Tranny
Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout
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Narrated by:
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Laura Jane Grace
About this listen
One of Billboard's 100 Greatest Music Books of All Time: The provocative transgender advocate and lead singer of the punk rock band Against Me! provides a searing account of her search for identity and her true self. It began in a bedroom in Naples, Florida, when a misbehaving punk teenager named Tom Gabel, armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a headful of anarchist politics, landed on a riff. Gabel formed Against Me! and rocketed the band from its scrappy beginnings-banging on a drum kit made of pickle buckets-to a major-label powerhouse that critics have called this generation's The Clash.
Since its inception in 1997, Against Me! has been one of punk's most influential modern bands, but also one of its most divisive. With every notch the four-piece climbed in their career, they gained new fans while infuriating their old ones. They suffered legal woes, a revolving door of drummers, and a horde of angry, militant punks who called them "sellouts" and tried to sabotage their shows at every turn. But underneath the public turmoil, something much greater occupied Gabel - a secret kept for 30 years, only acknowledged in the scrawled-out pages of personal journals and hidden in lyrics.
Through a troubled childhood, delinquency, and struggles with drugs, Gabel was on a punishing search for identity. Not until May of 2012 did a Rolling Stone profile finally reveal it: Gabel is a transsexual, and would from then on be living as a woman under the name Laura Jane Grace.
Tranny is the intimate story of Against Me!'s enigmatic founder, weaving the narrative of the band's history, as well as Grace's, with dozens of never-before-seen entries from the piles of journals Grace kept. More than a typical music memoir about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll - although it certainly has plenty of that - Tranny is an inside look at one of the most remarkable stories in the history of rock.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2016 Laura Jane Grace (P)2016 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Stephen Pearcy was a scrawny, horny, thrill-seeking teenager with an electric guitar who had graduated from backyard parties in San Diego to half-empty dives in Los Angeles before he and his band broke through at Whiskey a Go Go. Cranking out metal just as metal got hot, Ratt was the perfect band at the perfect time, and their hit single "Round and Round" became a top-selling anthem.
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Stephen Pearcy is one sad mf
- By Awkward Frog on 12-28-20
By: Stephen Pearcy, and others
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Coreyography
- By: Corey Feldman
- Narrated by: Corey Feldman
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In this brave and moving memoir, Corey Feldman is revealing the truth about what his life was like behind the scenes: His is a past that included physical, drug, and sexual abuse, a dysfunctional family from which he was emancipated at age fifteen, three high-profile arrests for drug possession, a nine-month stint in rehab, and a long, slow crawl back to the top of the box office.
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Didn't like the Two Coreys, but liked this.
- By ricketsj on 04-29-14
By: Corey Feldman
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This Might Get a Little Heavy
- A Memoir
- By: Ralphie May, Nils Parker
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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There was a time when Ralphie May was one of the biggest stand-up comedians in the country, both by ticket sales and by tonnage. While some things changed - Ralphie lost half his body weight - others did not: He will be remembered as one of the most successful comics of his time. Completed just months before his untimely passing, in This Might Get a Little Heavy, Ralphie takes listeners on a behind-the-scenes tour of his life and career, one that winds across the country, over obstacles, beyond heartbreak, and through the golden age of stand-up.
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brilliant and tragic
- By Timothy Trujillo on 08-12-18
By: Ralphie May, and others
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You're Better than Me
- A Memoir
- By: Bonnie McFarlane
- Narrated by: Bonnie McFarlane, Alexander Cendese
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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In the spirit of Mindy Kaling, Kelly Oxford, and Sarah Silverman, a compulsively listenable and outrageously funny memoir of growing up as a fish out of water, finding your voice, and embracing your inner crazy person from popular actress, writer, and comedian Bonnie McFarlane.
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Sandy!!! She wrote a book...it's crazy, a book!!!
- By Jonathan Placek on 03-02-16
By: Bonnie McFarlane
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Miss Fortune
- Fresh Perspectives on Having It All from Someone Who Is Not Okay
- By: Lauren Weedman
- Narrated by: Lauren Weedman
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Lauren Weedman is not okay. She's living what should be the good life in sunny Los Angeles. After a gig as a correspondent with The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, she scored parts in blockbuster movies, which led to memorable recurring roles on HBO's Hung and Looking. She had a loving husband and an adorable baby boy. In these comedic essays, she turns a piercingly observant, darkly funny lens on the ways her life is actually not okay.
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Good
- By Ajules29 on 04-02-16
By: Lauren Weedman
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I'm the One That I Want
- By: Margaret Cho
- Narrated by: Margaret Cho
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Abridged
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I'm the One That I Want, based on her show of the same name, is filled with dead-on insights about the experience of being a woman with attitude, of flowing with the highs and lows of life, and of creating one's own identity and acceptance. It is every bit as hilarious, shocking, and irreverent as she is.
