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Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels
"Like Bond, the memoir is droll, pensive and filled with zingers teetering between funny and ferocious."—The New York Times
Hailed as “the greatest cabaret artist of [V’s] generation” in the New Yorker, Mx. Justin Vivian Bond makes a brilliant literary debut with this candid and hilarious coming-of-age tale.
Bond recalls in vivid detail how it looked and felt to first discover Mom's lipstick (Iced Watermelon by Revlon), and how dreary it could be for a trans/queer kid to join the Cub Scouts. Always haunted by the knowledge of being "different," Bond began to create intimate friendships with girls, and to feel increasingly at risk with boys. But when the bully next door wanted to meet secretly, Bond couldn't resist. Their trysts went on for years, making Bond acutely aware of how sexual power and vulnerability can be experienced at the same time. With inimitable style, Bond raises issues about LBGTQ adolescence, parenting trans/queer children, and bullying, while being utterly entertaining.
Hailed as “the greatest cabaret artist of [V’s] generation” in the New Yorker, Mx. Justin Vivian Bond makes a brilliant literary debut with this candid and hilarious coming-of-age tale.
Bond recalls in vivid detail how it looked and felt to first discover Mom's lipstick (Iced Watermelon by Revlon), and how dreary it could be for a trans/queer kid to join the Cub Scouts. Always haunted by the knowledge of being "different," Bond began to create intimate friendships with girls, and to feel increasingly at risk with boys. But when the bully next door wanted to meet secretly, Bond couldn't resist. Their trysts went on for years, making Bond acutely aware of how sexual power and vulnerability can be experienced at the same time. With inimitable style, Bond raises issues about LBGTQ adolescence, parenting trans/queer children, and bullying, while being utterly entertaining.
3 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 16, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
September 27, 2011
Thirty years ago, you couldn't spit without hitting a pile of "coming out" memoirs. At the time they filled a real need for homos coming to terms with their homo-ness, though all too often they were slightly dull concoctions of utterly predictable self-revelation and gay-is-good cheer-leading, all rendered in forgettable, workmanlike prose. By the '90s, the whole genre vanished in the wake of gay respectability and it was not missed. Justin Bond's memoir could have been just a reprise of the coming out memoir retooled for the trans age, but thankfully it is something more.
Though never lyrical, the prose is lucid to the point of artfulness (think Christopher Isherwood) in a manner that makes for a "good read." Justin also manages to avoid both preaching and self-revelation for it's own sake. This is a tale told to make a point about the damaging way our socially constructed binary gender system has been lived out among young people in our society.In Justin's case, that involved an adolescent sexual affair with an abusive and closeted kid who in later life we learn was arrested and incarcerated in a mental institution. (If I had one wish for the book, it would be that he had more of a voice, though I can understand why Justin wouldn't want to contact him.)
The story ends with Justin somehow, miraculously, on the track to self-acceptance and success. The details of v's climb to the top of the cabaret world will doubtless make another great book in years to come, but for now, we will have to content ourselves with this gem-like little tome.
Though never lyrical, the prose is lucid to the point of artfulness (think Christopher Isherwood) in a manner that makes for a "good read." Justin also manages to avoid both preaching and self-revelation for it's own sake. This is a tale told to make a point about the damaging way our socially constructed binary gender system has been lived out among young people in our society.In Justin's case, that involved an adolescent sexual affair with an abusive and closeted kid who in later life we learn was arrested and incarcerated in a mental institution. (If I had one wish for the book, it would be that he had more of a voice, though I can understand why Justin wouldn't want to contact him.)
The story ends with Justin somehow, miraculously, on the track to self-acceptance and success. The details of v's climb to the top of the cabaret world will doubtless make another great book in years to come, but for now, we will have to content ourselves with this gem-like little tome.
October 19, 2016
Książka roku to nie jest, ale kocham takich ludzi <3
August 8, 2011
Just a brief note of reference for those who may be unfamiliar with the fascinating (and fantastic) Mx. Bond – born male, but proudly trans, Justin deliberately avoids gender honorifics and pronouns in an attempt to “clearly state[s] a trans identity without amplifying a binary gender preference, or even acknowledging the gender binary at all.” For that reason, I have chosen to honour that wonderful sentiment, using Justin’s preferred Mx (over Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss) and V (over He/She/It). It may seem confusing at first, but it really does flow nicely off the page once you get used to it.
