[Image description: A rectangular graphic with event details on the left and a book cover on the right. The event details are in yellow and white text in front of a bright purple background. The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center logo is at the top, followed by text that reads "Queer Memoir Reading Group," "Fairest by Meredith Talusan," and "discussion facilitated by Mary Foltz." The date, time, address, and website are listed below. The book cover features tall black text that reads "Fairest" and "Meredith Talusan." A large eye lash is centered on a white background in gradient blue-to-purple colors.]

The Library at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center presents the December discussion of the center's Queer Memoir Reading Group, featuring Fairest by trans writer Meredith Talusan, finalist for the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction and one of O magazine's Best LGBTQ Books 2020.

Fairest is a memoir about a precocious boy with albinism, a sun child from a rural Philippine village, who would grow up to become a woman in America. Talusan realized she did not want to be confined to a prescribed role as a man, and transitioned to become a woman, despite the risk of losing a man she deeply loved. Throughout her journey, Talusan shares poignant and powerful episodes of desirability and love that will remind readers of works such as Call Me By Your Name and Giovanni's Room.

The Boston Globe writes, "By painting her life in such exquisite detail, Talusan breathes new life into the well-worn body of the transgender life story, showing the reader deep wells of complexity where, in a less truthful or less talented writer's hands, oversimplification and cliché might reign."

Limited free copies of the book are available -- request a copy with your RSVP. If you don't need a free copy, you can buy the book here -- and 10% of your purchase supports free arts programs at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center.

The discussion is facilitated by Mary Foltz and is sponsored by Lehigh University's Southside Initiative and Humanities Center. This program is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.