by Candas Jane Dorsey
INANNA PUBLICATIONS
2021/$19.95/256 pp.
Candas Jane Dorsey is a well-established author and activist in Alberta who’s made valuable contributions to 2SLBGTQIA+ literature. In this young adult novel, she tells the story of Corey Cobb, a teenager comfortable with their intersex identity and uninterested in surgical “remedies.” Intersex folks, born with ambiguous genitalia, have not been well represented in the burgeoning field of queer/trans literature, and Dorsey does an excellent job of focusing on intersex experience, subtly weaving in details, definitions and facts about the community while telling a compelling story.
The novel is creative, expansive and well written, most of it in Corey’s voice. Set in a psychiatric ward in an Edmonton hospital, the book consists of text exchanges, school assignments such as book reports, psychiatric assessments, letters, emails and teacher commentary. Dorsey’s light touch allows these elements to flow together seamlessly.
Most notably, she’s created a main character who is likeable and smart, with their own unique take on the world. How could I fail to appreciate a teenager exulting at the news that their mother is divorcing her second husband: “So I know enough not to say What took you so long? or Good thing, cuz the guy’s a total zero! or Divorcing him! Why not beat him senseless with a stick instead? but instead I remember civility and I say, ‘I’m so sorry. What happened?’ ”
Corey’s strength matches that of other key characters. One of my favourites is counsellor and English teacher Ms. Johnson and her propensity for witty pronouncements, including: “If it hasn’t occurred to you yet that literature is therapy for the entire human race, this is a good time to figure it out.”
The key weakness of the book, in my opinion, concerns racial identity. Corey is a mixed-race teen, with a Black mother and a white father. In stark contrast to the nuanced exchange around Corey’s gender identity that builds in layered ways, the brief references to their racial identity fall short. Given the systemic discrimination in our society, it would be odd for a BIPOC person such as Corey, tuned in to gender oppression, to not bring a similar astuteness to race and racism. A fulsome discussion about race could have deepened the story, providing an intersectional lens and a valuable reminder that those of us in queer/trans communities have more to offer than analyses of gender and sexuality.
Not that we don’t have important things to say about those topics. Early on, Corey expresses hope that their book will help at least one kid. With its vivid characters and lively writing, I believe this novel will help many more people than that.
Joe Kadi teaches in gender and sexuality studies at the U of C.