Largely stripped of any sense of celebrity (Mx. Bond is, after all, an award-winning singer, songwriter, and performer), Tango focuses on the experiences of Justin’s childhood, inviting us into a world of innocence, awkwardness, and confusion to which any reader can relate. Told in a casual, almost conversational style, this is a memoir that truly hits home – even if it sometimes hits harder and deeper than we may always be comfortable with.
The story is largely framed by two relationships. The first is with Justin’s mother, a relationship that both defined and restricted vs emerging trans identity. It’s this relationship, and the parallels to my own childhood, that initially drew me into the story. Aware from a very young age of feeling different, Justin’s trans identity was shaped by rituals of the women around vm, with mom’s frosted pink lipstick serving as a powerful symbol of that early gender struggle. For a brief period, Justin got away with wearing it to school, taking a sense of comfort and confidence from its caress. Looking back, thinking of what it was like to be so young, it’s remarkable to imagine how much power that lipstick had over not just Justin’s sense of self, but vs sense of self-worth. When mom displays such horror in taking away the lipstick, it’s all too easy to imagine just how much of that sense of self was stripped away with the slender plastic tube.
The second relationship that frames the story is with Justin’s childhood friend, Michael Hunter. It’s a call from a friend about Michael’s recent arrest that triggers Justin’s memoir, and which leads us into the tango in which we dance with vs memories. As we look back, we see that their relationship was just as fractured as their identities (Justin’s gender, and Michael’s sexual), with the two privately validating one another, while publicly doing the opposite. To call it a love-hate relationship would be far too simple, but it’s clear that their sexual excesses, and the motivations behind them, had a lot to do with one another’s journey of self-expression. It’s when a teenage Justin realises there’s a difference between acting like a woman and feeling like one that v finally turns the tables, denying Michael the power to belittle vm any longer, and forcing Michael to confront the truth about himself.
It’s in that moment that Justin first begins to rise above both mother and Michael, no longer looking elsewhere for self-expression, but inwards for self-identity. It’s a difficult journey getting to that point, and one in which Justin suffers greatly (at both the taunts and the hands of Michael), but you have to applaud v for having the courage and the confidence to determine vs destination.
Although the story may be framed by two relationships, there is a third that keeps it grounded – that of Justin’s best friend, Lesley Pearman. A young woman with issues of her own, Lesley welcomes, accepts, and encourages Justin’s struggle for self-expression. Her bedroom full of stuffed animals becomes a refuge for a young trans soul and, in many ways, is just as powerful a symbol as mom’s lipstick. Closed off, walled away, and filled with fairy tale and fantasy, that bedroom was somewhere both could go to escape their respective worlds. Later, when Lesley overdoses on pills and is sent to a sanatorium, Justin is forced to emerge from both the physical confines of the bedroom, and the mental refuge it represented. It is only then, with a friendship intact but both adolescents forced to embrace their freedom, that we really get to see the true Justin emerge.
Powerful and motivating, even (or, perhaps, especially) when uncomfortable, Tango is the story of the kind of childhood that I suspect is more common than most people would like to think. The sexual experimentation between adolescents may be too much for some readers, and the violence between them too much for others, but you can’t truly appreciate the "luxury of normality" that Mx. Bond has achieved without first understanding where v came from. My only complaint about the book is that it's too short, and ends rather abruptly, but it is the tale of a childhood, not a life, and not a career. Hopefully, the lovely Mx. Bond has another story inside vself, one that we'll get to share. Until then, however, Tango serves not just as an entry in the "It Gets Better" theme of literature, but of a welcome glimpse into vs origins.
Largely stripped of any sense of celebrity (Mx. Bond is, after all, an award-winning singer, songwriter, and performer), Tango focuses on the experiences of Justin’s childhood, inviting us into a world of innocence, awkwardness, and confusion to which any reader can relate. Told in a casual, almost conversational style, this is a memoir that truly hits home – even if it sometimes hits harder and deeper than we may always be comfortable with.
