Join Lynette Reini-Grandell for the launch party of her memoir, Wild Things: A Trans-Glam-Punk-Rock​ ​Love Story, new from the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Set against the backdrop of the art, literary,​ ​and indie rock worlds of Minneapolis and New York in the 1990s and early 2000s, the book explores​ ​Reini-Grandell’s long relationship with Venus de Mars through their romance, Venus’s developing​ ​awareness of her gender, and the struggle to be themselves. The book is a deeply personal story of love and growth, providing insights into a time when the knowledge and terminology we have today around​ ​transgender identities did not exist.

A reading from Wild Things will be followed by a conversation with journalist Marianne Combs to​ ​discuss the process of writing the book and the stories behind the stories. The evening closes with a​ ​performance by Venus de Mars and All the Pretty Horses.
 
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing!
 
Lynette Reini-Grandell is the author of the poetry collections Wild Verge and Approaching the Gate,​ ​winner of the 2015 Northeastern Minnesota book award for poetry. She teaches English and creative​ ​writing at Normandale Community College and the Loft and has received support for her work from the​ ​Finlandia Foundation and the Minnesota State Arts Board. A multidisciplinary collaborator, she performs at spoken-word venues with the Bosso Poetry Company and the jazz collective Sonoglyph. Her poetry is​ ​part of a permanent installation at the Carlton Arms Art Hotel in Manhattan. She lives in Minneapolis on​ ​the ancestral homeland of the Dakota people.
 
Marianne Combs is an award-winning broadcast journalist, storyteller, and the news director for BLCK​ ​Press. She has reported on arts and culture in Minnesota for more than 20 years and was named 2020​ ​Journalist of the Year by the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.