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We See Each Other

A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film

Author Tre'vell Anderson
Hardcover
$26.99 US
Disney Publishing Group | Andscape Books
6.3"W x 9.28"H x 0.84"D   | 14 oz | 20 per carton
On sale May 09, 2023 | 240 Pages | 9781368081733
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A groundbreaking look at the history of transgender representation in TV and film, by an of-the-moment and in-demand culture reporter.

WE SEE EACH OTHER is a personal history of trans visibility since the beginning of moving images. A literary reckoning, it unearths a transcestry that’s long existed in plain sight and in the shadows of history’s annals, and further contextualizes our present moment of increased representation. The films and television shows that Tre’vell covers include: Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil, Psycho, Holiday Heart, Boy’s Don’t Cry, America’s Next Top Model, Some Like It Hot, Survivor, Tangerine, Pose, RuPaul's Drag Race and much more. Though there have been trans memoirs and histories, there has never been a book quite like this, nor is anyone more suited to write it than Tre’vell.

“I don’t remember exactly when I was taught to hate myself," says Tre’vell Anderson in We See Each Other's introduction. As the narrative unfolds, Tre'vell knits together the history of trans people on screen with stories of their life growing up and their formative experiences as a Black, trans journalist.
“Anderson’s keen critical eye and humor (“I’ve been rooting for everybody Black since I was in utero, honey”) add to a deeply personal take on the trans film and TV canon that emphasizes the ability of such stories to open “a world of possibilities of what life could be and look like.” Incisive and candid, this dazzles.”
    —Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)
 
“An excellent examination of the current state of on-screen trans representation and its real-life effects.”
    —Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Tre'vell's book takes us on an honest journey of self-discovery through TV and film. It's not just about the first time they saw theirself on-screen (although that's a question you'll probably never ask them again); it's about finding fragments of yourself in fictitious characters and real-life personalities that help us to better understand who we are and who we were never allowed to be. We See Each Other is more than a history lesson—it gives us a closer look into a community that very few people thought was worth documenting. Now this wonderful offering can be added to our collective library so we never forget." 
   —Lena Waithe, Writer and Producer 

"After years of building a formidable presence in the world of cultural criticism, Tre'vell Anderson has utilized their ever-refreshing insights and observations to excavate a definitive Black, trans, and nonbinary film and TV canon. They effortlessly weave in their personal evolution with love letters to the figures whose work facilitated it. We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey through TV and Film is the unapologetically gender-nonconforming, melanated answer to The Celluloid Closet." 
   —Raquel Willis, Writer and Activist

"Tre'vell takes us on a transcendent trip—via lionhearted memoir and relentless reporting—through histories not so much invisible as unappreciated, and unnamed. This essential worth takes a high place in the very trancestry they interrogate and celebrate."
   —Danyel Smith, author of Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop

"Against the backdrop of growing attacks on our community fueled by hostile media images, we need stories that show how this harm unfolds through personal experience and what we can do about it. Tre'vell's book does this in an insightful and searing way. The fact that they are Black and trans only adds to the immediacy and relevancy of their writing. Tre'vell helps us understand where we are and where we need to go."
   —Imara Jones, award-winning journalist and founder, TransLash Media

"Tre'vell offers us an impressive genealogy of all things Black and queer in our pop-cultural landscape—in other words, all the things worth watching and celebrating. What's more impressive, though, is how they came to be in part because of what they saw. This book is paying it forward to the rest of us who deserve the best of our possibility models."
   —Phillip Picardi, editor
Tre’vell Anderson is a journalist who knows so many of the contemporary trans movers and shakers who will be featured throughout WE SEE EACH OTHER. Named to The Root’s 2020 list of the 100 most influential African Americans, the former Director of Culture and Entertainment at Out magazine has dedicated their career to centering those in the margins, grey spaces, and at the intersections of life through a pop culture lens. Tre’vell is currently co-host of the Maximum Fun podcast, FANTI, Editor-At-Large for the Toronto-based Xtra magazine, and a well sought-after moderator and commentator. Their writing can be found in the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Essence, Teen Vogue, Esquire and Cultured magazines among other publications.
Tre'vell Anderson View titles by Tre'vell Anderson

About

A groundbreaking look at the history of transgender representation in TV and film, by an of-the-moment and in-demand culture reporter.

