The most common question I have been asked by curious and puzzled friends and acquaintances is, why did I write this particular book Jazz Mergirl? To begin with, I was not expecting to write any book, much less one about a transgender teen. My usual response is that this book found me, not the other way around, which is true.
But a helpful writer friend, who was reading the rough draft of my Preface, suggested I show how my many years as a teacher had a connection with my interest in this subject. Thinking about her suggestion, it occurred to me that I had come to teaching with a keen awareness of the women’s rights movement, and over the years, I always made it a point with my students to ensure the girls were treated equally along with the boys. I tried to de-emphasize gender, for example never having “boy lines” and “girl lines,” and never pitting the girls against the boys. Teamwork and mixed partners were the norm. In fact, I decided to write my masters thesis about increasing gender equity for girls in school, and even conducted teacher trainings based on that research.
When a Native-American friend came to my school to put on some interactive assemblies, she would talk with the students about treating others with respect, regardless of their differences. Her own children had been ridiculed when attending some previous assemblies with her, and were reluctant to do so again. That is how she came to learn from a child psychologist colleague how children tend to laugh at and make fun of people and things that are new and different. This simply arises out of their discomfort and lack of understanding and tolerance. (Adults are often uncomfortable too, but tend to show it in other ways). She proceeded to teach our students how to deal with that discomfort in a more productive and caring manner, instead of laughing, the way many were inclined to do. Ever since then, I incorporated her lesson into my own classroom.
So, yes, looking back, I now realize it was actually quite natural that I would be interested and fascinated by Jazz’s story when I encountered it, and my background led me to write Jazz Mergirl. Not so surprising after all.
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