1) Photo Essay: “Excavating My Childhood Photos — And Myself” by Jacob Tobia
Accompanied by theirs childhood photos, Tobia talks about how they were able to re-discover the process of recognizing themself as a gender nonconforming person (Tobia 2019).
2) A Young Japanese Writer and Her Book “Idol, Burning”
Rin Usami was born in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1999. Her recent fiction Oshi, Moyu/ Idol, Burning won the Akutagawa Prize — one of the most prestigious Japanese literary prizes — in 2020. The protagonist of the book is Akari, a 17-year-old teenage girl and a superfan of a male idol called Masaki. The book begins with Akari finding out that Masaki was caught up in a scandal for allegedly punching a fan.
Usami uses careful language to depict the psychological and almost religious bond that exists between an idol and the fan. Though partly being a commentary on the obsession and toxicity within fandom and “stan” culture, Usami plays with greater ideas of “who we worship, what we find mindful and what brings us love, connection and purpose” (Kosaka 2023).
More info about the book can be find at: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/idol-burning-rin-usami?variant=40169948348450
References:
Kosaka, Kris. 2023. “‘idol, Burning’ Spotlights Obsession and Disillusion in a Digital World.” The Japan Times. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2023/02/05/books/book-reviews/idol-burning/.
Tobia, Jacob. 2019. “Excavating My Childhood Photos – and Myself.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/style/self-care/nonbinary-childhood-photos-jacob-tobia.html.
