Calling My Deadname Home

A trans gay man reconnects with his female past - utterly original, completely engrossing

In this extraordinarily compelling trans memoir, Avi, a bearish trans man and Psychology Professor, navigates sex and dating in a phallic-centric universe of men who love men. But something is missing. To become the man he aspires to be, he needs to reconnect with Talia, his hyper-feminine straight female past, and invite her back in.This memoir explores what it means to come home to oneself with brutal honesty, humour, and self-compassion, going well beyond gender. From growing up in a working-class right-wing Israeli family and barely finishing high school to pro-Palestinian activism and escaping compulsory military service by faking madness, to attaining a PhD from Yale-a triumph after poor schooling. Told in three episodes, early transition, later transition and Talia's story, this memoir tackles contemporary gender and social issues. At its heart is a universal theme: to become who we already are, we must integrate the past into the present.