Real Man Adventures, One and Only, Pretty Broken Punks

In his new memoir, Real Man Adventures (McSweeney’s), novelist T Cooper has created a vibrant account of his gender transition, turning to a variety of forms—essays, letters, interviews, art, haiku—to explore his masculinity. With a finely tuned voice, Cooper manages to be both exacting and uproariously funny. Fans of memoirs that challenge genre—and gender—will find plenty to love.

Before you hit the theaters this month to see Kristen Stewart in the film adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, read One and Only (Cleis Press/Viva Editions) to get to know Lu Anne Henderson, who inspired Stewart’s character—and brought together America’s two most famous traveling companions. Written by Beat historian Gerald Nicosia and Henderson’s daughter Anne Marie Santos, One and Only is a long-overdue tribute to an extraordinary young woman.

Pretty Broken Punks (Polwarth Publishing) remembers the Downtown New York of a bygone era, when the East Village was home to more artists and junkies than young professionals. With rollicking but well-crafted prose, Martin Belk captures the messiness of life as a Squeezebox! producer without ever sacrificing readability. Depending on your generation, PBP will make for either a walk down memory lane or an important history lesson.