Quesenberry, Julian A Presence Past and Future: Emerging Trans* Literary Criticism. Thesis. Radford University Scholars' Repository.
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Abstract
A recent increase in published transgender works in the United States has revealed advancements in queer representation in literature. Trans authors and storytellers have always existed, but little work has been done to trace a formal trans literary history. Researchers have highlighted the transgender memoir as the origin of transgender literature and have ignored older examples of trans authorship. This thesis investigates the many origins of trans literature and traces their evolutions across time and culture. Chapter one outlines historical conceptualizations of trans* identity and storytelling, chapter two explores a post-medical form of trans* literature, and chapter three applies trans* concepts and theory to the trans* speculative fiction genre. Research for this project was conducted using a combination of primary and secondary literary sources. A trans* lens is used to make visible a trans* literary history, which includes performative and trans-coded works as well as overtly trans narratives. I explore Stephanie Clare’s definition of trans* literature and modify it to craft a framework for trans* literary criticism in the twenty-first century. This research and its fruits reveal connections between trans* literature and cultural perspectives regarding transgender identity. As the understanding of trans* identity, art, culture, and politics continues to evolve, so will trans* literature.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) |
| Divisions: | Radford University > College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences > School of Writing, Language, and Literature |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jun 2025 20:49 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Jun 2025 20:49 |
| URI: | http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/1174 |
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