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Tomboy Survival Guide
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
23 posts | 12 read | 24 to read
Ivan Coyote is a celebrated trans storyteller whose previous books include Gender Failure (with Rae Spoon) and One in Every Crowd, a collection for LGBT youth. Tomboy Survival Guide is a funny and moving memoir told in stories, in which Ivan recounts the pleasures and difficulties of growing up a tomboy in Canada's north, and how they learned to embrace their tomboy past when they later identified as dyke and finally as trans. Ivan writes movingly about many firsts?the first time they were mistaken for a boy; the first time they purposely discarded their bikini top so they could join the boys at the local swimming pool; and the first time they were chastised for using the women's washroom. Ivan also explores their years as a "baby butch," dealing with new infatuations and old baggage, and life as a trans adult, in which they offer advice to young people while seeking guidance from others. And for tomboys in training, there's directions on building your very own unicorn trap. Tomboy Survival Guide warmly recounts Ivan's transformation from a diffident yet free-spirited tomboy into a confident, self-assured trans person. These heartfelt, funny, and moving stories are about the culture of difference--a "guide" to being true to one's self. Ivan Coyote is the award-winning author or co-author of ten books, and the creator of four short films as well as three CDs that combine storytelling with music. Ivan lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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HeatherBookNerd
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Booksnchill Read 6 of these which is good for me on front list books! Great list- Happy 2022 Heather! 2y
britt_brooke 💚 Nice choices! I‘ve read 10 of these so far. I‘m really happy to see Interior Chinatown. That was my overall favorite last year!! 2y
HeatherBookNerd @Booksnchill happy 2022 Rebecca🎉 2y
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HeatherBookNerd @britt_brooke it was so unusual. Creative storytelling. 2y
Chelsea.Poole I‘ve read and loved several from your list. This one made mine and and it was one of the highlights from my reading year 2y
HeatherBookNerd @Chelsea.Poole I just discovered Ross Gay this year. He‘s a joy to read! 2y
BarbaraBB Such a great list, wow! 2y
HeatherBookNerd @BarbaraBB lots of good reading in 2021! 2y
34 likes8 comments
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HeatherBookNerd
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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As PRIDE month comes to a close I thought I would share some GREAT books I‘ve read recently. These are all written by LGBT authors and are so fantastic.
#pride🌈

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HeatherBookNerd
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Pickpick

I love EVERYTHING about this book - the insightful and engaging storytelling, the vulnerability, the humor, the sheer kindness of it all. Coyote is a nonbinary transgender person who uses them/they pronouns. Now in their early 50s, they recount stories of their life thus far as they have learned to carve out a space in their own way, despite living in a world that does not always make space for them. The writing is so honest and moving. So good.

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HeatherBookNerd
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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I‘m only halfway through and am sure already this will be one of my favorite books this year. My oldest child is nonbinary and this author‘s experience is so similar to my kid. I just can‘t help but love this book. The writing is just fantastic and the way Coyote captures all these memories of their gender discovery helps me see my own child in a new way.

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Bibliogeekery
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Pickpick

Ivan Coyote is such a charming and skilled storyteller! It was great to listen to Coyote read this audiobook. Tender, tough, inspiring, gut punchingly sad at times. Coyote speaks the truth about being a non-binary trans person in this world in such an important and insightful way! Already excited to revisit this one! #transbooks #nonbinarybooks

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Bibliogeekery
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Next up! I love Ivan Coyote's storytelling and love that they narrate this audiobook! #queerbooks #nonbinarybooks

WhatDeeReads This looks really good. 6y
Bibliogeekery @WhatDeeReads so far it really is! 6y
52 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Lindy
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Went to hear Ivan Coyote in Edmonton tonight, an event that was part of MacEwan University‘s Pride Week. I didn‘t get their latest book because I already have this copy at home, signed by everyone who performed with Coyote at the Vancouver Writers Fest in Oct 2016. I love Coyote‘s writing and I‘m embarrassed to admit that I still haven‘t read this.

Laney1733 You are certainly a lucky individual! This one is so worth being bumped up your TBR! Truly a lovely read. 👍 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 6y
42 likes1 comment
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Crystallinegirl
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Pickpick

This book was fantastic. Each chapter is a different vignette in Ivan's life, and while it's not really linear, it's also not hard to follow at all. I didn't know they'd written other books, but one is called Gender Failure and I definitely need to track it down now!

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Crystallinegirl
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Moving on to a book from #Canada for my Read Canadian Challenge! This is a memoir from a non-binary person, and so far is really good.

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Laney1733
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Pickpick

Narrated by the author of course!! 💛💜 This book is just beautiful and I don't normally do short stories. It's so honest and brave and real. Can a book be brave? I think the author certainly can be. All the ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐s

Bibliogeekery This one is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to read it! #queerbooks #transbooks 6y
SkeletonKey Loved this book soooo much. 6y
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SpiderCrafts
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Tomboy Survival Guide, among The Evergreen Awards nominees 😄🌲 literally strung from a library evergreen. 🏫📚

Jabberwocky I saw them speak last year and they were AMAZING. So much love for Ivan. 🙌🏻 7y
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Spiderfelt
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Pickpick

Read. This. Book.

