HE112 / Prof. Stanlake :: Alex Myers / Revolutionary

"When Deborah Samson disguised herself as a man and joined the Continental Army, she wasn’t just fighting for America’s independence—she was fighting for her own. Revolutionary, Alex Myers’s richly imagined and meticulously researched debut novel, brings the true story of Deborah’s struggle against a rigid colonial society back to life—and with it the courage, hope, fear, and heartbreak that shaped her journey through a country’s violent birth."

Alex Myers  -- (see "Alex Myers." Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors, Gale, 2014. Gale Literature Resource Center) - Alex Myers is a writer, novelist, educator, public speaker, and activist based in Washington, DC. He is an English instructor in secondary schools and private high schools in the New England area, such as St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island. Myers earned a B.A. in Near Eastern languages and civilizations from Harvard University, an M.A. in religion from Brown University, and an M.F.A. in fiction writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Revolutionary and Historical Fiction

Revolutionary and contemporary historical events, starting in the 1770's. What are some historic events that you learned more about from the book that you may want to research and write about?

• If Deborah lived today, do you think she’d want to be a man or a woman?
• How did this presentation of history fit with what you were taught about the Revolutionary War?
• How does Deborah’s story still resonate today?
• Does it matter to you which parts of the novel are historical and which are made up? Why?

Life as a transgender person

The lives of transgender people in America

LGBTQ persons in the military

Medical / psychological treatment of LGBTQ people over time.

Some possible searches related to Revolutionary:

• ​Transgender
• "Cross dressing"
• Gender identity
• Nonbinary
• Gender Nonconforming
• Genderfluid
• Sexual minorities