Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl
"In these irreverent pages, a shapeshifter gets a crash course in gender and sexuality by inhabiting both sides of the binary and arriving precisely somewhere in the middle." —O, The Oprah Magazine
“HOT” (Maggie Nelson) • “TIGHT” (Eileen Myles) • “DEEP” (Michelle Tea)
It's 1993 and Paul Polydoris tends bar at the only gay club in a university town thrumming with politics and partying. He studies queer theory, has a dyke best friend, makes zines, and is a flaneur with a rich dating life. But Paul's also got a secret: he's a shapeshifter. Oscillating wildly from Riot Grrrl to leather cub, Paul transforms his body and his gender at will as he crossed the country––a journey and adventure through the deep queer archives of struggle and pleasure.
Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl is a riotous, razor-sharp bildungsroman whose hero/ine wends his/her way through a world gutted by loss, pulsing with music, and opening into an array of intimacy and connections.
Book At A Glance
# of Pages: 352
Book Binding: Paperback
Year of Publication: 2019
Publisher: Vintage
Language: en
ISBN: 9780525566182
Creator Bio
Andrea Lawlor is an American author and educator who has gained critical acclaim for their debut novel, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl. Lawlor’s writing explores themes of gender, identity, and sexuality, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. They hold an MFA in creative writing from UMass Amherst and currently teach writing at Mount Holyoke College. In addition to their novel, Lawlor has also published a collection of short stories titled, "Position Papers," and has been featured in numerous literary magazines and anthologies. They currently live in Western Massachusetts with their partner and two children.
