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Saturn Returning

NATIONAL BESTSELLER “An antidote to the loneliness of our species.”—ROBIN WALL KIMMERER“A master class in how to love the world.”—MARGARET RENKLA thrilling book about the abounding queerness of the natural world that challenges our expectations of what is normal, beautiful, and possible.Growing up, Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian felt most at home in the swamps and culverts near her house in the Hudson Valley. A child who frequently felt out of place, too much of one thing or not enough of another, she found acceptance in these settings, among other amphibious beings. In snakes, snails, and, above all, fungi, she saw her own developing identities as a queer, neurodivergent person reflected back at her—and in them, too, she found a personal path to a life of science.In Forest Euphoria, Kaishian shows us this making of a scientist and introduces readers to the queerness of all the life around us. Fungal species, we learn, commonly encompass more than two biological sexes—and some as many as twenty-three thousand. Some intersex slugs mutually fire calcium carbonate “love darts” at each other during courtship. Glass eels are sexually undetermined until their last year of life, a mystery that scientists once dubbed “the eel question.” Nature, Kaishian shows us, is filled with the unusual, the overlooked, and the marginalized—and they have lessons for us all.Wide-ranging, richly observant, and full of surprises, Forest Euphoria will open your eyes and change how you look at the world.

Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature

From the 2022 TIME100 Next honoree and the activist who coined the term comes a primer on intersectional environmentalism for the next generation of activists looking to create meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable change. The Intersectional Environmentalist examines the inextricable link between environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and promotes awareness of the fundamental truth that we cannot save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people -- especially those most often unheard. Written by Leah Thomas, a prominent voice in the field and the activist who coined the term "Intersectional Environmentalism," this book is simultaneously a call to action, a guide to instigating change for all, and a pledge to work towards the empowerment of all people and the betterment of the planet.  Thomas shows how not only are Black, Indigenous and people of color unequally and unfairly impacted by environmental injustices, but she argues that the fight for the planet lies in tandem to the fight for civil rights; and in fact, that one cannot exist without the other. An essential read, this book addresses the most pressing issues that the people and our planet face, examines and dismantles privilege, and looks to the future as the voice of a movement that will define a generation.

The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet

2024 Stonewall Honor Award for Nonfiction. The future of Black, queer, and trans liberation explored by a legendary transgender elder and activist . Miss Major Griffin-Gracy is a veteran of the infamous Stonewall Riots, a former sex worker, and a transgender elder and activist who has survived Bellevue psychiatric hospital, Attica Prison, the HIV/AIDS crisis and a world that white supremacy has built. She has shared tips with other sex workers in the nascent drag ball scene of the late 1960s, and helped found one of America’s first needle exchange clinics from the back of her van.. Miss Major Speaks is both document of her brilliant life–told with intimacy, warmth and an undeniable levity-and a roadmap for the challenges black, brown, queer and trans youth will face on the path to liberation today.. Her incredible story of a life lived and a world survived becomes a conduit for larger questions about the riddle of collective liberation. For a younger generation, she warns about the traps of ‘representation,’ the politics of 'self-care,' and the frequent dead-ends of non-profit organizing; for all of us, she is a strike against those who would erase these histories of struggle.. Miss Major offers something that cannot be found elsewhere: an affirmation that our vision for freedom can and must be more expansive than those on offer by mainstream institutions.

Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary

If you’re writing about your life in real time, are you inherently fucked? Over the years that Chloé Caldwell had been married and hoping to conceive a child, she’d read everything she could find on infertility. But no memoir or message board reflected her experience; for one thing, most stories ended with in vitro fertilization, a baby, or both. She wanted to offer something different.Caldwell began a book. She imagined a selective journal about her experience coping with stasis and uncertainty. Is it time to quit coffee, find a new acupuncturist, get another blood test? Her questions extended to her job at a clothing boutique and to her teaching and writing practice. Why do people love equating publishing books with giving birth? What is the right amount of money to spend on pants or fertility treatments? How much trying is enough? She ignored the sense that something else in her life was wrong that was not on the page . . . until she extracted a confession from her husband.Broken by betrayal but freed from domesticity, Caldwell felt reawakened, to long-buried desires, to her queer identity, to pleasure and possibility. She kept writing, making sense of her new reality as it took shape. With the candor, irreverence, and heart that have made Caldwell’s work beloved, Trying intimately captures a self in a continuous process of becoming―and the mysterious ways that writing informs that process.

