Synopses & Reviews
The title
The T is Not Silent was derived from a quote by Janet Mock. She and I were both at a convening hosted by the Arcus Foundation, where she is on the board. We were doing our introductions — there were Transgender activists from all across the country in the room — and she said, “The T is no longer going to be silent,” and I immediately thought,
That’s going to be the title of my next book.
Visibility in the Trans community is increasing dramatically. Ultimately, this book is an effort to create understanding and awareness of a marginalized community. A community that is invisible to most and vilified by some. A community that is traumatized by the constant threat of violence as well as unemployment, housing instability, and discrimination in multiple areas of social and economic life. A community that is also creative, beautiful, and resilient.
Review
“Anytime a marginalized woman dares to write boldly about her world, it’s worthy of our attention. With The T is Not Silent, Andrea Jenkins fiercely commands our attention, and we must pay it.” Janet Mock
About the Author
Andrea Jenkins is the first Black transgender woman to be elected to public office in the United States. She was elected to the Minneapolis City Council with 73% of the vote. A poet and artist as well as a public official, Andrea is the author of the poetry collection, The T is Not Silent: New and Selected Poems (Purple Lioness Press, 2015), and contributor to the acclaimed anthologies Queer Voices: Poetry, Prose and Pride (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2019), A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2016), and Blues Vision: African American Writing from Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2015). Jenkins is currently the Oral Historian for the Transgender Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota Libraries, documenting the lived experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming people in the Upper Midwest and the United States. Previously she worked for twelve years as a policy aide to two members of the Minneapolis City Council.