The story is largely framed by two relationships. The first is with Justin’s mother, a relationship that both defined and restricted vs emerging trans identity. It’s this relationship, and the parallels to my own childhood, that initially drew me into the story. Aware from a very young age of feeling different, Justin’s trans identity was shaped by rituals of the women around vm, with mom’s frosted pink lipstick serving as a powerful symbol of that early gender struggle. For a brief period, Justin got away with wearing it to school, taking a sense of comfort and confidence from its caress. Looking back, thinking of what it was like to be so young, it’s remarkable to imagine how much power that lipstick had over not just Justin’s sense of self, but vs sense of self-worth. When mom displays such horror in taking away the lipstick, it’s all too easy to imagine just how much of that sense of self was stripped away with the slender plastic tube.
The second relationship that frames the story is with Justin’s childhood friend, Michael Hunter. It’s a call from a friend about Michael’s recent arrest that triggers Justin’s memoir, and which leads us into the tango in which we dance with vs memories. As we look back, we see that their relationship was just as fractured as their identities (Justin’s gender, and Michael’s sexual), with the two privately validating one another, while publicly doing the opposite. To call it a love-hate relationship would be far too simple, but it’s clear that their sexual excesses, and the motivations behind them, had a lot to do with one another’s journey of self-expression. It’s when a teenage Justin realises there’s a difference between acting like a woman and feeling like one that v finally turns the tables, denying Michael the power to belittle vm any longer, and forcing Michael to confront the truth about himself.
It’s in that moment that Justin first begins to rise above both mother and Michael, no longer looking elsewhere for self-expression, but inwards for self-identity. It’s a difficult journey getting to that point, and one in which Justin suffers greatly (at both the taunts and the hands of Michael), but you have to applaud v for having the courage and the confidence to determine vs destination.
Although the story may be framed by two relationships, there is a third that keeps it grounded – that of Justin’s best friend, Lesley Pearman. A young woman with issues of her own, Lesley welcomes, accepts, and encourages Justin’s struggle for self-expression. Her bedroom full of stuffed animals becomes a refuge for a young trans soul and, in many ways, is just as powerful a symbol as mom’s lipstick. Closed off, walled away, and filled with fairy tale and fantasy, that bedroom was somewhere both could go to escape their respective worlds. Later, when Lesley overdoses on pills and is sent to a sanatorium, Justin is forced to emerge from both the physical confines of the bedroom, and the mental refuge it represented. It is only then, with a friendship intact but both adolescents forced to embrace their freedom, that we really get to see the true Justin emerge.
Powerful and motivating, even (or, perhaps, especially) when uncomfortable, Tango is the story of the kind of childhood that I suspect is more common than most people would like to think. The sexual experimentation between adolescents may be too much for some readers, and the violence between them too much for others, but you can’t truly appreciate the "luxury of normality" that Mx. Bond has achieved without first understanding where v came from. My only complaint about the book is that it's too short, and ends rather abruptly, but it is the tale of a childhood, not a life, and not a career. Hopefully, the lovely Mx. Bond has another story inside vself, one that we'll get to share. Until then, however, Tango serves not just as an entry in the "It Gets Better" theme of literature, but of a welcome glimpse into vs origins.
January 17, 2012
Bond knew that the box labelled boy did not fit him at a remarkably early age. One of his favourite people was his papa, grandpa, who totally accepted him for who he was. He even let Justin read his playboy magazines to see who he wanted to be. He wore lipstick to elementary school until his mother caught him one morning. "I was raised by girls and I loved it. I was like a pet monkey that they dressed up and tease and played with." He always preferred playing with the girls at school. Bond talks about doing cool things with his father: working on school projects and later refinishing an antique bed frame. His neighbourhood friend Michael became first his lover and later his nemesis at high school calling him faggot and bullying him all the while making arrangement to meet for sex.
Justin Vivian Bond is a successful singer, songwriter, and Tony-nominated performance artist Mx. Justin Vivian Bond is an Obie, Bessie, and Ethyl Eichelberger Award winner. As one half of the performance duo Kiki and Herb, Bond has toured the world, headlining at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, and starring in a Tony nominated run on Broadway, Kiki and Herb Alive on Broadway. His film credits include a role in John Cameron Mitchell's feature Shortbus. Bond is currently releasing a record, Dendrophile, and is writing a play with Sandra Bernhard.