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Hilarious and deeply engrossing
- By Ling on 04-10-03
By: Margaret Cho
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The Book of Drugs
- A Memoir
- By: Mike Doughty
- Narrated by: Mike Doughty
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Mike Doughty first came to prominence as the leader of the band Soul Coughing then did an abrupt sonic left turn, much to the surprise of his audience, transforming into a solo performer of stark, dusky, but strangely hopeful tunes. He battled addiction, gave up fame when his old band was at the height of its popularity, and drove thousands of miles, alone, across America, with just an acoustic guitar.
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I Got on an Emotional Rollercoaster w. M. Doughty
- By Hilary on 03-02-12
By: Mike Doughty
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Kicking and Dreaming
- A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock and Roll
- By: Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson
- Narrated by: Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Two sisters. Two voices. One Heart.
The mystery of "Magic Man." The wicked riff of "Barracuda." The sadness and beauty of "Alone." The raw energy of "Crazy On You." These songs, and so many more, are part of the fabric of American music. Heart, fronted by Ann and Nancy Wilson, has given fans everywhere classic, raw, and pure badass rock and roll for more than three decades. As the only sisters in rock who write their own music and play their own instruments, Ann and Nancy have always stood apart - certainly from their male counterparts but also from their female peers.
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Good Behind-The-Scenes Look At "Heart"
- By Kathy on 11-13-12
By: Ann Wilson, and others
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American on Purpose
- The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot
- By: Craig Ferguson
- Narrated by: Craig Ferguson
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
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In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the comedic promised land of Hollywood. Along the way, he stumbles through several attempts to make his mark - as a punk rock musician, a construction worker, a bouncer, and, tragically, a modern dancer.
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Unabashedly Honest
- By Diane on 12-09-09
By: Craig Ferguson
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Beat the Devil
- By: Mishka Shubaly
- Narrated by: Mishka Shubaly
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In Beat the Devil, addict, alcoholic and best-selling Kindle Singles author Mishka Shubaly returns to battle his ultimate demon: his obsession with rock 'n' roll. Over three decades, his affliction has spawned immeasurable chaos and destruction (and, yes, maybe some debauched good times). While his rivals have graced the covers of Spin and Rolling Stone, Shubaly's projects have always flamed out in the 11th hour. At 36, sober and stable, Shubaly is poised to finally achieve the rock 'n' roll glory he has lusted after for years... or walk away from his lifelong dream forever.
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An honest man
- By Terry Bowman on 11-24-23
By: Mishka Shubaly
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How to Be a Man
- (and Other Illusions)
- By: Duff McKagan
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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Duff McKagan is one of the most respected survivors in hard rock. In How to Be a Man, he shares the wisdom he gained on the path to superstardom - from his time with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver to getting sober after a life of hard living to achieving his personal American dream of marrying a supermodel, raising a family, and experiencing what it's like to be winked at by Prince.
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Overly dramatic reader.
- By CB on 01-07-17
By: Duff McKagan
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Digging Up Mother
- A Love Story
- By: Johnny Depp - foreword, Doug Stanhope
- Narrated by: Doug Stanhope and Friends
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Doug Stanhope is one of the most critically acclaimed and stridently unrepentant comedians of his generation. What will surprise some is that he owes so much of his dark and sometimes uncomfortably honest sense of humor to his mother, Bonnie.
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Not my thing.
- By J. Harral on 01-27-18
By: Johnny Depp - foreword, and others
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My Damage
- The Story of a Punk Rock Survivor
- By: Keith Morris, Jim Ruland
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Keith Morris is a true punk icon. No one else embodies the sound of Southern Californian hardcore. Short and sporting waist-length dreadlocks, Morris is known the world over for his take-no-prisoners approach on the stage and his integrity off of it. Over the course of his 40-year career, he's battled diabetes, drug and alcohol addiction, and the record industry. My Damage is more than a book about the highs and lows of a punk rock legend, however.
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keith rocks.
- By Jeff on 05-13-18
By: Keith Morris, and others
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What listeners say about Tranny
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jenn Simpson
- 11-17-16
Amazingly Written
What did you like best about this story?
As a long time Against Me! fan, I was looking forward to know what was going on behind the scenes during this whole period in her life and that's exactly what I got and more.
What about Laura Jane Grace’s performance did you like?
She's so inspiring for everyone, no matter what gender, sexual preference, walk of life, etc... A great story and someone to look up to.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The ending to this book is perfect. I loved it.
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1 person found this helpful
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- George
- 12-08-20
All the cards on the table.
Laura Jane lays out the good the bad and the ugly in her own voice.
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1 person found this helpful
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- jon rios
- 08-29-18
relatable
a no bullshit book. no flash of celebrity and I could relate. She holds your attention and brings her story to life.
