We See Each Other

Praise

“Anderson’s keen critical eye and humor (“I’ve been rooting for everybody Black since I was in utero, honey”) add to a deeply personal take on the trans film and TV canon that emphasizes the ability of such stories to open “a world of possibilities of what life could be and look like.” Incisive and candid, this dazzles.”
    —Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)
 
“An excellent examination of the current state of on-screen trans representation and its real-life effects.”
    —Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Tre’vell’s book takes us on an honest journey of self-discovery through TV and film. It’s not just about the first time they saw theirself on-screen (although that’s a question you’ll probably never ask them again); it’s about finding fragments of yourself in fictitious characters and real-life personalities that help us to better understand who we are and who we were never allowed to be. We See Each Other is more than a history lesson—it gives us a closer look into a community that very few people thought was worth documenting. Now this wonderful offering can be added to our collective library so we never forget.” 
   —Lena Waithe, Writer and Producer 

“After years of building a formidable presence in the world of cultural criticism, Tre’vell Anderson has utilized their ever-refreshing insights and observations to excavate a definitive Black, trans, and nonbinary film and TV canon. They effortlessly weave in their personal evolution with love letters to the figures whose work facilitated it. We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey through TV and Film is the unapologetically gender-nonconforming, melanated answer to The Celluloid Closet.“ 
   —Raquel Willis, Writer and Activist

“Tre’vell takes us on a transcendent trip—via lionhearted memoir and relentless reporting—through histories not so much invisible as unappreciated, and unnamed. This essential worth takes a high place in the very trancestry they interrogate and celebrate.”
   —Danyel Smith, author of Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop

“Against the backdrop of growing attacks on our community fueled by hostile media images, we need stories that show how this harm unfolds through personal experience and what we can do about it. Tre’vell’s book does this in an insightful and searing way. The fact that they are Black and trans only adds to the immediacy and relevancy of their writing. Tre’vell helps us understand where we are and where we need to go.”
   —Imara Jones, award-winning journalist and founder, TransLash Media

“Tre’vell offers us an impressive genealogy of all things Black and queer in our pop-cultural landscape—in other words, all the things worth watching and celebrating. What’s more impressive, though, is how they came to be in part because of what they saw. This book is paying it forward to the rest of us who deserve the best of our possibility models.”
   —Phillip Picardi, editor