A very interesting look at a trans-life. I would say a must read.
Justin Vivian Bond is a successful singer, songwriter, and Tony-nominated performance artist Mx. Justin Vivian Bond is an Obie, Bessie, and Ethyl Eichelberger Award winner. As one half of the performance duo Kiki and Herb, Bond has toured the world, headlining at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, and starring in a Tony nominated run on Broadway, Kiki and Herb Alive on Broadway. His film credits include a role in John Cameron Mitchell's feature Shortbus. Bond is currently releasing a record, Dendrophile, and is writing a play with Sandra Bernhard.
A very interesting look at a trans-life. I would say a must read.
March 12, 2024
Reviewing memoirs is hard. I thought this was good, well written and short and tightly focused and brutally honest; which, now I think about it, does actually make this an above-average memoir, so I'll bump it up to 4/5. I quite related to V's experience of AD(H)D stuff at the beginning....
August 18, 2011
A perfect public transportation read. Small and delectable. Normalizes in a light-hearted manner all sorts of gay kid stuff that really ought to be normalized for the sanity of all concerned.
I didn't find out in this book about Justin's second name, Vivian, or about "V's" use of "V" instead of his/her. It was unclear to me, though obviously Justin never grew up feeling like other boys, whether V felt V should have been a girl... or whether V subsequently underwent any surgery to achieve this... or whether V continues to enjoy romantic relationships with both genders as an adult... so while it was a great romp, I felt it lacked any kind of closing gesture to let us know how things turned out at all.
I didn't find out in this book about Justin's second name, Vivian, or about "V's" use of "V" instead of his/her. It was unclear to me, though obviously Justin never grew up feeling like other boys, whether V felt V should have been a girl... or whether V subsequently underwent any surgery to achieve this... or whether V continues to enjoy romantic relationships with both genders as an adult... so while it was a great romp, I felt it lacked any kind of closing gesture to let us know how things turned out at all.
October 9, 2012
Witty, well-written, comforting. I liked the directness of the narration, the accessibility of the stories, and the humor that threads through it all, even during somewhat tragic moments. Nothing wordy or unclear. It was easy to fall into, and an easy book to love.
October 13, 2016
Króciutkie i trochę się urywa w najciekawszym momencie ;)
November 30, 2018
The introduction to this book is a 5 page run-on sentence. Could do without that.
The story is told mostly in chronological order, which is nice. I think it takes place in Maryland. The back of the book has several reviews which praise the book as genius and the author as god and a true original. I thought the book was all right but no where near genius or godly. It was simple and straightforward. He seemed like a normal boy who wasn't allowed to express his femininity, which he got from being raised mainly by his mother. Another one of the book's back cover reviews says that every child should read this book, which I also disagree with because of all the (homosexual) sex going on.
The story is told mostly in chronological order, which is nice. I think it takes place in Maryland. The back of the book has several reviews which praise the book as genius and the author as god and a true original. I thought the book was all right but no where near genius or godly. It was simple and straightforward. He seemed like a normal boy who wasn't allowed to express his femininity, which he got from being raised mainly by his mother. Another one of the book's back cover reviews says that every child should read this book, which I also disagree with because of all the (homosexual) sex going on.
March 30, 2018
Cholernie niesprawiedliwa ocena cholernie poruszającej (choć nie wyjątkowo wyróżniającej się na tle kunsztu literackiego książki). Trudno, inaczej nie umiem. Sam jestem zaskoczony, ale polskie tłumaczenie nie było złe. Na pewno kiedyś porównam sobie z oryginałem. Przedmowy trochę słabe (zwłaszcza do wydania polskiego). Zmienianie zaimków osobowych to idealny pomysł. Chociaż już myślałam, że jest mój.
January 8, 2023
This is a terrific (and quick) journey that I didn’t want to end. Bond is a brilliant storyteller — incredibly insightful, brave, and nuanced. I related to so much of this book I feit I was having a conversation rather than just reading a book. I read it in one night, curled up on the sofa, with half a bottle of wine and takeout — one of the best nights I’ve had in months. It’s fun and touching! Read it!
