Merry Christmas to all of you out there. Wishing you many magical moments over the holidays and in the years to come! xxx
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Tag Archives: #LiamKlenk
Joy
My intensity has always been my greatest strength. But it has also always been my greatest weakness. The line between passion and obsession is razor-thin…
Like recently, I finally woke up and realized I was making myself miserable by pushing way too hard to get my book out there.
I forgot to remember the most important part of this journey:
Writing Paralian had been a dream ever since I was a kid. I worked hard and made my dream come true. Writing this book was an awesome journey in and of itself. In the end, it really doesn’t matter how many people read it. It doesn’t have to become a bestseller. Many people I care deeply about have already read it – and even better – enjoyed it.
I gave it all I had. Now I’ll let nature take its course before I lose myself and become someone I am not.
I’ll keep on writing… at a slower pace. Stories about life, what it means to be human… tales that will make you laugh out loud and touch your heart when you read in the train, tears rolling down your cheeks, catching your breath, making everyone in the carriage wonder who the loony is who is riding into town with them. Or maybe you’ll never see my next books. And that’s ok, too.
I’m finding the joy in writing again. For myself. Then there is the joy of being myself. No labels. No constraints. Just the wide open sky and a whole planet – offering dreams, destinations, and a myriad of possibilities. Life is good. And art is not an emergency 🙂
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Paralian Won “Best Debut Book”!
Paralian won its first literary award today. “Best Debut Book” in the 2016 Rainbow Awards!
More info on the awards and all winning categories here:Â http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4932973.html
Big heartfelt thanks to the organisers and judges!
I’m stuck at home with a painful case of pink eye right now. Then snuck a peek at the glaringly bright screen of my laptop this morning against doctor’s orders… As you can imagine, seeing the unexpected winners’ rainbow brightened my day considerably 
🙂
Paralian is a heartwarming, inspirational tale for everyone out there wo has ever had to face seemingly insurmountable obstacles or is facing them now. It is an odyssey to remind ourselves of the beauty of our existence. No matter how hard it might get at times, everything is possible.
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Unforgettable Journeys
Good stories touch you so deeply, your heart rate accelerates. You feel enchanted, glimpsing the entire meaning of existence for the briefest of moments.
I’m addicted to finding those kind of tales. It can be anything from true life stories to fantasy. Be it immersing myself in 3D cinematic bliss, watching movies at home, binge-watching TV series, or devouring book after book.
I don’t want to be educated too bluntly, don’t want a narrow view of existence. Instead, I want to read about all kinds of backgrounds. I want to be surprised, taken on adventures. I want to broaden my mind and be able to identify with the main characters to such an extent, I disappear for a while, imagining myself in their shoes so thoroughly the “real” world fades away.
Lately, dabbling in writing stories myself, these are the kind of unforgettable journeys I want to take you on as well. I began by sharing my own odyssey in ‘Paralian’… now what to do next? I can’t imagine only writing about being trans. It would mean going right back into the prison I escaped from so many years ago. Wide, open horizons are what I crave, what I’ve always craved…
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A Story of Hope
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance #TODR. https://tdor.info
Everyone on this list has lost their lives simply for being themselves, for longing to live their lives as who they truly were.
In honor of those who have been taken from us so violently, let me share a positive story with you of how it could be. A story of hope:
“Even though it was still the early days – I’d had only four months of hormone therapy – it was time to announce to the people in my life what had been happening. I couldn’t pretend forever that my voice sounded deeper because of a cold, and I didn’t want to shave off the rapidly growing amount of body hair. It was time to jump into the bottomless ocean and reveal myself.
In the months following my decision to come out, my faith in humanity was restored many times over. Almost all reactions to my revelations were entirely, and sometimes surprisingly, positive. Many of my friends and acquaintances simply smiled a knowing smile when I told them, and confessed they had always taken me for either a hardcore butch or a transgender person. My behavior seemed to have given me away for years. People had known who I was, long before I myself had re-awakened to my identity.
Some reactions towards my disclosure about my real gender and my new name were outright comical. My team at the movie theater consisted of an elderly, conservative Swiss projectionist, as well as elderly Swiss ladies, stout-looking workers from Serbia, and other unique characters. One evening, I asked them all to gather in our small office because I had an important announcement to make. I was sure they would be outraged. I was sweating buckets and my heart raced.
In short, I told them I was actually a man and was going to change my body accordingly. Forthwith, my name would be Liam. Erich, the projectionist, just emitted a deep, rumbling “Hmmm?!” The elderly ladies exclaimed, “You will be such a handsome young man!” and the Serbians unanimously stated, “You are part of our gang. We’ll always have your back”. I was dumbfounded. Half an hour later, Erich passed by my popcorn stand. He stared at me very seriously and after a lengthy pause grumbled, “Couldn’t you have picked an easier name? How am I supposed to remember an odd one like Liam?” He stared at me for a moment longer, then turned abruptly, and walked away with a big grin on his face.
