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Deirdre N. McCloskey

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Crossing: A Transgender Memoir Kindle Edition

by Deirdre Nansen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

114 ratings

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A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year

“I visited womanhood and stayed. It was not for the pleasures, though I discovered many I had not imagined, and many pains too. But calculating pleasures and pains was not the point. The point was who I am.”

Once a golden boy of conservative economics and a child of 1950s privilege, Deirdre McCloskey (formerly Donald) had wanted to change genders from the age of eleven. But it was a different time, one hostile to any sort of straying from the path—against gays, socialists, women with professions, men without hats, and so on—and certainly against gender transition. Finally, in 1995, at the age of fifty-three, it was time for McCloskey to cross the gender line.

Crossing is the story of McCloskey’s dramatic and poignant transformation from Donald to Dee to Deirdre. She chronicles the physical procedures and emotional evolution required and the legal and cultural roadblocks she faced in her journey to womanhood. By turns searing and humorous, this is the unflinching, unforgettable story of her transformation—what she lost, what she gained, and the women who lifted her up along the way.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This fascinating memoir chronicles Deirdre McCloskey's transformation from Donald McCloskey, an economist at the University of Iowa and married father of two, into the woman he finally accepted he had always wanted to be. McCloskey had been dressing in women's clothes since he was 11, but after his daughter went to college in 1994, the 52-year-old man grew increasingly aware that he was more than "just a heterosexual crossdresser." As he moved toward the decision to become a transsexual, his wife reacted angrily, and his sister tried twice to have him declared insane. The passages detailing McCloskey's ordeal within the psychiatric and legal establishment are as gripping as a topnotch thriller. But the memoir's deeper interest lies in the author's reflections on the nature of gender and identity. Donald was a macho academic who dominated every discussion, viewing conversation as an exercise in one-upmanship. As he surgically altered his appearance and began to take estrogen on the road to "The Operation," he found himself relating to people in a more conventionally female way: listening to others, considering feelings. "The hormones are working, he thought at first. Or was it merely that the real person could now stand up?... Biology or core identity?" There are no final answers to such questions, but McCloskey poses them with sensitivity and insight. --Wendy Smith

From Publishers Weekly

Transsexuality has fascinated mainstream readers since 1953, when former U.S. serviceman George Jorgensen went to Sweden and, to banner headlines, returned as Christine. Since then, there has been a string of notable memoirs of gender crossing, including Geoff Brown's sincere I Want What I Want (1966), Jan Morris's meditative Conundrum (1974) and Holly Woodlawn's campy A Low Life in High Heels (1994). McCloskey's own odyssey from Donald to Deirdre is closest to noted journalist Morris's, in that it charts the life change of a highly regarded public figureAMcCloskey is a world-famous conservative economistAwho finds fulfillment as a woman after four decades of living as a man. McCloskey forthrightly describes her upper-middle-class youth in Boston, her early and lifelong interest in cross-dressing, her education and eventual success as an academic and her marriage and children. In her late 40s, McCloskey decided that she was not simply a heterosexual cross-dresser but a transsexual and decided to undergo a series of operations to become an anatomical woman. Her memoir effectively details the pain involved: a bitter divorce, insurance companies' refusal to cover surgeries and her sister's repeated attempts to block the process legally. McCloskey's proclivity to jump around in time, her tendency to disrupt the flow of her story with social and political digressions and the constant placing of additional thoughts and ideas in bold text throughout the narrative distract from her storyAbut her courage nevertheless shines through. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

McCloskey, married for 30 years, the father of two, and an economics and history professor, was a secret cross-dresser for 41 years, as "Jane." At 52, he realized that his real identity was as a woman and began transitioning as "Dee" to become "Deirdre." At the heart of this fascinating and poignant story, told in the third person, are the two years (one in Holland) of hormones, multiple surgeries, electrolysis, and a legal name change, all part of the physical and emotional "crossing" from male to female. The big-boned Deirdre describes the joy of "passing," the fear of being "read," and the occasional loving support she has received in contrast to painful estrangement from family, friends, and colleagues. At times revealing, humorous, and provocative, this often overwrought and self-righteous book is marred by minor mistakes, includes gross generalizations about gender differences, and inconsistently employs italicized bold type to represent internal thoughts. For larger public and academic libraries.AJames E. Van Buskirk, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A testimony to her struggles and courage, Crossing invites the reader to enter Deirdre (formerly Donald) McCloskey's mind as she decides to become a woman after a lifetime as a man, husband, and father. A renowned professor of economics at the University of Iowa, Donald McCloskey had to fight tenaciously to realize his inner call to become a woman against such foes as his sister (who had him repeatedly committed against his will for psychiatric evaluations) and his marriage family (who, in the book's most heart-wrenching scenes, renounce their father and former husband). Mixed with this trauma, however, is McCloskey's blossoming sense of self and her discovery of a true community of friends who love her for the woman she is, not the man she was. The cantankerous halls of academe provide the setting for many of the memoir's intriguing political debates: feminists argue that McCloskey is not a women and therefore should not join female faculty groups; conservative economists accept McCloskey's new self with libertarian nonchalance. Oddly enough, though, McCloskey's views of gender seem to become more strongly reified through her experiences. Men are combative; women nurturing. Men barter for gain; women give for comfort. One is left wondering how a woman brave enough to undergo the tribulations of losing a family and to face the possibility of professional contumely could have emerged from a man so self-parodically timid of his femininity that he could not bring himself to describe his car as ``dark blue, with cream trim.'' This Trojan horse of a memoir approaches under the guise of sexual equity yet closes with gender stereotypes still firmly entrenched. Crossing remains a tribute to the power of resisting society in order to realize personal fulfillment, but McCloskey would have done so with a more incisive voice if she did not seem to believe so strongly in the many gender stereotypes she attempts to undermine. (10 halftones) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