January 12, 2025
A quick but thoughtful read, V writes about being queer and trans as a child growing up and the impact of having family who loves but doesn’t understand, and community who is there for you through it all. This memoir was brutally honest, which is something I look for and admire as it can’t be easy to bare oneself to the world.
May 12, 2018
Nice little memoir, but very short and lacking its own style and touch; As much as I love Mx. Bond since the time of Shortbus, here I was expecting something more.... Especially compared to works of Mr. Purcell or Nyswaner.
July 14, 2020
A real treat to spend time on Non Binary Day with Mx JVB, one of my patron saints of gender defiance and weirdness. A smart, stinging and hilarious walk through Vs life as a trans child. I wish it was twice as long.
January 6, 2022
Full disclosure: I'm a fan. I've seen Justin Vivian Bond perform here in New York City at Joe's Pub, La MaMa and Rose Hall and at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown. Mx Bond's childhood memoir is raw, honest, sexually graphic, painful, poignant and very funny. I greatly enjoyed reading it.
January 19, 2023
This was a genuine and absolute delight. Mx Bond is laughingly hysterical, pointedly insightful, and heartbreakingly wry. One of the true originals of our time. I'm so grateful to have heard a bit more of her story.
November 4, 2018
Excellent book. I love Mx Bond. The stories of V growing up gay/trans were tough, but in the end V has triumphed. Highly recommended
June 30, 2020
Short memoir of a childhood in and between genders.
November 6, 2023
(3.5)
September 24, 2025
loved this!!! so interesting to read about growing up trans in the 60s/70s, i only wish JVB delved deeper into life post-high school
March 6, 2016
This book is definitely quite interesting, although not in a way that I am used to. There are certain parts of the book that got me wondering if I was reading an erotic story.
The narrator, since very young age, showed the tendency that he seemed to be showing a lot of femininity, which was totally not okay at all because it was in the 1980s. The narrator gave and received blowjobs and made out with his male sexual partner from his classmates basically even before they hit puberty. When the narrator's parents found out they naturally went furious and thought that their son had mental illness, so then they got him to see a psychiatrist , who actually made the narrator feel better about his sexuality. But as the narrator grew up, he started to develop sexual interest to female too and even had sexual partners and a girlfriend. The biography ended with the incident that the narrator finally found the courage to get rid of his male sexual partner who had been verbally abusing him.
I read this book for my gender studies course and it definitely reveals to a certain extent what it was to be like to be a bisexual person back in the day. The narrator went through a lot of hardship because of who he was and there were times that he got confused about his own identity. It also reveals how gender stereotypes are imposed on children's minds at a very young age. For example, the narrator's parents thought their son's sexual partner Michael was a very masculine straight guy but they did not know he was only pretending to be one, and they also did not know their son was having a long term sexual relationship with Michael either.
I personally do not understand why a male would want to be a female, or why would a female want to be a male. Where does this kind of conflict originate from? And what makes a male male, a female female? I actually think the biological aspect (have penis or vagina) only plays a very basic yet not-so-critical role in the definitions of male and female, because a male is very likely, in today's society, to be considered "feminine" if he acts "sissy," has a very high-pitched voice, likes pink color or anything like that, evenh though he is biologically male. So then, what if, right at the origin of human being, the roles of male and female had been reversed? Like females had been the ones who went out to hunt, and male had been the ones who stayed at home, or like females could have had multiple husbands instead of the other way around? Would having a penis or vagina matter that much then?
Overall it is a good read and it piqued my thoughts on gender and sexuality.
The narrator, since very young age, showed the tendency that he seemed to be showing a lot of femininity, which was totally not okay at all because it was in the 1980s. The narrator gave and received blowjobs and made out with his male sexual partner from his classmates basically even before they hit puberty. When the narrator's parents found out they naturally went furious and thought that their son had mental illness, so then they got him to see a psychiatrist , who actually made the narrator feel better about his sexuality. But as the narrator grew up, he started to develop sexual interest to female too and even had sexual partners and a girlfriend. The biography ended with the incident that the narrator finally found the courage to get rid of his male sexual partner who had been verbally abusing him.
