Nobody Passes

Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity

Edited by Matt Bernstein Sycamore

Nobody Passes is a collection of essays that confronts and challenges the very notion of belonging. By examining the perilous intersections of identity, categorization, and community, contributors challenge societal mores and countercultural norms. Nobody Passes explores and critiques the various systems of power seen (or not seen) in the act of "passing." In a pass/fail situation, standards for acceptance may vary, but somebody always gets trampled on. This anthology seeks to eliminate the pressure to pass and thereby unearth the delicious and devastating opportunities for transformation this might create. Mattilda, a.k.a. Matt Bernstein Sycamore has a history of editing anthologies based on brazen nonconformity and gender defiance. Nobody Passes is a cutting-edge exploration of the very topical issue of passing. From activism to academia, immigration to appropriation, disability culture to trans communities, this anthology challenges standards of authenticity and destroys notions of acceptability. Mattilda sets out to ask the question, "What lies are people forced to tell in order to gain acceptance as 'real'?" The answers are as varied as the life experiences of the writers who tackle this urgent and essential topic.

9781580051842, paperback