In this groundbreaking new book, Thomas Page McBee, a trans man, trains to fight in a charity boxing match at Madison Square Garden while struggling to untangle the vexed relationship between masculinity and violence. Through his experience boxing—learning to get hit, and to hit back; wrestling with the camaraderie of the gym; confronting the betrayals and strength of his own body—McBee examines the weight of male violence, the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes, and the limitations of conventional masculinity.

“With Thomas as your gloved guide, you’ll peer into locker rooms, through ropes, and at douchebags challenging strangers to sidewalk beatdowns. … McBee explores why men so frequently confuse violence with power and why being a man ought to rely on a willingness to spar, first and foremost, with one’s own shadow.”
—Myriam Gurba, author of Mean

“Until I read this book, I didn’t realize how tired I was of reading about masculinity as cold, hard, and fixed.”
—Ann Friedman, New York magazine columnist and cohost of Call Your Girlfriend

Order your copy online now or stop by the store today!