What a year. I assume all of you are as exhausted as I am. But I did want to share a new piece (my last of the year, god-willing) and look back on some 2025 highlights.

I’m in Slate because the U.S. Tennis Association had the nerve to ban transfeminine athletes across all its events:

This move to restrict the girls’ and women’s categories in tennis is a betrayal of tennis’ noted history of trans inclusion, coming almost half a century—48 years, to be exact—after trailblazer Renée Richards, a transgender woman, sued the USTA for her right to compete in the U.S. Open’s women’s draw.

Read more here.

Year in review

• I did some of the writing I’m most proud of, headlined by this Defector essay about swimming, gender, and “Smooth.”
• Mind Game came out in paperback, and I celebrated with a launch event at Wilka’s, the new women’s sports bar in Manhattan.
• I, uh, submitted the manuscript of my next book, Finding Renée Richards, and it’s now through edits and copy edits. I can’t wait to share it with you all in August. In the meantime, here are some tennis books you can buy right now, courtesy of a great list from Ben Rothenberg and Giri Nathan.

• I spent a lot of time experimenting with some new hobbies. Highlights include:

  • bravely continuing to learn how to roller skate after a disastrous first attempt in 2024;
  • even more bravely surviving some intro to pole classes;
  • getting substantially better at painting my nails obnoxious colors.
  • Most important: After removal and biopsy of a sus nipple, my good girl got a clean bill of health. Everyone congratulate Penelope!

January event

Squawkin’ Sports, the Greenlight Bookstore event series I love, is hosting yours truly, along with a couple of other excellent trans authors! Grab tickets here for the talk, which is Thursday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. at DSK Brooklyn. Should be a great time.

Thank you for the support. Happy holidays and new year to all!