Tag: #memoir
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No Limits
25 years ago, when I had my gender reassignment surgeries, I vowed to never let this important decision of aligning my soul with my body hamper or limit me in any way. I was going to continue going after my dreams. And I wouldn’t take no for an answer. Part of this meant to be…
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Back Online
My website is back online! There is still the odd little thing that needs to be fixed, but we’re up and running again. So come on in 🌞 Browse around a little, leave a comment about the book, or send me an email through the website’s contact page. Click here to enter.
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Two More Awards for Paralian
Today, it was announced that Paralian won not just one, but two more book awards. This makes five altogether! Over the moon doesn’t even begin to cover how delighted I felt when I saw the email this morning. Over the galaxies was more like it (and this after I had almost deleted said email, thinking…
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What Would an Ocean Be…
“What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams.” by Werner Herzog is the quote I chose for the beginning of Paralian. Because this is life. No matter what our backgrounds. There is no sleep without dreams. No growth without challenge. No clarity without ambivalence.…
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A Global Existence
Stepping way out of my comfort zone (geographically as well as mentally) for the first time when I was 18 years old was one of the best things I ever did… It was the beginning of a nomadic life, a global existence, an openness towards things and people unknown, that I wouldn’t trade in for…
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Paralian has won a 2nd Literary Award
Paralian just won its 2nd literary award: the New Apple Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing! https://www.newappleliterary.com/2016Aw…/2016awardsCat38.html I’m immensely grateful for this surprising honour. And, it lifts my spirits to see Paralian understood for the inspiring tour de force that it is. Thanks to the New Apple Awards team and thanks to all of you…
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Honorable Mention for Paralian
Yay, Paralian has just received an honorable mention at this year’s Rainbow Awards. Read more here. I’m immensely happy. Big thanks to the Rainbow Awards judges!
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Remembering Oma
Remembering my dear oma, who was born on this day in 1909 and passed away on 26th of December, 1996. What would I have done without you? “Frida carried herself with dignity. She was delicate, and small, but very strong. When she made spaetzle, a Southern German pasta delicacy, the recipe called for her to…
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Bucket List
What will the future bring … ? I don’t care much about amassing material wealth but, oh wow, my head is spinning just thinking of all the points on my bucket list… The seven most important ones have been fulfilled already: – travel the world and live abroad – become a professional scuba diver –…
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Looking for Adam!
Hello, I’m looking for Adam. He wrote me a beautiful message to my private Liam Klenk FB page about 2 weeks ago. He mentioned he’s from Denmark, currently living in London, and that he received my book Paralian as a gift. Adam: if and when you see this, please get in touch once more!! Or…
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Salt on my Skin
One week since I got back from the Red Sea… I still feel the gentle swaying of the boat under my feet, salt on my lips and skin. Need to get back to the ocean soon!
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Bedouin Brothers
I’d never been to Egypt before and wasn’t quite sure what I’d find. One thing was sure though: after thirteen months of working full time while at the same time publishing my book ‘Paralian’ I was more than ready for a bit of adventure as well as relaxation. Arriving at Lahami Bay resort three weeks…
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Heading into Cerulean Blue
A long-awaited vacation is coming up… this exhausted author urgently needs two weeks of sunshine and ocean! But before I head out, I wanted to extend a BIG THANK YOU to all of you. These past 10 days, you’ve all helped so much to push my Bored Panda story. Because of your support, your multiple…
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You’re Not Alone!
At the moment I am sharing this story on Bored Panda to reach as many people as possible – with your help. Can you please share this link, and also go on the page and give it an “up” vote? We got about 3’000k views so far and many good responses. I’ve received emails from people…
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Conquering those Mountains…
“As a teenager, I started to feel like a dwindling army, spread over too many fronts. Slowly but surely, I spiraled into a deep depression. My parents were in no position to help me. Apart from me witnessing their arguments, their involvement in my daily life was minimal. They were too deeply entangled with their…
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Paralian – engaging, chatting, and listening to my readers
A few weeks ago a fellow author and creator of a new pop-up-shop asked me why I like going to book festivals and signings and why personal contact to my readers means so much to me. I tried to give a short, condensed answer, and here it is, only 3 min long, on both YouTube…
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Close Encounters of the Ocean Kind
Another small excerpt from Paralian… a once-in-a-lifetime moment… experiencing my first close encounter with a sea turtle in the Maldives: “The Green Sea Turtle rose slowly to the surface. I floated, staying completely still… Her head softly broke the surface only fifteen feet away from me. She took a deep breath, which sounded almost like…
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Liam Klenk on life and being transgender…
Sharing a bit about the transgender part of my life journey on YouTube and Vimeo… What it felt like growing up in the wrong body and how a book helped me realize I was trans… How I risked it all to give myself a chance at life; the reactions of family, friends, and employers… About…
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Paralian Interview in Gay Times Magazine
An interview with me about my book Paralian and my life journey has just been published in the August issue of Gay Times magazine, page 124-127 🙂 Big thanks to fabulous interviewer Nick Hoare!
