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This Girl's Life: Zoe Trope
by Kate Pavao, 01.15.04
Saying that you have [only] two choices in terms of gender is not true. |
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Zoe Trope isn't her real name, but she is a real 17-year-old whose first book, Please Don't Kill the Freshman, was published this October. In this unflinching diary, Trope talks boldly about sex and sexuality — including her own girlfriend's decision to become a guy. Now she talks to teenwire.com®.
teenwire.com: How did your book come together?
Zoe: In the eighth grade I was in an extracurricular writing class taught by [author and publisher] Kevin Sampsell. He showed us writing didn't have to be a novel. It didn't have to be this really formal, unattainable thing. You could write something and it could be different and it could still be good.
In my freshman year, I e-mailed him some of the stuff I had been writing, these little journal entries. He offered to publish them as a chapbook (a small book of stories or poems) because he runs a small publishing company in Portland. The chapbook ended up in the hands of literary agents in New York.
They e-mailed me and said, "Have you thought about trying to make this longer? We'd like to sell it, but it's really short." [Kevin and I] wrote up a proposal that a publishing company could have rights to my chapbook and then they'd get 50,000 more words of my diary. We had a few offers. Six weeks later we had a deal.
tw: In the book, you write a lot about sexuality, both your friends' and your own, and you write pretty openly about sex, too. Did you find it hard to reveal so many personal details?
Zoe: I'm so honest that if you didn't read about it, I probably would have told you! There are old teachers of mine who read the book, people who knew me before I really was open with myself or anyone or else about being queer, and it's difficult thinking about them reading it. But my mom's read it twice, and she [says], "Oh, that's nice. You had some good writing in there." With my friends, it was never a big deal. If you were friends with me, you didn't care who I was dating, so reading about it wasn't a big deal either.
tw: You also write about your transgender girlfriend. That seems like a lot to deal with as a teenager.
Zoe: It's a lot to deal with for anyone. I think in terms of gender and relationships, I've had more unexpected experiences than the majority of the population, which I'm kind of thankful for because it's given me a really interesting perspective on gender and sexuality and what it means to be attracted to someone. Saying that you have [only] two choices in terms of gender is not true.
tw: What would you tell other teens who are struggling with their sexuality or gender identity?
Zoe: I was so lucky to live in an environment where my parents were relatively respectful and understanding of my sexuality. The biggest thing to remember is you're definitely not alone. There are so many resources available. If you live in a big city, it's a lot easier to find a counselor or some kind of support group. For people in smaller cities, the Internet is the biggest, most helpful resource for them. It's a very "Miss America" answer, but don't give up hope. Life does go on.
tw: You've graduated from high school and published a book. What's next?
Zoe: I'm going to college starting next fall, depending on where I get accepted. My agent would really love to sell my next book before I go, so I'm writing a lot right now, but I don't really know what I'm going to publish. If I could keep getting paid for writing, I would love to do that, but there are so few writers in the world who make a living just off of writing. Like other 17-year-olds, I'm applying to schools and not really knowing what I'm doing.
tw: What advice would you give to other young writers?
Zoe: Write all the time. You have to show your writing to anyone who will look at it. Volunteer to write articles. There are so many magazines out there that need submissions. If you really, really want to be published, do it yourself. You need a photocopier and a stapler. Don't wait for anyone else — do it for you. |
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