WE SEE EACH OTHER is a personal history of trans visibility since the beginning of moving images. A literary reckoning, it unearths a transcestry that’s long existed in plain sight and in the shadows of history’s annals, and further contextualizes our present moment of increased representation. The films and television shows that Tre’vell covers include: Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil, Psycho, Holiday Heart, Boy’s Don’t Cry, America’s Next Top Model, Some Like It Hot, Survivor, Tangerine, Pose, RuPaul's Drag Race and much more. Though there have been trans memoirs and histories, there has never been a book quite like this, nor is anyone more suited to write it than Tre’vell.

“I don’t remember exactly when I was taught to hate myself," says Tre’vell Anderson in We See Each Other's introduction. As the narrative unfolds, Tre'vell knits together the history of trans people on screen with stories of their life growing up and their formative experiences as a Black, trans journalist.

Praise

“Anderson’s keen critical eye and humor (“I’ve been rooting for everybody Black since I was in utero, honey”) add to a deeply personal take on the trans film and TV canon that emphasizes the ability of such stories to open “a world of possibilities of what life could be and look like.” Incisive and candid, this dazzles.”
    —Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)
 
“An excellent examination of the current state of on-screen trans representation and its real-life effects.”
    —Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Tre'vell's book takes us on an honest journey of self-discovery through TV and film. It's not just about the first time they saw theirself on-screen (although that's a question you'll probably never ask them again); it's about finding fragments of yourself in fictitious characters and real-life personalities that help us to better understand who we are and who we were never allowed to be. We See Each Other is more than a history lesson—it gives us a closer look into a community that very few people thought was worth documenting. Now this wonderful offering can be added to our collective library so we never forget." 
   —Lena Waithe, Writer and Producer 

"After years of building a formidable presence in the world of cultural criticism, Tre'vell Anderson has utilized their ever-refreshing insights and observations to excavate a definitive Black, trans, and nonbinary film and TV canon. They effortlessly weave in their personal evolution with love letters to the figures whose work facilitated it. We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey through TV and Film is the unapologetically gender-nonconforming, melanated answer to The Celluloid Closet." 
   —Raquel Willis, Writer and Activist

"Tre'vell takes us on a transcendent trip—via lionhearted memoir and relentless reporting—through histories not so much invisible as unappreciated, and unnamed. This essential worth takes a high place in the very trancestry they interrogate and celebrate."
   —Danyel Smith, author of Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop

"Against the backdrop of growing attacks on our community fueled by hostile media images, we need stories that show how this harm unfolds through personal experience and what we can do about it. Tre'vell's book does this in an insightful and searing way. The fact that they are Black and trans only adds to the immediacy and relevancy of their writing. Tre'vell helps us understand where we are and where we need to go."
   —Imara Jones, award-winning journalist and founder, TransLash Media

"Tre'vell offers us an impressive genealogy of all things Black and queer in our pop-cultural landscape—in other words, all the things worth watching and celebrating. What's more impressive, though, is how they came to be in part because of what they saw. This book is paying it forward to the rest of us who deserve the best of our possibility models."
   —Phillip Picardi, editor

Author

Tre’vell Anderson is a journalist who knows so many of the contemporary trans movers and shakers who will be featured throughout WE SEE EACH OTHER. Named to The Root’s 2020 list of the 100 most influential African Americans, the former Director of Culture and Entertainment at Out magazine has dedicated their career to centering those in the margins, grey spaces, and at the intersections of life through a pop culture lens. Tre’vell is currently co-host of the Maximum Fun podcast, FANTI, Editor-At-Large for the Toronto-based Xtra magazine, and a well sought-after moderator and commentator. Their writing can be found in the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Essence, Teen Vogue, Esquire and Cultured magazines among other publications.
Tre'vell Anderson View titles by Tre'vell Anderson

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