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Thank you!
Just want to share this great review with you that fellow author Daisy White wrote about Paralian the other day. Slowly but surely reviews are trickling in. I am humbled by some of them and immensely grateful for all of them. If you’ve finished reading the book already, it’ll be absolutely fantastic if you can leave a…
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Adoption
“For years, I had puzzled over being the only dark-haired, darker-complexioned person in our family. My emotional make-up and character didn’t quite seem to fit with the rest of my family either. I had kept searching for similarities between my parents and me, as every child does, and had found none. But my mom Hildegard…
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Extraordinary Summer Reading!
We are nearing 3‘000 followers on this page which is truly amazing. My heartfelt thanks to all of you for your dedicated interest and support!! It means A LOT 🙂 I’ll keep sharing anecdotes, memories, and thoughts with you and I’ll keep updating you on what’s happening in Paralian’s world. As a sunny summer “thank…
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The Boy Who Knew
As a child I knew instinctively… trapped within this little girl’s body was a little boy… and that’s who he’d always be… “Each summer, I couldn’t wait to get back to the ocean. The sand dunes seemed to traverse the island like mountainous, slow-gliding golems. More than anything, I longed to reclaim my freedom. As…
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Can I Do Something?
Caught a flu in the middle of summer. I am now in a near-zombie state on my couch and – dare I admit it – googling myself 😉 To my astonishment I found 2 (!) newspapers in Nigeria who picked up last week’s Mirror article about the transgender part of my life story. It makes me…
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Top 100 and featured in Nigeria Today!
It’s only noon here and it’s already been a great day! Early this morning, I was quite stunned to find myself featured in yet another online newspaper: Nigeria Today picked up yesterday’s Mirror article. I’m honored and still a bit speechless! Hello Africa!!! Only a few hours later I was delighted to discover that ‘Paralian:…
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Home Within
This was 1995, roughly a year before my gender reassignment surgeries. My clothes couldn’t be baggy enough and my coats couldn’t be long enough so as to hide my traitorous body. Alien female curves and boobs as big as gene-manipulated water melons disappeared behind these thick layers of tent-like clothing. By covering what shouldn’t be…
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Presenting in San Francisco
Arriving in San Francisco today after 11 years of absence was surprisingly like stepping into a pair of well worn, comfortable shoes. All senses were flooded with familiar yet deliciously foreign sensations. I inhaled the city scents, basked in the Californian evening sun and headed straight into a strong Pacific evening breeze during a brief…
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In Conversation: Liam Klenk
Diversity, change, and fluidity are a gift, a privilege, not a threat. Susan Platt talks identity and borders with author Liam Klenk. Source: In Conversation: Liam Klenk
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Underneath the Wings of Stingrays
Having a fresh mint tea – a well deserved treat after heroically queuing for an hour in the rain to get tickets for the London aquarium. In a little while I’ll head over there for the next treat: a chat with a journalist about Paralian underneath the gently undulating wings of stingrays…
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Paralian: Not Just Transgender – Book Release Week – Author Interview Opportunities
BOOK LAUNCH RELEASE WEEK Paralian: Not just transgender By Liam Klenk Author interview opportunities: Liam Klenk is currently flying into London from Zurich and will be in the UK as part of his book launch press tour and available for face-to-face, telephone and in-studio interviews this week (30th May to 3rd June).… Read full press…
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Syndicated Interview With Liam Klenk
Author of Paralian: Not Just Transgender (Memoir, Paperback, 28th May 2016) When did you first sit down to write your memoir? In my head I’ve been writing for more than 10 years. Resting in bed, on public transportation, whenever I had a minute to reflect I’d catch myself writing paragraphs for my book. I actually sat…
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Ch-Ch-Changes
I’ve always been a big fan of CSI Las Vegas (well mostly the “Gil Grissom era”). I love the humanity, the thoughtfulness, and careful development of characters. The gentle fallibility, the dry yet always respectful and kind humor and, more than anything, I adore the always non-judgmental approach no matter which little corner of human…
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3 more days to launch!!!
