Episode 5
The day of the fight at Madison Square Garden arrives, and Thomas finds himself anxiously waiting for his opponent Eric to show up. Will he even get a chance to fight?
Thomas Page McBee, a trans man, trains to fight in a charity match at New York's Madison Square Garden, while struggling to untangle the vexed relationship between masculinity and violence.
Through his experience of boxing - learning to get hit and to hit back, wrestling with the camaraderie of the gym, confronting the betrayals and strengths of his own body - McBee examines male violence, the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes and the limitations of conventional masculinity. It's a graceful and uncompromising exploration of living, fighting and healing.
Thomas Page McBee is a journalist and commentator currently living in New York. His first book, Man Alive (2014), was an account of the emotional and physical complexity underlying the process of gender reassignment, and also explored his early years and the sexual abuse he suffered, perpetrated by his stepfather. Amateur was shortlisted for the 2018 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction.
Written and read by Thomas Page McBee
Abridged by Jill Waters
Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for 大象传媒 Radio 4
Last on
Broadcasts
- Fri 15 Feb 2019 09:45大象传媒 Radio 4 FM
- Sat 16 Feb 2019 00:30大象传媒 Radio 4
Listen to more Audio Books
Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Sample our books and authors Clip Collection
Interviews, previews and reviews
Subscribe to the Short stories podcast
Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers
How many of these 100 Novels have you read?
After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.
Finding Your Story
Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?
大象传媒 Arts: Books
Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.