I read this book for my gender studies course and it definitely reveals to a certain extent what it was to be like to be a bisexual person back in the day. The narrator went through a lot of hardship because of who he was and there were times that he got confused about his own identity. It also reveals how gender stereotypes are imposed on children's minds at a very young age. For example, the narrator's parents thought their son's sexual partner Michael was a very masculine straight guy but they did not know he was only pretending to be one, and they also did not know their son was having a long term sexual relationship with Michael either.
I personally do not understand why a male would want to be a female, or why would a female want to be a male. Where does this kind of conflict originate from? And what makes a male male, a female female? I actually think the biological aspect (have penis or vagina) only plays a very basic yet not-so-critical role in the definitions of male and female, because a male is very likely, in today's society, to be considered "feminine" if he acts "sissy," has a very high-pitched voice, likes pink color or anything like that, evenh though he is biologically male. So then, what if, right at the origin of human being, the roles of male and female had been reversed? Like females had been the ones who went out to hunt, and male had been the ones who stayed at home, or like females could have had multiple husbands instead of the other way around? Would having a penis or vagina matter that much then?
Overall it is a good read and it piqued my thoughts on gender and sexuality.
November 8, 2014
"Now that I'm in my forties, frosted pink seems a little coquettish for a person of my stature. But looking back, I think that frosted pink is a perfect color for a little trans child in first grade. At that time, I certainly wasn't allowed to think of myself as a trans child, much less decide what color lipstick was appropriate for one."
Memoirs of queer and trans childhood experience are a relatively new genre, and I am so glad that mix Justin Vivian Bond has put v's work out into the pot. I wish that this book were longer, but I appreciate the very specific nature of its subject matter. It is the tale of a particular relationship between two queer kids in the 70's, and how homophobia, transphobia and lack of awareness about mental health conditions shaped its course. In many ways, I suspect that this book will resonate with anyone who has had a queer childhood, even if they grew up in a later era. I know that it did for me.
Memoirs of queer and trans childhood experience are a relatively new genre, and I am so glad that mix Justin Vivian Bond has put v's work out into the pot. I wish that this book were longer, but I appreciate the very specific nature of its subject matter. It is the tale of a particular relationship between two queer kids in the 70's, and how homophobia, transphobia and lack of awareness about mental health conditions shaped its course. In many ways, I suspect that this book will resonate with anyone who has had a queer childhood, even if they grew up in a later era. I know that it did for me.
September 17, 2011
If you know Mx Justin Vivian Bond only from V's performance as Kiki (from that amazing cabaret group Kiki and Herb) then this thin tome will fit the bill perfectly. It is a very interesting narrative about growing up trans-gender and gay. The one slight problem is there is no certain ending, or resolution. I'm certain that this is a deliberate choice as Mx Bond is so young, but I finished and then longed for Mx Bond to pull on the Kiki character and sing one final song. Not a song with a message, or a song that brings resolution, but a song that provides you with the feeling v wanted to end the book with. I really enjoyed reading about v's childhood and v's experiences growing up. Some things were written that brought clarity to parts of my childhood. Now...if there were an audiobook with Mx Bond reading it? that would be brilliant!!
August 4, 2012
I love this book! It's a pretty short memoir but Justin Vivian Bond writes so eloquently and powerfully, I am completely enraptured by the writing. I think V's strength and resilience is clearly expressed in this memoir. I couldn't get enough of V's story.
Mx. Justin Vivian Bond is branded as overly emotional by those in the family, which is something I can definitely relate to as well. I think Justin is very brave to write about the complex relationship with Michael and the slow path to self confidence and acceptance. There are so many people who don't achieve that, unfortunately. Yet V surpasses these obstacles.
I love how funny V is. I love how honest and bare V is in the most ugly and complicated moments. This is what a great memoir is all about. I hope there are much more books to come.
5/5 stars all the way.
Mx. Justin Vivian Bond is branded as overly emotional by those in the family, which is something I can definitely relate to as well. I think Justin is very brave to write about the complex relationship with Michael and the slow path to self confidence and acceptance. There are so many people who don't achieve that, unfortunately. Yet V surpasses these obstacles.