Only 3 more days to launch!!! And yes, I do feel as pumped and ready for adventure as I did all those years ago when I created castles and sand cakes in my little sandbox. As if the book odyssey isn’t exciting enough yet, something fantastic happened two days ago: A Book Awards Committee from…
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Only 7 More Days
Hellooo, good morning, and a resounding whoop from the geographical center of Europe! Only 7 more days until the official launch of Paralian. Just sayin’ 😀
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A Captivating, Powerful Story
“This is a fascinating and inspiring memoir from a man who has faced life head on and lived it to the full. Liam Klenk was adopted, had an unconventional childhood and as he became an adult, his differences made him search for answers. Klenk describes himself as being born into a female body, yet this…
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Countdown and Another Excerpt…
In exactly 14 more days Paralian will be launching! Nothing earth-shattering will happen when it does… Our planet won’t stop spinning. The sun will rise and set just like on any other day. I won’t get a phone call from Robert Redford or Ang Lee that they’d love to turn my book into a movie.…
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Never Just Transgender
Liam Klenk, author of Paralian: Not just transgender, examines the public’s view of transgender people in the wake of the toilet debate in America… (Thanks to Vada Magazine!) ‘I was Liam, and something inside my soul knew with absolute certainty he was who I had been all my life. More than ever, I was confident to…
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Immersed
“I finally reached the shore, out of breath and delighted, longing for more and feeling intensely alive. I had glimpsed boundless strength and passion within myself. For just an instant out there, in the arms of the Atlantic Ocean, I had felt beautiful.” (Excerpt from Paralian, Chapter 7) I remember seeing the ocean for the…
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A Maldivian Evening
Here another little taste of Paralian, just for you… only 20 more days until official launch! “It was a glorious evening. Everyone was touched. Captain Ismail had whittled a beautiful scale-model dhoni for me, so I would never forget my life on the remodeled Maldivian fishing boats. Anecdotes were exchanged, most rather unfavorable of me…
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Paralian is Book of the Month
Paralian has been chosen by Bookbag.co.uk as one of their books of the month! Amazing! I’m so honoured and, of course, immensely happy to see people are experiencing my book the way I hoped with all my heart they would. You can click on the link below, or here is what the Bookbag team wrote:…
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Paralian is just a click away…
Thanks so much for all the beautiful messages I am receiving lately! More and more people are getting in touch, asking, “Where can I order Paralian?” Let me answer this question here for all of you who can’t wait to get your own copy and dive into the story. Paralian is available for pre-order in…
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Intensely Alive
“Balanced on top of a pile of baggage, wind and dust whipping into our faces, we held on for dear life as our bus plummeted along rarely-traveled mountain roads and on through countless valleys. Never before had my ass had to endure such a continuous beating. Even low hanging branches and power lines became a…
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I am Liam
“As for the lingering psychological femininity, the successful surgeries had strengthened my resolve even further to embrace the person I had started out being. I would integrate my female side into the male adult I was becoming. I was Liam, and something inside my soul knew with absolute certainty he was who I had been…
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Great 1st Reading
Last week in London… I had the best audience I could wish for. Thanks so much to the Boston Consulting Group team for the warm welcome and genuine support! If this is how every book presentation will be then I want to give a whole flood of them 🙂
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First Reader Comments and The Bookbag Review
Like a magic literary carpet, Paralian has traveled around the world and found its first one hundred readers. So far I am being showered with positive feedback. Many say, “I’m staying up ’till 2am each day ever since I started reading. Just can’t put it down.” (which really is the best compliment a writer could…
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London and Hogwarts
When my wife and I arrived in London one week ago, we hit the ground running. As soon as we touched down, we sprinted to the studios of Talk Radio London for my first radio interview ever. I was all nerves but adapted quickly. We then spent a lovely weekend with old friends, exploring corners…
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A Brief Visit
I did briefly stop by at this year’s London Book Fair. Just as last year though, it was rather disheartening. How paradoxical to feel more unwanted as an author here in this haven of books than anywhere else on the planet… Nevertheless, as a passionate book lover it felt great to be there for just…
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My Interview on The Arts Show, Radio BBC Ulster
Yesterday I had the honour to become an active part of the respected BBC Radio Ulster Arts Show. Marie-Louise Muir and I had an inspiring, in-depth chat. Her questions were informed, smart, compassionate, and to the point. It was a real pleasure and I’m delighted to be able to share the link to the interview…
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Interview with Yasmeen Khan, Talk Radio London
A friend of mine – in Berlin no less – alerted me to the link through which you can re-visit the radio interview I gave on Friday for Talk Radio London. Just click on 18:00-18:30, then fast-forward a little. A few minutes in you’ll find me talking to Yasmeen Khan. Turn up the volume. I…
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My 1st Radio Interview Tonight!
