Shannon TL Kearns Author Bio:
Shannon TL Kearns is a transgender man who believes in the transformative power of story. As an ordained priest, playwright, theologian, and writer, all of his work revolves around making meaning through story. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Uprising Theatre Company in Minneapolis, the co-founder of QueerTheology.com, and has recently published his first book, IN THE MARGINS: A TRANSGENDER MAN’S JOURNEY WITH SCRIPTURE, with Eerdmaan’s books.
What inspires you to write?
I write to make sense of myself and the world. To create the representation I’ve always wanted to see. To provide hope and inspiration for other trans folks. Writing is the tool I use to connect with myself and then share that with others. It’s both a place of comfort and a place of challenge, but the way it’s enriched my life keeps me coming back to the blank page over and over again.
Tell us about your writing process.
It depends on the genre. For this book which is part memoir part re-telling of Bible stories through a trans lens, I went in knowing which Bible stories I was going to tackle. Then it became a matter of choosing which portions of my own life best fit with each story.
I find that I often need to write my way into projects, just allowing myself to meander and overwrite, and at some point as things become more clear I need to stop and then make an outline which helps me to edit and then fill in any missing pieces.
I used to be really annoyed at that because I felt like I wasted a lot of time, but I am trying to accept it as simply the way I work best and know that none of the work is wasted.
Who are your favorite authors?
I’ve been profoundly impacted by the work of Madeleine L’Engle, both her fiction and non-fiction. She was the first writer I saw who told me you could write about faith and spirituality seriously without being preachy or boring. I’ve also been inspired by the way Rob Bell takes really complicated subjects and makes them accessible for everyone.
What genres do you write?
Memoir, non-fiction, theology, writing for stage and screen.
How did you choose the genre(s) you write?
In all cases I write to tell the stories I’m not seeing told. To represent myself and my community in new ways. So whether I’m writing memoir or fiction I’m trying to give people a story they can find themselves in because I know how it feels to look and not find yourself.
What three things are on your writing desk at any given moment?
A glass of water, a notepad, and my fountain pen.
What hobbies do you have when you need a break from writing?
Watching television, reading books, and making cocktails!
What formats are your books in?
Print
Website(s)
Home Page Link
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All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
