Sinopsis

I was born male and now I've got medical and government documents that say I'm femalebut I don't call myself a woman, and I know I'm not a man. . . .

Scientologist, husband and father, tranny, sailor, slave, playwright, dyke, gender outlawthese are just a few words which have defined Kate Bornstein during her extraordinary life. For the first time, it all comes together in A Queer and Pleasant Danger, Kate Bornstein's stunningly original memoir that's set to change lives and enrapture readers.

Wickedly funny and disarmingly honest, this is Bornstein's most intimate book yet. With wisdom, wit, and an unwavering resolution to tell the truth (I must not tell lies), Bornstein shares her story: from a nice Jewish boy growing up in New Jersey to a strappingly handsome lieutenant of the Church of Scientology's Sea flagship vessel, and later to 1990s Seattle, where she becomes a rising star in the lesbian community. In between there are wives and lovers, heartbreak and triumph, bridges mended and broken, and a journey of self-discovery that will mesmerize readers.

Review

''A nervy, expansive memoir from a pioneering gender activist.''Kirkus

Bornstein is hilarious, honest, acerbic, and fearless in her writingQAPD is at least three books in one, each of which is a page-turner. Religion Dispatches

''Kate Bornstein's journey from moon-eyed Scientologist to queer icon is harrowing, heartbreaking, and amazing. This narrative is surely not for the squeamish. And yet, in the story of a sea-dog named Al who became a trans goddess named Kate we see the messy, unsettling, inspiring struggle of a lady trying--and at last succeedingto let her own soul be known. Disturbing and wondrous.''Jennifer Finney Boylan, author ofShe's Not ThereandI'm Looking Through You

Breathless, passionate, and deeply honest, A Queer and Pleasant Danger is a wonderful book. Read it and learn.Samuel R. Delany, author of Dhalgren

''To me, Kate Bornstein is like a mythological figure or a historical literary character such as Orlando or Candide who, by illustrating her struggles, shows the rest of us how to live. This book is destined to become a classic.''Mx Justin Vivian Bond, author ofTango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels

''A Queer and Pleasant Danger is a brave, funny, edgy, and enlightening new memoir. I loved it and learned from it. Kate Bornstein shares her fascinating journeythrough gender, Scientology, and moreand it was a thrill to tag along on the ride. This book is unbelievably powerful and affecting. If Kate Bornstein didn't exist, we would have to invent her. But luckily for queers, straights, gender outlaws, and general readers, Bornstein is out and out there.''Dan Savage, author, columnist, and architect of the ''It Gets Better Project''
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About the Author

Kate Bornstein is a performance artist and playwright who has authored several award-winning books, including Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and The Rest of Us, My Gender Workbook, and Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws. She has earned two citations of honor from the New York City Council and garnered praise from civil rights groups around the globe. Kate lives in New York City with her girlfriend, three cats, two dogs, and a turtle.

From the Hardcover edition.