Marsha

"Thank God the revolution has begun, honey." Legend has it that after Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she picked up a shard of broken mirror to fix her makeup. This fearless moment embodies both the beauty and violence of the early LGBTQ+ rights movement-and the fabulous, tenacious charisma of Marsha herself. Yet despite the fact that Marsha's work as a gay liberation activist and drag queen helped spark the progress and continued protest we see today, there has been no definitive record of her life, loves, and lessons. Until now. Written with verve and sparkling prose, Black trans leader Tourmaline brings this iconic, scandalous, vital justice warrior to life in full colour for the first time. Through nearly two decades of research and unprecedented access, Tourmaline has become Marsha's leading archivist and handles her life and story with care, attention and a perfect dose of humour. This book will take readers into Marsha's childhood in New Jersey in the 1950s, to her dramatic and essential activism from the Stonewall Riots to the AIDS crisis, to her life creating radical art from the humblest means. Marsha didn't wait to be freed; she declared herself free and told the world to catch up. MARSHA honours the fullness of her life and will give this remarkable figure her rightful place in history. Her story promises to inspire readers to live as their most liberated, unruly, vibrant, and whole selves.

Tourmaline is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, writer, and activist whose work is dedicated to Black trans liberation. She is a TIME 100 Most Influential Person in the World awardee and her work has been featured in ABC News, the NYTimes, and Vogue. She created the critically acclaimed film Happy Birthday, Marsha!, has exhibited her work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and is the winner of Art Basel's biggest prize. She has directed Pride campaigns for Dove, Marc Jacobs, and Reebok. She has worked as an advocate for trans rights with Queers for Economic Justice and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. She is a graduate of Columbia University and lives in Miami, Florida.