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People Change
People Change | Vivek Shraya
4 posts | 3 read | 2 to read
"A deeply generous and honest gift to the world." --Elliot Page The author of Im Afraid of Men lets readers in on the secrets to a life of reinvention. Vivek Shraya knows this to be true: people change. We change our haircuts and our outfits and our minds. We change names, titles, labels. We attempt to blend in or to stand out. We outgrow relationships, we abandon dreams for new ones, we start fresh. We seize control of our stories. We make resolutions. In fact, nobody knows this better than Vivek, whos made a career of embracing many roles: artist, performer, musician, writer, model, teacher. In People Change, she reflects on the origins of this impulse, tracing it to childhood influences from Hinduism to Madonna. What emerges is a meditation on change itself: why we fear it, why were drawn to it, what motivates us to change, and what traps us in place. At a time when were especially contemplating who we want to be, this slim and stylish handbook is an essential companiona guide to celebrating our many selves and the inspiration to discover who well become next.
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psalva
People Change | Vivek Shraya
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I‘m a big Vivek Shraya fan, despite this being only the second book of hers I‘ve read (The Subtweet was the other and it was incredible). This collection of essays is a celebration of change and reinvention. I found the discussion about labels being “choices I make for the comprehension and comfort of others,” to be an interesting reframing. ⬇️

psalva There were some portions that got a bit too self-helpy for my taste, but the book as a whole gets at important questions of identity. I‘m sure it will lead to thought-provoking discussion at the LGBTQ+ book club I‘m facilitating tomorrow. (edited) 9mo
Reggie Yay for bookclubs. I‘m 3 months into this one where I‘m the youngest by 15 years and it gives me LIFE! Hope it went well. 9mo
psalva @Reggie This was only the second meeting of this one, and it‘s off to a slow start. Three people came, including me and my partner, but the discussion was great actually. I‘m hoping we get at least a few more next time but a small number feels cozy and more relaxed in a way. Does your book club have a theme? 9mo
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
People Change | Vivek Shraya
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A thought-provoking book of essays I gobbled up. Shraya covers a lot of ground discussing change, reinvention, and fluidity through referencing fashion, trans identity, Sai Baba, Madonna, her own artistic practices in multiple mediums, friendships, bisexuality, divorce, and more. Shraya's writing on trans identity reminded me of Meredith Talusan's memoir Fairest, which also resists mainstream narratives about arriving at an inevitable true self.

batsy Sounds really good! 3y
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
People Change | Vivek Shraya
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About guru Sai Baba: " his biography ... wasn't unlike a queer coming-of-age: the delightful but odd child who doesn't quite fit in, the act of 'coming out,' the disapproving family, the change of name. Was my devotion to him forged in a belief that I too could recast my differences in a new light?"

"Seizing the moment has been less about embracing the present and more about understanding that I am not entitled to a future. None of us are."

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
People Change | Vivek Shraya
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What a delightful Christmas eve package this was! Vivek Shraya's new book, a cute little tote, and some mini hair conditioners. I'm not surprised Vivek Shraya has partnered with pantene as she has great hair. Looking forward to diving into this book length essay on change!

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