18 Comments

Kudos to Penguin/Random House for committing to this. I’m sure there will be no drama in the publishing process.

Expand full comment

Very excited for this! The Quick Fix was fantastic, and is now already assigned reading in some PhD courses I know of. I’m sure this new book will be at least as impactful :)

Expand full comment

This makes me happy. I really enjoyed The Quick Fix. It's really my jam: science and skepticism applied to real-life situations. It makes me a little sad but after the Science Based Medicine fiasco I now consider Jesse a better skeptic than the skeptic organizations.

Having said that, Jesse seems to joke about the book that it didn't really perform nearly as well as he'd hoped. I'm happy to hear that it's at least found some purchase in niche corners where it's really relevant.

Expand full comment

Not sure how direct this is, but as a gay man who “survived” conversion therapy, I was flabbergasted when I encountered trans men arguing my sexual orientation was transphobic.

Expand full comment

Congrats, Jesse! The Quick Fix was great. I'm excited to have a guide to this hot-button area by a thoughtful, extremely well-informed non-ideologue.

I'm also glad to hear that a big publisher like Penguin/Random House is committing to this. I love the Bria Sandford quote from that press release: "There’s a big need right now for writers who make counter-consensus arguments without falling into reflexive contrarianism." I really hope they can stick with that mission without falling to audience capture and activist pressure in one direction or another.

Expand full comment

I’m working on a set of stories, perhaps a book called “The Boy Who Wasn’t a Girl” - my childhood in the 60’s and 70’s as a very effeminate bullied gay boy with a rancid alcoholic father and an unmedicated bipolar mother who was resigned to the idea he was trans (a topic clarified though library reading) then one fateful night around 1976 the be-dimpled Tom Snyder took me into a Hot Manhattan gay disco to see queeny sexy hairy shirtless muscular men who had the same voice I had. The gay voice. The one I was relentlessly teased about. The feelings at that time were brought back in sharp focus 45 years later, as COVID erupted, and I encountered stories of children, boys just like me, who had been castrated. Atrocity.

Happy to a share my experience and vivid, detailed episodic memory a curse and blessing.

Expand full comment

Do keep us updated on here.

That little taster was quite lovely to read, I would pay for more.

Expand full comment

Will be some time ;)

Expand full comment

Congratulations, Jesse. Very well deserved.

Expand full comment

Ok, everyone root for Jesse’s back to hold up while he sits in a chair long enough to write a book. Send vibes or prayers or whatever you’re into.

Congratulations Jesse. Good for Penguin.

Expand full comment

Congratulations Jesse! Really excited to read this when it comes out.

Expand full comment

Mazel tov, Jesse! I'm so excited to hear this! I will pre-order a copy for shizzle, and I'll lobby for us to read this in the book club I'm part of.

Expand full comment

Great and important project. I hope you get many more valuable interviews from this solicitation.

Expand full comment

Good hunting, Jesse. You’ve got a heckuva opportunity here and I hope it goes well

Expand full comment

Congratulations, Jesse! This is such great news! You're doing to do wonderful work on this. So proud of you and your commitment to understand this complex and deeply personal issue that's going on in medicine and gender psychology within the LGBTQ rights sphere. Hope you're doing well and much love to you. Wishing you the best of luck. We're all rooting for you! ❤️

Expand full comment

When will the book be available for preorder?

Expand full comment

I can feel the nuance radiating through time and space from when/where this book is published. Looking forward to it!

Expand full comment

I'm happy for you but, oh, boy, guard your mental health when they come after you. I know you've gotten through it before. Courage!

Expand full comment