Only three days later, my company informed me of my appointment with the tailor who would change my work uniform into pants, blazer, and tie as soon as possible. I was in heaven.”
(The picture shows me only a few weeks after my tailor appointment.)
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5 Stars for Paralian by Readers’ Favorite
Amazing review of Paralian by Viga Boland for Readers’ Favorite…”This is not a memoir for the squeamish. Details are raw, vivid, honest. Nor, as mentioned above, is it a read for the impatient or someone looking for quick entertainment. Paralian is for those who enjoy learning something new when they read and who like finding themselves still thinking about what they have read long after they finish the book. If that sounds like you, read Paralian by Liam Klenk.” Read the full review here.
Thanks so much Viga! xx
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Just As You Are
Lots has been said already about a certain orange-faced individual winning the presidency. I was shocked over here in Europe when waking up to the sad news. Terrified really and worried out of my mind for all of us. The only question was what to get worried about first… human rights issues, environmental concerns, international politics…
As a trans man who has lived and traveled all over the world (including the US), I am especially worried about my trans peers. Mainly trans kids, teenagers and all those who are just now thinking of transitioning or are in the middle of it.
There is unfortunately not much I can do for you from afar. I wish I had the resources to drop everything and just come over and be there for all of you in person. Since I can’t though, let me just leave you with this: It might sound like a cliche… but… you are truly not alone!
You don’t need to be ashamed for anything. There is nothing wrong with you. You didn’t choose to be transgender. You were born this way. None of this is your fault. And there is nothing wrong with being trans, either. We exist. We always have. And we always will. The world is the better for it. Diversity is a beautiful thing. Hopefully, one day we’ll be mature enough as a people to hold that thought, cherish it, and live it to our heart’s content.
If you feel threatened and terrified right now, please reach out. Help groups are all over the place. Other trans individuals are everywhere. Also don’t forget, there are many out there who actually do have common sense, decency, and compassion. Many people will accept you just as you are.
Forget about pronouns, passing, politics, and all that stuff for a moment. The only thing that really matters is to know you are beautiful just as you are. You are you and you have every right to be. Love yourself, look after yourself, and seek to find like-minded spirits who will embrace you in your entirety.
Trump or not, there’s always going to be small-minded morons. Thankfully it’s a big planet and you WILL have the privilege to meet many inspiring, amazing human beings.
I am here for you, too. I do have a few thoughts to share based on personal experience and I’m a good listener. I transitioned almost 25 years ago and I’m immensely happy in my own skin. I live my life the way I want, adventurous at times, less adventurous at other times. I will not be limited due to my personal history. I am proud to be trans but I am also not just trans. Like all of us, I am the sum of my experiences. In the end it is all about being human and rising to the occasion.
One more time, because it is so important: please know you’re not alone! As a matter of fact if there is no one in your closer vicinity you feel safe talking to, don’t be shy and PM me anytime. Be safe. Celebrate your individuality. Don’t ever give up no matter how dreary the situation might look just now. There’s always a way.
“On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.” Jules Renard
Yes, there are! And we will get through everything!
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Allow us to come home to Ourselves
Honorable Mention for Paralian
Imagine …
“Some men are born in their bodies, others have to fight for it.”
This is not just another quote. Gender dysphoria unfortunately is a reality for many. I myself was struggling with it for many years until I finally transitioned from Stefanie to Liam when I was twenty-three years old. A weight, as unbearably heavy as the Himalayan mountain range resting on my shoulders, finally, amazingly, gave way to the weight of a feather the moment I took steps towards letting myself be the real me.
We transgender people don’t make these things up. It’s not a mood. It’s not a phase. We are not having a case of mental indigestion. We are, in all seriousness, not at home in our own bodies. We were born like this. Souls stranded in a wrongly-gendered physical shell. It simply happened, “luck of the draw”, through no fault of our own.
Once we understand who we truly are, all we want is to feel complete and be allowed to come home to ourselves.
Imagine being trapped in your own body…
In Paralian, I am trying to describe this profound forlornness…
(Excerpt taken from Chapter 10, “River Limmat”)
“As a child, I had instinctively known who I was but hadn’t been able to articulate that awareness. Over the years, the hormonal changes of my body, as well as the gender stereotypes reinforced all around me, had clouded my judgment and confused me. Longing to fit in, I had lost myself in stages as my gender identity became more and more obscured. It was as if I had been clutching my useless passport in hand while stranded in an increasingly isolated and ruined airport building. Windows had been boarded up. The electricity had failed step-by-step, leaving me in deepening darkness. But I had never stopped searching for exits, even while dodging the debris falling onto me from crumbling ceilings.”
Liam Klenk 