Pioneering Author Jennifer Finney Boylan to Speak at SUNY Canton

CANTON, NY (10/13/2014)(readMedia)-- Bestselling novelist and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activist Jennifer Finney Boylan will discuss her groundbreaking memoir about transitioning from male to female as part of SUNY Canton's Living Writers Series.

Boylan will speak at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Richard W. Miller Kingston Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

Her memoir, "She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders," is one of the first bestselling works by a transgender American. Until 2001 she published under the name James Boylan. Today, she is an activist for LGBT people through her writing and her involvement on the Board of Directors of GLAAD and the Board of Trustees of the Kinsey Institute for Research on Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.

Boylan has been a frequent guest on a number of national television and radio programs, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The Today Show," and is a regular contributor to the op-ed page of the New York Times. She has been a member of the English Department at Colby College for 25 years.

"SUNY Canton is honored to host Jennifer Finney Boylan, one of the most esteemed civil rights activists of our time," said SUNY Canton Assistant Professor of Humanities and LGBTQA student club adviser Melissa E. Lee. "Her visit constitutes a nod to our area's diversity, and as such, acts as another step in the evolution of Northern New York into a place more openly accepting of differences."

Boylan is the author of thirteen books. Her latest published work is "Stuck in the Middle with You: Parenthood in Three Genders," a memoir about the differences between fatherhood and motherhood. "Having a father who became a mother has helped my sons, in turn, become better men," Boylan said about the book.

SUNY Canton Assistant Professor of English Phil K. LaMarche created the Living Writers Series in 2012 correspond with his Living Writers Course. Students enrolled in the class read the books by the authors scheduled to visit the College. Short-story author Patrick Lawler will speak Nov. 19.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

-www.canton.edu-