This is a woman worth knowing. She has given us a highly readable, dramatic account of her crossing. -- The New York Times Book Review, Maxine Kumin

From the Inside Flap

A renowned economist and historian, a husband and father, Donald McCloskey (now Deirdre) had crossdressed for years without wanting more. But at age fifty-two a sense that he was denying his real identity grew to the point where he knew he had to become a woman. Crossing is the poignant story of this realization and its consequences.

About the Author

Deirdre Nansen McCloskey is distinguished professor emerita of economics and of history, and professor emerita of English and of communication, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07X863N76
Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of Chicago Press; First edition (September 20, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 20, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 12.7 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 278 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #379,556 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #15 in Lesbian Studies
- #64 in Gay Studies
- #145 in Gender Studies (Kindle Store)

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114 ratings

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Customers find this memoir thought-provoking, with one review highlighting its insights into societal prejudices. The book receives positive feedback for its readability and story quality, with one customer describing it as a fascinating story of change. Customers praise the author as a truly extraordinary human being.

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7 customers mention "Insight"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights, with one noting its thought-provoking approach to everyday thoughts and another highlighting its examination of prejudices in society.

"...I have no connection to trans issues. It is just a very human book and how we lead and create our lives...." Read more

"...She is a unique and remarkable person with unique and remarkable insight on people and the history of how the world works at least for the past 300..." Read more

"...human being as well as an interesting source of information regarding prejudices in our society...." Read more

"A very interesting story. I loved the use of "crossing" as a metaphor for crossing from one culture/gender to another...." Read more

6 customers mention "Story quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in the book, with one describing it as a fascinating narrative of change and another noting its unique perspective.

"...She is a unique and remarkable person with unique and remarkable insight on people and the history of how the world works at least for the past 300..." Read more

"...Deirdre has many interesting stories to tell. The book rambles a little bit but that didn’t bother me. I just kept reading!" Read more

"...Told from a unique, largely third person perspective...." Read more

"Gives good insight into the transgender phenomenon. Every personal story is different and this memoir doesn't necessarily follow the stereotypical..." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the memoir to be a fantastic and amazing read.

"Well written and entertaining but most importantly full of insights into men and women and their differences. Worth a read." Read more

"I enjoyed this book, read it in a day, which isn’t usual...." Read more

"It is both an amazing memoir about a truly extraordinary human being as well as an interesting source of information regarding prejudices in our..." Read more

"A fascinating book...." Read more

4 customers mention "Human characteristics"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the human characteristics of the memoir, describing the author as a truly extraordinary human being and a magnificent scholar.

"...She is a unique and remarkable person with unique and remarkable insight on people and the history of how the world works at least for the past 300..." Read more

"It is both an amazing memoir about a truly extraordinary human being as well as an interesting source of information regarding prejudices in our..." Read more

"honest and human portrayal..." Read more

"McCloskey is a magnificent scholar and human being..." Read more

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August Baker, PhD
emotional
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2023
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Reading this I had a lump in my throat and was on the cusp of tears many times. I also read it in two sittings. I have no connection to trans issues. It is just a very human book and how we lead and create our lives. McCloskey is primarily an economist and historian. Yet her experience in the 1990s, when she was in his 50s, as described in this book, makes her an major figure, I think, in the trans rights movement. She was not in sports and not in entertainment (like Renee Richards or Caitlin Jenner) but rather a professor and scholar. This book had a big impact on why more and more people now are willing to cross genders compared to earlier. In 1999, McCloskey was estimating 0.03% of the population wanted to cross. In her afterward in 2009, it's an order of magnitude higher: 0.3%. Now, in NY among teens, it's 3%. It is still incredibly difficult and associated with suicidality and self-harm, but because of this book, it is now much more of a possibility than it was in the mid 90s. It is difficult to overestimate how different the world was in the mid-90s for transgender people than it is today. This book and McCloskey's role modeling is a big reason why.