Trying: A Memoir

Joining the growing Black creative movement currently refashioning horses and cowboy imagery, a thoughtful, probing exploration of the shared history of Blackness and horses which reveals what its image can teach us about nationhood, race, and culture.Drawing on their personal history as a former urban equestrian, Black queer person, and child of Jamaican and Filipino immigrants, essayist and art critic Bitter Kalli contends the horse should be regarded as a critical source of power and identity in Black life.In a series of astute essays, Kalli explores the work of Black artists and influencers from Beyoncé to filmmakers Tiona Nekkia-McClodden and Jeymes Samuel and explores their own life-long relationship to equines. Alternatively playful and critical, meditative and biting, these essays navigate time and place—from the shadows of racetracks where jockey culture and the ubiquity of “equestrian chic” was born, to the reclamation—or, in Lil Nas X’s word, yeehawification—of the image of the cowboy, to the fraught connections of equestrian sport to slavery, US militarization, and European colonial domination. At heart, Kalli probes a central question: What does it mean for Black people to ride and tend horses in the context of a culture that has also used horses against them?Throughout these essays, Kalli reflects on the experience of being the only Black member of the equestrian team at Columbia University, and how the aesthetics, ethos, and practice of horse stewardship contributed to their understanding of gender, sexuality, and radical community building. Mounted moves beyond the reductive stereotypes that dominate our perceptions of “horse people”—the swaggering masculinity, snooty elitism, and assumed whiteness—to reveal how Black people relate to the image and physical presence of the horse in nature and culture, considering violence, sexualization, power, migration, and more through its image.

Mounted: On Horses, Blackness, and Liberation

A powerful, provocative, and genre-bending literary memoir that grapples with victimhood, recovery, and resilience In the before, Jesse James Rose is happy. She has a beautiful boyfriend with melty glacier eyes, she’s on a euphoric journey of gender exploration, and New York City is perfect. In the after, she’s single, making dinner for her grandfather, and wondering if he’s going to forget her name today. Except, in the before, her first-grade music teacher led her into a dark room to show her something he shouldn’t have. And in the after, she’s finding healing and comfort in coming into her own, even as her grandfather declines. In the before, she was fine, more or less. But in the after, she has to reckon with whatever the hell restorative justice really, truly means. Following the aftermath of an assault, and the heartache of caring for a grandfather with Alzheimer’s, sorry i keep crying during sex tells a captivating story of identity, recovery, grief, survivorship, and transness. Through lists, theatrical scripts, flashbacks, and Grindr DMs, Jesse James Rose’s genre-defying memoir is raw and hysterically funny, and takes readers on the wild ride of overcoming the struggles of a trans twentysomething.

sorry i keep crying during sex: a memoir

In a series of genre-blending essays, Entwined tells the story of Alex Alberto’s decade-long polyamorous journey towards a new kind of family.In these essays, Alex attempts to build two committed relationships at once when no one involved has done it before; develops a powerful bond with the woman their partner loves; sits through a tense Thanksgiving Dinner with religious in-laws; questions the need for rules and hierarchy in their relationships; experiences the intensity of a triad; wrestles with the fragility baked into the nuclear family after their father’s stroke; and explores their queerness and gender identity in English, in New York, while struggling to reconcile their newfound self in their native French-Canadian language and culture.Entwined explores the fuzzy lines between friendship, romance, and family with various essay forms, including a play, an advice column, and a love letter. Rather than wallowing in the throes of jealousy, this collection celebrates the hard work of creating a love life that resists conventional narratives.“Entwined is a goddamn bible for poly-curious people.” —Chloe Caldwell (she/her), 37, questioning“For Alex, polyamory is about creating a family. By getting to know them and their reality, you gain entry to a world that might otherwise seem intimidating.” —Sofia M. (she/her), 64, mother of a polyamorous person“Entwined is about the desire to create a life outside of capitalism, heteronormativity, and patriarchy.”—Samantha Paige Rosen (she/her), 33, queer and monogamous“Entwined had me captivated from start to finish. It will no doubt influence my approach to romance and family.” —Rio C. (she/her), 21, queer, trans, and curious about polyamory“The variety in content and structure makes it a quick read. Entwined deepened my understanding of polyamory’s possibilities; it’s not all swinging and sex parties.” —Melissa Gopp-Warner (she/her), 43, queer/questioning and monogamous“I laughed, cried, and felt my heart fill the fuck up.” — Dan D. (they), 36, queer and newly navigating non-monogamy within a lifelong partnership

Entwined: Essays on Polyamory and Creating Home

An unconventional, unexpectedly funny, brutally honest memoir about infertility, pregnancy and motherhood'You and your partner want a baby. But your two bodies can't make a baby together.'If you want a baby but your body says otherwise -If you don't know the polite way to say thank you for the sperm -If you're waiting for the sound of a brand-new heartbeat -If you know it takes a village to raise a baby but have no idea who should be doing what -If you're lurching between bliss and bewilderment -If you don't fit the shape of what you've been told a mother should be -Reach for The Unfamiliar and don't let go.Moving and immersive, and written with wisdom, disarming humour and raw honesty, The Unfamiliar casts a fresh eye on motherhood and challenges our assumptions about pregnancy, gender roles, queer identity and what it means to be a parent.'Cold, hard, raw writing that somehow sets your heart on fire' LAURA DOCKRILL'Fierce, honest, beautifully written... A marvel' PRAGYA AGARWAL'Kirsty Logan writes with bright wit and wonder - I read this book in awe' DOIREANN NÍ GHRÍOFA'Wonderful... Luminous writing captures the uncertainty, the fear, the sheer physicality of love' MARIANNE LEVY

