By Leah Myers, Graduate assistant
Reading well-constructed prose is one of life’s joys. Sentences that convey the author’s beliefs and ideas accurately and concisely are a wonder to me. Alex Myers’ Supporting Transgender Students is full of this kind of writing, and it was difficult to not be caught in the words as I was copyediting.
Copyediting requires a keen, word-by-word eye. There isn’t room to let the sentences flow as you search for a misplaced comma or words that are out of order. You can’t revel in the language and scenes of a piece when you are trying to dissect it on a molecular level, unless you want to read things more times than you have to.
I read many passages in Supporting Transgender Students more times than necessary.
The advice given to educators, administrators, and parents/guardians lives alongside scenes from Alex’s journey through academia—as both student and educator—as a trans man. The advice is concise and straightforward, giving institutions multiple paths to support their student body. The scenes capture moments that give readers the chance to experience a reality that may differ from their own. Both sides of this meld into a step-by-step guide on how to change institutions for the better, from culture to infrastructure.
Supporting Transgender Students is available now.
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