Nobody Passes

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 that might create.Mattilda, aka Matt Bernstein Sycamore, has a history of editing anthologies based on brazen nonconformity and gender defiance. 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.

Commended for Lambda Literary Awards (Transgender) 2007

“"Written entirely from the point of view of a class of workers who seldom get to speak for themselves, this collection illuminates the unique perspective they have on our culture."”

"Dangerous Families is by turns brutal, raw, cathartic, and redemptive."
"Startlingly bold and provocative." -- Howard Zinn
"There's an emerging new wave of sex and gender revolutionaries. Mattilda has performed the Herculean task of gathering all my favorite smart, irreverent, talented, fierce, funny, and fabulous people together in one place. I can't wait to see what happens once That's Revolting has been out there for a while." -- Kate Bornstein

Mattilda, aka Matt Bernstein Sycamore is the author of a novel, Pulling Taffy, and the editor of three nonfiction anthologies. Most recently, Mattilda edited That's revolting! Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation, a finalist for a 2005 Lambda Literary Award. Mattilda is an instigator with Gay Shame: A Virus in the System, a radical queer activist group that fights the monster of assimilation. The Austin Chronicle calls her "a cross between Tinkerbell and honky Malcolm X with a queer agenda."

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.

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