I spent the last couple hours compiling this list. It is by no means the entirety of trans women/trans feminine folks on Bandcamp, it’s just the ones I could find. Reblog it, add to it, buy their music.
To celebrate the publication of The Square Root of Summer, we’ve put together a very special time capsule-themed blog tour (we thought Gottie would approve). Bloggers were invited to participate in one or both of two ways: a written portion in which they answer the same questions about their lives twice (a few months apart) to see how much they’ve changed, and a portion where they sent us a physical item (or a photo of a physical item!) that represents who they are at this moment. We had a blast seeing the items that participants chose, which ranged from a vintage copy of Little Women to an empty box of dog treats! The items (and the motivations behind them being chosen) were creative, moving, and meaningful. Below, please find photos and explanations (in bloggers’ own words) for why they chose what they did, along with a round-up photo of all the items we received here at the Flatiron!
IMG 1- My item is my writing journal where I brainstorm my book ideas and add details on characters and the world. Also research facts end up in the book. I would add this to a capsule to see my growth in process when reflecting back.
I carry a pen and notebook with me everywhere to keep track of ideas, my schedule, and blog-related thoughts. After thinking long and hard about who I am now I knew this notebook and pen made perfect sense because of my blog and writing and also because I’ve resolved to create more this year to be more present by observing the world around me.
Throughout my life I’ve always felt like I had my feet in two worlds: one representing my Moroccan heritage and the other my American upbringing. This clay slipper from Morocco reminds me of a home that I only get to visit every few years but that is very much a part of me.
If I could only put one item in a time capsule to represent who I am at the current moment it would be my sailing log (while I’d have loved to include my Kindle, the tech may not withstand the test of time). It’s torn and tattered, but it contains a listing of every sailing adventure I’ve ever been on since I first stepped on a boat 2.5 years ago. It tells of the places I’ve gone, the challenges I’ve faced, the things I’ve seen, the nautical miles I’ve traveled, my achievements and my failures. It’s joined me on every boat trip where I’ve been a skipper or crew. It’s been splashed and bent but not broken. My scrawl may be practically illegible, the pages may be hanging on by a thread, but it’s a perfect representation of who I am, at this very moment in time.
My Hamilton CD defines who I am now because it’s a) my biggest fangirl obsession and dominates my every waking hour and b) like Alexander Hamilton, I am young, scrappy, and hungry and probably too focused on my legacy/not throwing away my shot
I was planning on sending you a bookmark that said #currentlyreading. With the photo, I decided to show 3 of the 4 I had, plus a book I could read forever.
I’m including a blank notebook in the capsule, because I think it’s representative of the academic/career choices I have to make, and the possibilities that lie ahead. I sometimes worry now that dreams can’t be achieved. Just need to remind myself that the future needs to be filled in!
Enclosed you will find empty dog treat containers and a peppermint. I have two dogs and two horses, and after my mom passed away last year, they comforted me when nothing else did. Like my mom, they all love unconditionally, and that is a gift I cherish every day. They all possess bits of my soul, so they are all extensions of me. If you were to ask me what I could not live without, besides my family, I would tell you, “my fur babies.” So, to understand me, at this point in time, all you have to do is look at them.
I quit after my first year of teaching–it was a horrible year and I told myself never again. But, three years later, I found myself back in the same elementary school and in the same grade level I was working at before. This time around I had an amazing year with the most wonderful students. This necklace (given to me by a student from that year) represents me at the moment: a teacher.
This cupcake pen is my time capsule item because it represents two of my favorite things: baking cupcakes and writing. I’m working on my manuscript (my 2nd) and I hope to have it polished and ready to query agents soon. Baking cupcakes helps me combat stress and even writer’s block. It also funds my book buying addiction!
I’m currently trying to pursue a career as a professional ballet dancer, and I feel that pointe shoes are a perfect representation of my current dreams and future goals. #bookstagram or bookish photography has allowed me to open up to book blogging and share my love for books with those around the globe. It is certainly a large part of who I am today.
As soon as I opened my Valentine’s Day gift from my boyfriend this year and discovered this crazy little monkey, I was reminded again of just how well he knows me. First of all, the fact that its sweater says, ‘Talk Nerdy to Me’ is fitting because I run a blog named Book Nerds Across America. But this little monkey also has its own unique style – look at those crazy glasses! It knows it’s a nerd and it’s totally owning it. This actually personifies me to a T.
My item is the Deathly Hallows symbol charm from Harry Potter. It represents my life right now because so much of my life right now has been shaped by that series. I am a rapid reader/reviewer now, after not being a reader AT ALL, because I decided to give HP a chance. My kids and I listen to the series over and over together. And we have season tickets to HP World!
Beyond that, I just love the symbolism of the Deathly Hallows. Becoming ‘Master of Death’ not by living forever but by living life to the fullest, then “greeting death as an old friend.”
Harry Potter has changed my life, and shaped so many of the choices I’ve made. PS My license plate is PORTK3Y.
At 32, I find myself thinking about my place in the universe- what have I done, both for myself and others, that will leave a mark? What can I do in the future to change or improve that mark? I take heart in this quote (from one of the best episodes of Doctor Who) that my story will live on, regardless. It’s just up to me to make sure that I’m remembered well, and by the people who truly matter.
My object is a second edition of Little Women from about 1877. When it was first published, Little Women was actually printed in two parts. This is the second half of the book which, as we know, has all the best parts. I came across it years ago and I bought it because Little Women meant so much to me while I was growing up. I must have read my own copy hundreds of times and this book looked like it had been well-loved.
While not particularly valuable from a collector’s standpoint, I love thinking about all of the people who read this and about the person who first walked into a bookshop all those years ago and bought this, probably looking forward to the sequel the same way I look forward to sequels today. Reading and enjoying a book connects you to people, past and present, who love it and that’s why I treasure this well-worn copy of a book that I truly love.
Lately I have been into crafting. I make cards and flip books. I figured the best way to represent me was to make something that shows some of the things I love.
As summer is upon us, remember: it’s your personal right to wear as little/as much clothing as you like. No matter your weight/shape/size. Your cellulite/flabby arms/muffin top/etc. will not start riots or even make anyone go blind.
Actually, the first person to ever have their name associated with an original written work was Enheduanna, a Sumerian princess and priestess born in 2285 BC.
In other words, the FIRST AUTHOR IN HUMAN HISTORY was a woman.
#just thought you should know
I’d also like to add that the story often considered to be the ‘world’s first modern novel’, The Tale of Genji (源氏物語), was written by a Japanese noblewoman in the 11th century.
And Frankenstein, written by 19 year old Mary Shelley, is often labeled as the first true science fiction story because the idea of the creature was based on/inspired by the experiments performed by Luigi Galvani.
Source: Double majored in English Literature and Japanese History.
