a perfect life, what every woman wants. The death of Tyler Clementi forced her to reevaulate her life and come out per se. Mock was born in the wrong body. Her new memoir, Fish Food: A Memoir, unveils the story of a girl “who sacrifices nearly everything to become the person she knows she’s destined to be.” Mock grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. She transitioned freshman year of high school with her family’s support. Her book is yet to be released.

Click here to read the article published on her in Marie Claire (June 2011 issue) by Kierna Mayo.

Check out her It Gets Better video below:

It Gets Better – Janet Mock Reveals Trans History

Notes on Shoe Shine Boxes: Another Essex Hemphill poem

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HOMOCIDE: For Ronald Gibson by Essex Hemphill

Item:
Ronald Gibson, 20, was found shot to death in the 2700 block of Arizona Avenue, N.W. Police said Gibson was wearing a dress and high-heeled shoes at the time of his death. According to Homicide Det. Lloyd Davis, Gibson, also known as “Star,” hung out during the past two years in the area near 14th and Fairmont Sts., N.W., an area frequented by drag queens who solicit sex for money. Detectives say they have no suspects and know of no motives in the case.
 The Washington Blade, 1/8/82

The poem – HOMOCIDE: For Ronald Gibson by Essex Hemphill

Grief is not apparel.
Not like a dress, a wig
or my sister’s high-heeled shoes.
It is darker than the man I love
who in my fantasies comes for me
in a silver, six-cylinder chariot.
I walk the waterfront/curbsides
in my sister’s high-heeled shoes.
Dreaming of him, his name
still unknown to my tongue.
While I wait for my prince to come,
from every other man I demand pay
for my kisses. I buy paint
for my lips. Stockings for my legs.
My own high-heeled slippers
and dresses that become me.
When he comes,
I know I must be beautiful.
I will know how to love his body.
Standing out here on the waterfront/curbsides

I have learned to please a man.
He will bring me flowers.
He will bring me silk
and jewels, I know.
While I wait,
I’m the only man who loves me.
They call me “Star”
because I listen to
dreams and wishes.
But grief is darker.
It is a white dress
that covers my body.
It is a wig
that does not rest gently
on my head.

E.N.D

Published in Blacklight Vol. 4, No. 4

Related articles

• Essex Hemphill: Brother From Another Planet (victoryates.wordpress.com)

Toni Newman Interview with DJ Baker about LL Cool J and Eddie Murphy and other Celebrity Clients

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DJ Baker interviewed Toni Newman today on his 900th show, the Da Doo-Dirty Show. The Da Doo-Dirty Show is the longest running LGBT urban daily syndicated radio program on the internet. In the interview Toni Discusses her life on the street in Harlem and many of the clients she had as a transgendered prostitute including LL Cool J, the smooth rapper, known for licking his lips during concerts and interviews.

Click on the link below to hear the interview. The link goes to Podomatic.

The Da Doo-Dirty Show is an hour long. To skip to Newman’s interview scroll to 56:40 mark or listen to the whole Da Doo-Dirty show. In the show DJ Baker discusses:

• Celebrity Apprentice and who goes home
• Who’s joining the X Factor
• Will Smith playing a slave in a Quentin Tarantino “Spaghetti Western“
• Oprah’s OWN Network
• 50 Cent canceling his headphone line
• Gay-bashing outside a Texas Gay Club
• And out music news

Toni Newman Interview Discussing LL Cool J, Eddie Murphy, Brian McKnight, and many others (This is the interview link)

If you like DJ’s radio show  also check out his late night show below.

Author Spotlight: Toni Newman and I Rise: The Transformation of Toni Newman

I first heard about Toni Newman from a press release from BlackNews.com. Newman was promoting a play about escorting and S&M. What stood out in the press release was a small sentence on her book, I Rise: The Transformation of Toni Newman. Then Newman popped up on my favorite website Crunk and Disorderly.Today I logged onto Facebook and saw Shahid Manning interviewed Newman on his show “Interviewing Hollywood.” Interviewing Hollywood is an online show featuring controversial and up-close and personal interviews with talent in Hollywood.

In the interview they talk about Newman transitioning from a Play Girl male model to a full figured woman, hormone treatments, prostitution, homelessness, life as a black transgendered woman, Isis King from America’s Next Top Model and celebrity clients, and she names names. The is NSFW. See the interview below:

Interviewing Hollywood’s Interview with Toni Newman Part 1

Interviewing Hollywood’s Interview with Toni Newman Part 2

Interviewing Hollywood’s Interview with Toni Newman Part 3

For my controversial and up-close and personal interviews with Manning’s “Interviewing Hollywood” show go to his website MSE Foundation. At the website you can see more of the incredible work they do and become members to get news and interviews before anyone else.

Book Blurb: “I Rise: The Transformation of Toni Newman is the true story of Toni Newman’s transformation from an internally conflicted male to a proud, pre-operative transsexual,” according to Newman’s website. “Born the eldest son into a strict Christian family, Toni reveals knowing early on in life that she “was a different bird born in the wrong body.” With crisp detail, humor and compassion, Toni tells her story of being a “sissy boy,” a scholarship student, a business professional, an escort, a drag queen, a NYC prostitute, an LA dominatrix, and finally, a transsexual attending law school in order to help her transsexual sisters in need.”

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