JOY LADIN

WORKING AT THE TANGLED INTERSECTION OF LITERATURE AND TRANS IDENTITY

Persea Books Announces…

Two new books by Joy Ladin

Family

“It begins with “haiku suites,” an invented form through which her mother’s dementia and the poet’s growing disability are glimpsed by the light of a blossoming world. The lyric narratives that follow portray a widening family circle that also includes estranged children, God, targeted trans women, and Trump-era America. The book concludes with “Autobiography of My Whiteness,” a reckoning with Ladin’s belated awareness of her place in America’s racial hierarchy. Written with an open heart and a formal grace, Family is the latest important work of poetry from a Lambda Literary Award finalist and National Jewish Book Award winner.”

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Once Out of Nature: Selected Essays on the Transformation of Gender

“This compassionate, constructive volume collects eleven essays written between 2008, on the cusp of what Time called America’s “transgender tipping point,” and 2021, as anti-trans laws began metastasizing around America. Drawing on her experiences as a trans parent, spouse, teacher, and author, she writes honestly and insightfully about gender, exploring its intersections with feminisms, psychotherapy, divinity, ontology, and even the poems of Emily Dickinson. Written for any curious reader, these essays teach us about who we are, who we can be, and what it means to be human.”

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Community Speaking Events

Joy Ladin is a nationally known speaker with three decades of experience teaching and reading her work in many different settings, including colleges and universities, seminaries, Jewish communities, psychoanalytic institutes, and other in-person and online settings. Joy has sought to tailor her presentations to the particular needs and interests of the groups.

Joy has participated in a wide variety of events, including…

  • Virtual class visits
  • Small-group talks
  • Lectures
  • Panels, interviews and conversations
  • Keynote and commencement addresses
  • Poetry and memoir readings, craft lectures, and workshops. 

Some of Joy’s Favorite Topics:

  • Creative Writing as a Spiritual Practice
  • Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman
  • Families and Gender Transition
  • Gender, Transgender, and Nonbinary Identities
  • Gendering God
  • Managing Conflicts Between Religious, Secular and Nonbinary Forms of Gender
  • Midrash Writing
  • Personal Theology
  • Poetry and Trans Poetics
  • Religious Tradition and Transgender and Nonbinary Identities
  • Spiritual Autobiography
  • The Shekhinah and the Divine Feminine
  • Trans and Jewish Identity
  • Trans Identity and Womanhood
  • Trans Theology and Trans Torah

Because Joy’s mobility and availability are limited by ME/CFS, a disabling neurological illness, Joy is available only for occasional virtual events. Due to her condition and limited availability, Joy does not charge for her appearances. Instead, she encourages hosts to consider making a donation to a charitable organization in memory of her mother, or to buy copies of one of her books. If you would like to make a monetary donation, please visit the resources tab above for recommendations or indicate an organization for which you would like this event to benefit.

To see a list of Joy’s previous readings and presentations, click here.

CONTACT FORM

Thank you for your interest in bringing Joy to your community. Using this form, please indicate what and when your event is, what topic(s) you are interested in, and any other relevant information. Please note, Joy does not charge for teaching or readings.

Please use the following form to inquire about bringing Joy virtually to your community.

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