Examining Ways of Reading Trans Themed Young Adult Literature
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Theorizing Trans Readership: Examining Ways of Reading Trans Themed Young Adult Literature by Robert Bittner BA, Simon Fraser University, 2010 MA, University of British Columbia, 2011 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © Robert Bittner 2017 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2017 Approval Name: Robert Bittner Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Title: Theorizing Trans Readership: Examining Ways of Reading Trans Themed Young Adult Literature Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Jennifer Marchbank, Professor Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Dr. Helen Hok-Sze Leung Senior Supervisor Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Marshall Supervisor Associate Professor Dr. Peter Dickinson Supervisor Professor Department of English Dr. Stuart Poyntz Internal Examiner Associate Professor School of Communication Dr. Gwen Athene Tarbox External Examiner Associate Professor Department of English Western Michigan University Date Defended/Approved: January 11, 2017 ii Ethics Statement iii Abstract While there appears to be an expansion of gender and sexuality studies within the field of young adult literature criticism, the vast majority of scholarship privileges the study of gay and lesbian identities, as well as binary gender identities—either male or female. There is not much treatment of those who identify as other or in between. In the 1990s articles began to address topics of cross-dressing and responses to cross-gender behaviour—in response to changes in the field of psychology, namely the removal of homosexuality and the addition of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) in the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of the American Psychological Association. Explicitly trans identified characters were not published by mainstream publishers until after 2004 in the wake of Julie Ann Peters’s Luna. Using a queer theory approach to children’s and young adult literature focuses more on sexuality and sexual attraction, but the addition of various trans studies approaches—research that looks to bodily transition and modification— along with reader-response theory (Rosenblatt), allows for a more complex exploration of transformation and the notion of gender as something fluid and transitional. By working to combine queer and trans theoretical approaches with literature and the transgender body and experience, I begin working in a more complex way with new and emerging issues in literature, such as intersexuality, asexuality, and two-spiritedness. This requires moving beyond rigid gender dichotomies and homonormative/transnormative identities which are presented even within queer, gay/lesbian, and feminist studies; an exclusion which could become an inclusion with the use of transgender studies in the field of children’s and young adult literature. This study will look to find commonalities or divergent purposes between what occurs in theoretical studies and what actually matters to trans and queer young adult readers. I engage in interviews with queer and trans identified teens, as well as librarians in order to gauge what teens readers want and how they read trans and queer characters within available YA fiction. In this way, children’s and young adult literature scholars will have the ability to better understand the purpose and usefulness of textual analysis and gatekeeping processes. Keywords: Trans Studies; Queer Studies; Young Adults; Literature; Reading; Recognition iv Dedication To Nathan, a husband. * *But really, “To Nathan, who has stood by my side at every point on this journey.” v Acknowledgements To Dr. Helen Leung, my senior supervisor on this project, who has been instrumental in helping me make the decision to continue pursuing graduate studies. And to my other supervisors, Dr. Elizabeth Marshall and Dr. Peter Dickinson, for their feedback on very rough first drafts. And to Dr. Gwen Athene Tarbox and Dr. Stuart Poyntz for working so hard in their examining duties. To Karyn Huenemann and Lucia Lorenzi, for all the dinners, editing help, brainstorming sessions, and for the tea parties and gingerbread baking. To the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for granting me the Canadian Graduate Scholarship which helped me to attend conferences, concentrate on studies, and otherwise make my doctoral studies more manageable. And to the GSWS Department, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies for their generous support To my ALA friends and my Printz and Newbery colleagues for all the incredible experiences and for helping me grow as a reader and critical thinker. And to all the authors I’ve met, who help me understand the craft and appreciate the art. To my parents and my sister, who encouraged me to start my schooling career at SFU and who remain supportive of my work and studies to this day. To the numerous children’s literature colleagues who gave me advice and kept me on track throughout this arduous process: Michelle Abate, Melanie Koss, Amy Pattee, Kenneth Kidd, Sarah Park Dahlen, Leigh Neithardt, Kristin McIlhagga, John Schu, and any others I may have forgotten to mention by name. And to all the brave trans and queer youth who bravely face each new day even in the face of incredible adversity. Never give up. vi Table of Contents Approval ............................................................................................................................. ii Ethics Statement ................................................................................................................. iii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Dedication ............................................................................................................................v Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix Preface ..................................................................................................................................x Chapter 1. Introducing Trans Young Adults ...............................................................1 1.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................1 1.2. Terminology ................................................................................................................4 1.3. Trans Young Adult Scholarship ..................................................................................8 1.4. Research Questions ...................................................................................................10 1.4.1. Literary Analysis .........................................................................................11 1.4.2. Critical Theoretical Analysis .......................................................................13 1.4.3. Choosing the Novel .....................................................................................19 1.4.4. Interviews ....................................................................................................21 Youth Interviews ................................................................................................................ 23 Librarian Interviews ............................................................................................................ 26 1.4.5. Strengths and Weaknesses ...........................................................................28 Face-to-Face Interviews ...................................................................................................... 28 Internet Mediated Interviews .............................................................................................. 29 1.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................31 Chapter 2. A History of LGBT/Queer Studies in Children’s and Young Adult Literature Criticism .......................................................................33 2.1. Introduction and Overview .......................................................................................33 2.2. Review of LGBT/Queer Studies of Children’s and YA Literature ..........................39 2.2.1. Defining Theoretical Terms ........................................................................39 2.2.2. Review of Critical Gender and Sexuality Studies in Children’s and YA Literature ..............................................................................................40 2.2.3. Existing Studies ...........................................................................................42 The 1970s: Justifying Sexual Difference ............................................................................ 43 The 1980s: Incorporating Education, Psychology, and Sociology ..................................... 44 The 1990s: Toward a Literature of Gender Nonconformity ............................................... 46 The 2000s: Acknowledging Gender and