re: Kirkus

Kirkus recently posted a review of my novel Felix Ever After, saying that the portrayal of Felix’s Black race, based on my own, was not “culturally rich” (and thus implying that my Blackness is not “Black enough”). Kirkus also said that Felix’s self-doubt and anxiety, induced by transphobic trauma portrayed in the plot, is “exhausting,” dismissing the trauma transgender and nonbinary people face on a daily basis and implying that our trauma should be erased for the pleasure and entertainment of cisgender readers. The review also used inappropriate and offensive language to describe Felix’s gender identity and his transition, including “double mastectomy” instead of “top surgery”, “transboy” instead of “trans boy”, and describing Felix as “No longer a girl.”

It was only after public outcry, with the online community pointing out these errors, that Kirkus corrected “transboy” to “trans boy” and updated “double mastectomy” to “top surgery” — but this was only more hurtful: the journal has taken no accountability. They have not reached out directly to apologize, nor have they apologized to the transgender and nonbinary readers who have expressed their hurt and concern; additionally, because of the cosmetic changes for proper terminology, the journal now appears more knowledgeable about transgender and nonbinary identities, giving the still-otherwise unchanged and hurtful review more credibility. An educator or young reader who might have seen the incorrect language before would have known to dismiss the review; now, they might be influenced by Kirkus’s racist and transphobic critique, hurting me, Felix Ever After, and any young reader who might not be able to read my book because of their gatekeeping.

The irony of Felix’s struggle with an anonymous transphobe, and Kirkus’s own description of “the barrage of blatant ignorance and bigotry [Felix] faces”, hasn’t escaped me. Kirkus’s disregard for my identity and trans and nonbinary people was evident in the journal’s problematic critique, incorrect and inappropriate language, and their dismissal of prior concerns.

This is not the first time Kirkus has hurt marginalized authors and readers, and the journal needs to do better. Kirkus must:

· Take accountability instead of attempting to erase evidence of their ignorance, by apologizing for the mistakes they have made and undoubtedly will make in the future

· Respond to concerns of problematic reviews when questioned, and stop their use of problematic language and critiques, focusing on the craft of the novel

· Undergo staff training so that the journal knows how to better flag inappropriate reviews written by their freelance reviewers

· Stop dismissing concerns over problematic reviews by claiming the reviewer is “ownvoices”, which suggests that there is one monolithic story, and that no reviewer can have their own internalized biases

Until Kirkus makes actionable changes evident to me and the publishing community, I have requested that my books no longer be submitted for their review. I would not feel safe as a Black, queer, and transgender person to allow Kirkus to potentially harm me and my readers again.