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Loren P Ameen
Remarkable story
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2014
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I've read a few of her economic history books which are excellent. This is a memoir not professional research work. It's very personal, less objective but provides great insight into the motivations and consequences of making the decision to cross. She is a unique and remarkable person with unique and remarkable insight on people and the history of how the world works at least for the past 300 years. I will continue to read her forth coming books.

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Wendy
Insight
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2021
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Well written and entertaining but most importantly full of insights into men and women and their differences. Worth a read.

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Sally Bruggeman
Loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2021
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I learned a lot about what it means to be transgender. Deirdre has many interesting stories to tell. The book rambles a little bit but that didn’t bother me. I just kept reading!

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Ron Baker
An Education
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 1999
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"Crossing: A Memoir" is an excellent education for anyone who wants to learn more about the complexities involved in changing (and, ultimately, accepting) your own identity. As a male reader, I will admit that I could not relate to the feelings expressed by Donald (the man), but the book is so well written that you begin to understand those feelings.
The book will certainly resonate with those individuals who cherish liberty and freedom above all else. The hurdles, obstructions, etc., that Deirdre had to endure to make her crossing should raise the ire of freedom loving individuals in this country. The medical establishment's Benjamin Standards, coupled with the power they have to incarcerate people in mental institutions--supposedly for their own good--is truly horrific in this day and age.
Deirdre has written an impassioned, personal account of her journey, with many profound insights into the male and female psyche. I would recommend this book to anyone with the courage to become educated on this misunderstood topic.

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17 people found this helpful

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K. Hughes
honest and human portrayal
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2023
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I enjoyed this book, read it in a day, which isn’t usual. I’m a straight woman in her fifties, and am intrigued by memoirs of people who’ve had to struggle in some way to become whole.

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dpmtoo
More than you think
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021
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While it’s a story of gender transition, covers a great deal more. Politics, classes of people, the wealth division,the stupidly of leaders, and personal freedom. If you like pondering things this book will keep you engaged for years to come.

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Lucia
It is both an amazing memoir about a truly extraordinary human being as well ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2015
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It is both an amazing memoir about a truly extraordinary human being as well as an interesting source of information regarding prejudices in our society. Furthermore it is a story about someone trying to be their true self in despite of rejection by loved ones.

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Alberto Díaz Justo
A personal story of one of the greatest economists
Reviewed in Spain on November 26, 2014
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I came to know about McCloskey when in university we were told in class that the economic historian we were following was a crossgender person. That fact captivated me and started searching more. Actually her work on Economics is brilliant and this book is just a very personal thing you'd like either you're into Economics or not.

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DIANA MANDELERT
A transgender memoir
Reviewed in Brazil on October 31, 2020
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Espero vivamente que esse livro seja traduzido para o português. Um relato fascinante de uma transformação que não é fácil. O que é ser mulher? Como se transformar em uma sem ter sido socializada nesse sentido? Coragem, determinação não faltaram na nossa heroína.

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Mrs Susanna Saunders
If you are interested in transsexual transition - read on!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2002
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Deirdre tells her story from a very frank and honest perspective without glossing over issues which some might find potentially difficult to accept as part of a transsexuals self-growth and developing self awareness. It shows by example that there is no such thing as a 'typical' transsexual! I personally found the book extremely useful, entertaining and enlightening. I would sincerely recommend it to any person who is interested in learning more. For transgendered persons and transsexuals in particular, I would strongly suggest reading it!

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J. Cartwright
Still a very good read on the gender crossing alone
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2016
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Fascinating insight into the trials and prejudices facing a gender-crosser in the 90s. Only 4/5 stars because I was hoping to learn also about the author's conversion on other aspects of her life - from Marxist to free market economics, and from secularism to "born again" Christian. Sadly these were lacking; though I wondered how her gender crossing experience may have influenced her opinion on these other matters? Still a very good read on the gender crossing alone, and so sad that there is still so much prejudice.

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michael wale
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2015
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Moving and rewarding real life story

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Crossing: A Transgender Memoir Kindle Edition

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4.0 out of 5 stars A personal story of one of the greatest economists

5.0 out of 5 stars A transgender memoir

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are interested in transsexual transition - read on!

4.0 out of 5 stars Still a very good read on the gender crossing alone

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

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A personal story of one of the greatest economists

A transgender memoir

If you are interested in transsexual transition - read on!

Still a very good read on the gender crossing alone

Five Stars