Then tell a friend, a parent, a sibling, a co-worker or the person standing next to you at the bus stop about this amazing book you just read that you couldn't put down and you wished everyone was reading at the same time so we could all talk about it. Not just because it is #pridemonth, but because it is that good, and we owe it to each other as citizens of this diverse world. #transbooks #LGBTQ

Lindy I promise to read it soon. I've owned a copy since it was first published and it has been sitting on my bookshelf, waiting. 🙁 7y
Spiderfelt That broken-heart-tied-back-together is looking at you @Lindy. 7y
Lindy @Spiderfelt I'm far from home now, but I will hold that book and look at that damaged heart when I get back. 💔 7y
23 likes5 stack adds3 comments
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Spiderfelt
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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First off, any statement that begins with "no offense, but ... " is the ass-crack-smelling handshake of all sentence structure. I mean, it seems friendly enough, but it lasts leaves you sniffing the air afterwards, and wondering.

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Pickpick

In case you had the wild notion that it wouldn‘t be: Ivan Coyote‘s latest and 11th book is possibly greater than everything they‘ve done before. If you‘ve never read an Ivan Coyote book before, this would be a great one to start with; it really shows this celebrated storyteller at the height of their powers. Powerful, funny, and sad true stories about trans/gender, family, & being a person in this world. #QueerBooks #TransBooks #LitsyAtoZ #LetterT

Bibliogeekery So excited to read this one! 7y
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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#Riotgrams Day 15: #BooksAndTreats! Honestly starting a new Ivan Coyote book feels like a treat in and of itself but the almond roca is pretty sweet too.

StephBengtson Yum! I love almond roca 7y
Laney1733 Wonderful book, full of delightful stories! Haven't tried the treats but there's not much you can do to an almond that I don't love! Enjoy both 😍 7y
37 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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This is just one stack of #MyLocalLibrary for #Riotgrams day 7. It's the Joe Fortes branch of the Vancouver Public Library, a small branch in the West End / gaybourhood. It's so lovely to have this #LGBTQ section! The branch is named after a famous local African-Canadian lifeguard who used to work at the nearby bay.

saresmoore Love this! 7y
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Best #BookMail ever!!! I just got three review copies of queer and trans books from the wonderful Vancouver-based Arsenal Pulp Press. One is Ivan Coyote's new memoir about going up a tomboy in the Yukon and being a trans adult. On the right is an anthology of stories about health and health care by all sorts of trans and queer writers, edited by Zena Sharman. On the left is a YA about a bisexual teen girl figure skater. #QueerBooks #TransBooks

Lacythebookworm Those sound great! 👍😊 7y
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian @Lacythebookworm I know right! Arsenal publishes the best books 7y
27 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Lindy
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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"Ivan writes about their years as a young butch, dealing with new infatuations and old baggage, and life as a gender-box-defying adult, in which they offer advice to young people while seeking guidance from others." [From the cover.]
I will see Ivan performing with Vivek Shraya later this week in Edmonton.
#orangecovers #tbr #queerbooks

Bibliogeekery Can't wait to read this one! Have a great at the show! Great double header! 7y
Lindy @Bibliogeekery Thanks. 😊 7y
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Lindy
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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"The kid keeps talking to me, asking me stuff, showing me her Lego helicopter. 'Leave her be,' the mom says. The kid looks right at me. 'I don't think he is a lady,' she says. 'I think he is a man with very pretty eyes.'"

If you ever have the opportunity to hear Ivan Coyote perform, you must go. The storytelling with live music event at #VWF16 was fantastic. #queerbooks

30 likes1 comment
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Lindy
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Up next at #VWF16: "a collaboration between Ivan Coyote and three friends who, through their story, music, lyrics, memories and photographs, have created a show that's part anthem and part instructions for dismantling the gender stories we tell."

Bibliogeekery So jealous!!! 8y
27 likes1 comment
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kgriffith
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Bibliogeekery So excited to read this one! 8y
kgriffith @Bibliogeekery I'm saving it for to rescue me when I need fortification. I own my years and I love being a 36yo femme but goddamn do I need reminding sometimes that it's okay that I don't understand what it's like to be 18-19 and fresh out of small-town Maine HS. I feel intimidated by these kids, tbh. 8y
Bibliogeekery It's always good to have fortifications! Sending fierce femme solidarity! 8y
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kgriffith @Bibliogeekery 💜🙌🏼💃🏻 8y
Bibliogeekery Maybe you could build a fort out of #queerbooks and #transbooks and hide from the 18 year olds in it? 📚📚📚📚📚📚 8y
kgriffith @Bibliogeekery Hahaha I could certainly try! Am adding a new one to my stacks now 🤓💃🏻📚 8y
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kgriffith
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote

Got my galley today! *happy dance*

Bibliogeekery Jealous!! 8y
15 likes1 comment
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Lindy
Tomboy Survival Guide | Ivan Coyote
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Book bingo square "literary journal or magazine" - we have all kinds of these in the house because my sweetie gets paid in subscriptions when her stuff is published. Geist Fall 2015 has an excerpt from Ivan Coyote's latest.

shawnmooney Ivan Coyote! I went to her house in Vancouver many years ago to purchase all of her books at that time and to get her to sign them. A present for my mother. Spent about an hour chatting. I had almost forgotten all about this experience till I saw your post. 8y
Lindy @shawnmooney Ivan has continued to publish. If you want one for yourself, I suggest One In Every Crowd, a compilation of best work. 8y
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