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- Aoife
- 10-03-18
Laura Jane Grace is an icon
As a young anarchist punk, I was always a fan of Against Me! They were never my favorite, I never cared much to see them live, but something drew me to them. I noticed the metaphors alluding to Laura's gender identity and something about it always resonated with me. Flash forward to 2011, I was just beginning to learn about was being trans was and I knew that that's what I was. Then the rolling Stone article in which Laura came out in dropped. My only thought was that if she could be brave enough to be out to the world, maybe I could do it too eventually. That album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, quite literally saved my life. I wasn't alone. It wasn't easy for her and it wouldn't be easy for me, but I wasn't alone. I pulled myself away from the edge and knew I had to live long enough to be as brave as her. Now years later, 1 year on hormones, I've seen Against Me! (now my favorite band) and met Laura, she is still my hero. I aspire to be like her, to look like her, to live my brutal truth. This book really hit home. It reinforced this shared experience that I felt I had with her. So many of things she tells of, the experiences she's had, seem like they could have been copy and pasted from my own journals. I truly believe this is a must read (or listen I guess) for anyone, but especially for all of the transgender punks like us out there.
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- Mia Dugas
- 11-18-16
A Great F'ing Book!
Where does Tranny rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
The best audio book I have listened to.
Who was your favorite character and why?
LJG reading the VERY personal diary is haunting. You feel the emotion and even though I knew the entire book ( just finished the hardcover) LJG made the story telling memorizing
Which scene was your favorite?
LJG at the pharmacy getting her first round of hormones.....hilarious
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
a "sellout" redeemed
Any additional comments?
Fantastic book and recording. Having the author read their books imparts the emotion intended during the writing of the book
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- Shane
- 11-16-21
This book is inspiring as hell
I loved it, and it's helped me through my transition at times, just as much as her music has at times
if you're transgender I definitely recommend this book
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- Samantha B
- 02-05-22
A powerful memoir about self discovery
Laura tells her story as only she can. From her childhood as an army brat, through her struggles as an adult, to the triumphs and tragedies of her adult life. Are all stories of transgender women like hers? No, but a great many of us struggle through similar things.
She pulls no punches in her book; most especially in areas where she talks about the ways she failed others in her life. It's not a "rose coloured glasses" retelling that's designed to portray her in the most positive light ever. Instead it's an accurate look back at a life lived in flux. The struggle against the woman she is, in favour of trying to be the man society demands that she be. The struggle against addictions. The struggle to be a successful artist.
This is the second time I've listened to this book, in addition to reading the physical copy because of the naked honesty contained within. It's not "simply" about a person's journey through transition. It's a story about the music industry, the fickleness of fans, the pitfalls of taking chances juxtaposed with the opportunity for success. It's about life.
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-20-23
She is my hero!
Absolutely an amazing book I recommend it for anyone and everyone. I grew up in my teenage years listening to Against Me! and have such respect for Laura Jane Grace.
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- Joe Mickeliunas
- 10-16-23
Powerful
The personal insight from Laura Jane Grace on her life in Against Me! is a powerful story of self-acceptance in the face of a world that has never fully accepted you. For the punks, the confused, the curious, the music fan, for everyone.
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Overall
- A
- 01-02-18
equal parts punk rock/trans experience
I was pretty well in the target audience for this book. I'm a huge Against Me fan, I see them almost every time they're in town, and I also like reading about LGBTQ issues and had made it a goal to read more about the trans experience. But I was blown away by how good this book is. I knew Laura was a gifted lyricist, but that does not necessarily a great prose writer make. I am also a little suspicious of biographies with co-writers attached. But since so much of this was from Laura's journals, I felt more confident this was really her voice. Despite it being a sometimes dark and emotionally difficult read, I was sad when this was over. So many celebrity biographies, even of people with interesting stories, feel forced, feel like they should be blog posts, not a book. There are usually chapters it seems obvious are only there to increase page count and somehow make this long enough to be a book. This is not the case here. I regret not buying a physical copy last time I saw them on tour, because it makes me sad I was missing out on this for so long!
There is equal material here for the punk rocker, Against Me fan, anarchist DIY sort and for those mainly interested in Laura's gender dysphoria experience. I will say if you wanted to read all about her physical transition you might be disappointed there. The book ends with her committing fully to hormone therapy, no surgeries are mentioned, as it's none of our business.
I loved the band name dropping. Hearing about Laura almost getting in a fight with Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio when she was Tom, hanging out with NOFX on Warped Tour and jamming with Lars and Tim from Rancid was amazing. Joan Jett was also a big presence.
It's also worth noting that even people confident and firm in a traditional gender identity will find plenty to relate to here. If you've ever felt like your body or the image you present to the world doesn't match what's inside of you, if you've ever hated what you see in the mirror, you will see that you may have more similarities than differences with trans or gender non conforming folk.
In a time when many of our heroes are falling, it's nice to see one rise.
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