The Unfamiliar: A Queer Motherhood Memoir

NOW AN 8-EPISODE FREEVEE TELEVISION SERIES! ― From the iconic musicians Tegan and Sara comes a memoir about high school, detailing their first loves and first songs in a compelling look back at their humble beginnings.High School is the revelatory and unique coming-of-age story of Sara and Tegan Quin, identical twins from Calgary, Alberta, who grew up at the height of grunge and rave culture in the nineties, well before they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons we know today. While grappling with their identity and sexuality, often alone, they also faced academic meltdown, their parents’ divorce, and the looming pressure of what might come after high school. Written in alternating chapters from both Tegan's and Sara’s points of view, the book is a raw account of the drugs, alcohol, love, music, and friendship they explored in their formative years. A transcendent story of first loves and first songs, High School captures the tangle of discordant and parallel memories of two sisters who grew up in distinct ways even as they lived just down the hall from each another. This is the origin story of Tegan and Sara.

High School

Dyke Delusions: Essays and Observations is a nonlinear memoir that reclaims the notion of self as it reminds us to sit with the discomfort that comes with the journey. In a mix of personal essays and cultural criticism, Samantha Mann confronts body politics, motherhood, queerness, sexuality, and childhood trauma in a way we haven't seen before. Published work and never-before-seen essays come together for fans who were eagerly waiting for the follow-up to Mann's first book of essays, Putting Out: Essays on Otherness. Samantha Mann opens her collection with a close reading of the word "dyke," from her personal history with the word to the reclamation that ends with hope and possibility. From there, the ebb and flow of writing matches the healing waters that Mann searches for in "Good and Clean and Fine," by stating clearly, "We're meant for bigger things." Dyke Delusions explores the liminal space between childhood and adulthood, whether it's Mann understanding her queerness as a camp counselor in "Camp Out" or finally finding love and living the life she deserves in "Great Escape." Told in Samantha Mann's pitch-perfect observations and signature humor, Dyke Delusions is a collection filled with desire, yearning, and a search for more. Every essay connects to something bigger than us - emphasizing the importance of being honest with ourselves and with each other. The message behind Dyke Delusions is essential: we need to be talking more.

Dyke Delusions: Essays & Observations

“The book I wish I'd had growing up.” -Chanel Miller, author of Know My Name Best Books of 2019: Esquire O, The Oprah Magazine Variety Lit Hub Book Riot Electric Literature Autostraddle Finalist: NBCC John Leonard First Book Prize Lambda Literary Award New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice SelectionPaste Best Memoirs of the DecadeElle Best Books of the SeasonWashington Post Best Books of the Month Indie Next Pick Indies Introduce Pick. "A fearless debut." -New York Times "[A] gorgeous reckoning." -Washington Post "Flat out breathtaking." -Lit Hub "Gripping and gloriously written." -Elle "Utterly unforgettable." -NYLON "Unnervingly satisfying." -Oprah Magazine "Deeply compassionate." -NPR.org "Truly stunning." -Cosmopolitan. Acclaimed literary essayist T Kira Madden's raw and redemptive debut memoir is about coming of age and reckoning with desire as a queer, biracial teenager amidst the fierce contradictions of Boca Raton, Florida, a place where she found cult-like privilege, shocking racial disparities, rampant white-collar crime, and powerfully destructive standards of beauty hiding in plain sight.. As a child, Madden lived a life of extravagance, from her exclusive private school to her equestrian trophies and designer shoe-brand name. But under the surface was a wild instability. The only child of parents continually battling drug and alcohol addictions, Madden confronted her environment alone. Facing a culture of assault and objectification, she found lifelines in the desperately loving friendships of fatherless girls. . With unflinching honesty and lyrical prose, spanning from 1960s Hawai'i to the present-day struggle of a young woman mourning the loss of a father while unearthing truths that reframe her reality, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls is equal parts eulogy and love letter. It's a story about trauma and forgiveness, about families of blood and affinity, both lost and found, unmade and rebuilt, crooked and beautiful.. One of the Most Anticipated Books of the Year: Entertainment Weekly, Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, The Millions, Nylon, The Rumpus, Electric Literature, Lit Hub, Refinery29, and many more

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir

Sapph-Lit

Nina Haines

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Nina

Hi there! I’m Nina and I’m a freelance marketer, content creator, and writer currently working on her debut novel. I’m also the founder of Sapph-Lit, a sapphic book club & safe space where sapphic women and non-binary folks can read queer books, chat about life, ask for and offer support & celebrate their identities. Founded in May 2021, Sapph-Lit has grown to over 8,000 members from all around the world, and I’m so excited to join Bindery and expand Sapph-Lit into a community forward sapphic romance publishing imprint. Join us to help our mission of prioritizing sapphic representation in literature!