I love how funny V is. I love how honest and bare V is in the most ugly and complicated moments. This is what a great memoir is all about. I hope there are much more books to come.
5/5 stars all the way.
September 30, 2011
Is this a fucking joke? Worst book I have read in recent memory, and this is from someone who suffered through Orlando a few years back. I think Mx Bond is so many amazing things -- a fascinating human being; a consummate performer; a top-shelf queer; a brave, brilliant mind; an inspiration and a goddess -- but clearly V is not a writer or even functionally literate. This is a rough draft of a LiveJournal entry that the dickheads at CUNY Feminist Press are trying to pass off as an actual memoir and fool you into paying $17 for! This makes me long desperately for the death of print publishing, and I work in print publishing. Trite, pointless, and irrelevant.
November 4, 2011
I recognized this was a small book but given the jacket blurbs, I expected a lot more. She was able to communicate her challenges growing up in a small community and how she escaped. But had I not seen her perform a Kate & Anna mcgarrigle song onstage in NYC, I would never have picked up and then completed this book. a more dedicated editing would have helped but I sense these are all her own words with little intervention. My critique should not dissuade some from reading it as mz. Bond is very brave to reveal her childhood experiences as a trans- homosexual. But it was too much soft core with little other interesting revelations for my reading experience.
Short-about 1 hours reading time only though.
Short-about 1 hours reading time only though.
August 27, 2012
a fresh take on gay/tranny boy's life in a middle class, child focused, family. the author is a performer, and comedienne who writes with a lot of "canned" lines and thoughts that wrap up any uncomfortable or deeper understanding of his emotions. it's a little book, quick read, and covers a lot of ground, maybe too fast. typical paragraph would state some trauma or injustice/bully moment, then his emotional trauma quickly swept aside with his clever resolve of everything. he has no failure or regrets, just a lot of pluck, a clever lad indeed. glad he found a career with his androgyny, but wonder...the thousands and thousands who don't go comedy/clown...just live in dignity and hidden resolve.
October 14, 2014
Charmed from the first page of this book, but then I knew I would be. Since the author is both smart and funny (two of my favorite things), I have been meaning to read this memoir ever since it came out (2011). I was also intrigued because the author writes about growing up not too far from where I grew up in Maryland, not too long after I grew up (judging by mentions in the book, JVB must be 10 or so years younger than I am). I have warm memories of the author from when I first moved to SF, so I was pretty sure I would enjoy this book, and I am happy to report that it was even better than I expected. Highly recommended by those interested in transgender stories, and queer childhood and coming-of-age lit, etc.
February 3, 2012
http://www.stevedow.com.au
Tango is Justin Vivian Bond's debut, a beautifully understated exploration of what it means to grow up different, in a society that makes one choose: blue or pink, boy or girl. This is foremost fine storytelling, however, a bittersweet recollection of the author's early explorations with a boy who refused to accept his sexuality, and its consequences in adulthood. The prose is effortless - though no doubt Bond spent much time refining and crafting V's work to make it that way - and the poetic foreword by Hilton Als helps posit the work in a bigger, human picture: that difference should be encouraged; cherished, even.
Tango is Justin Vivian Bond's debut, a beautifully understated exploration of what it means to grow up different, in a society that makes one choose: blue or pink, boy or girl. This is foremost fine storytelling, however, a bittersweet recollection of the author's early explorations with a boy who refused to accept his sexuality, and its consequences in adulthood. The prose is effortless - though no doubt Bond spent much time refining and crafting V's work to make it that way - and the poetic foreword by Hilton Als helps posit the work in a bigger, human picture: that difference should be encouraged; cherished, even.
June 11, 2012
I enjoyed Bond's memoir. It's full of wit and some wisdom and I can see aspects of my own childhood in the scenes he describes. Yet, I wanted to like it more than I did. It's a breezy kind of book - I read it in one sitting - but sometimes I felt like it was just skipping across the surface of issues in order to get where it was going - its conclusion. Bond seems like a person full of insight, and I wish more of that had been present in this memoir. I thought I was sitting down to read a book that would teach me something new, challenge my own assumptions, but what I got was a nice little beach book, not too deep, not too serious, not too anything.
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