Heading to London for an adventurous week of interviews, book promos, and – of course – the London Book Fair. TONIGHT, I’ve got my very first radio interview (ever) with Talk Radio London! Tune in from 6pm (BST – British Summer Time) to hear me discussing Paralian on “Drive Time” with Yasmeen Khan while hopefully…
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A Lesson From Mr. Bojangles
A little taste from Chapter 7, ‘Atlantic Ocean’: As I turned with Cinnebar to walk her out of the paddock, Mr. Bojangles closed the distance between us in a few powerful strides. Shocked, I turned towards him. He reared up and kicked me in the stomach with the full force of both his hind legs.…
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An Over-The-Moon Author
The enchanted moment when I saw my book for the very first time… with a touch of Twilight Zone due to having multiple copies of myself staring right back at me in high resolution 😉
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Postal Marathon
This last week was a high-speed marathon involving serious family team work (and a pinch of drama): The first 100 copies of Paralian arrived at my dad’s place in Germany beginning of the week. Dad managed to organize stamps and boxes after battling rigid German postal authorities. I spent hours (days really) soothing my slightly…
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Don’t Wait…
I’m a regular fountain of wisdom 😉
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Arrival in Paradise
A little taste of ‘Paralian’ from my time in the Maldives… Arrival in paradise… “The staff accommodation set up was very amusing. I was reminded of Alcatraz as Judith showed me A-Block, B-Block, and C-Block as each small accumulation of staff rooms was called. My solitary confinement dwelling was located in C-Block, a long L-shaped…
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Paralian Finished Printing!
*** EXCITING NEWS *** Just heard from my publisher TODAY that Paralian has finished printing and a few copies are on their way to me!!! In about 2 weeks I’ll hold the real-life copy of my very first book in my hands. What a fabulous adventure!
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Pirouetting Dolphins
Here I am, drawing an island while working on the island. One of my many passions in turquoise paradise was guiding boats. On our way to wherever we were heading that day, I would draw each dive site briefing on a little chalk board while the fellow ocean enthusiasts I was guiding would watch my…
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Another Quote…
… this one a bit cheesy I know 😉 but true nonetheless 😀 Here some more words of wisdom by yours truly, “hot off the tweet” from my publisher:
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Come visit me on Goodreads!
Come visit my author profile on Goodreads! Maybe put Paralian on your virtual “want to read” shelf (only 2 1/2 more months and you’ll be able to put it on the physical one in your living room). Goodreads also has a designated space where you can ask questions (you can always ask me anything, here…
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1st Quote
Ha! Got to post what my publisher just tweeted. First time ever I get to share a meaningful picture quote by……… myself. And in case you’re wondering, I’m chuckling happily while I’m hitting “enter”.
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Nothing Held Back
How I loved this job! Coaching performers, keeping them safe during the show, being a stage hand and stage manager underwater in one of the most visionary projects of all time. The best times were when I could prepare performers for their aquatic environment. I loved seeing them work during our training sessions. Their focus,…
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Independence
My dad always highlighted the importance of independence. His version of it was to amass as many savings as possible, thus being financially secure and free to move or buy at a moment’s notice. Years later, during art school in Zurich, one of my professors pointed out how true independence can only be achieved by…
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Get ready for a very special journey!
Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the full cover of ‘Paralian: not just transgender’. We have finished completing the design and I’ve just passed it for press which means after many months of hard work and preparations, Paralian will go to the printer next week. I must admit I’m quite fond of the whole cover…
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Paralian now available for pre-order!
Yay! Paralian is now available for pre-order on waterstones.com and amazon.co.uk (the other ‘Amazons’ and WHSmith following soon). How amazing is that! Honestly, it feels quite surreal. I hope I’ll stay this excited and enthusiastic every time one of my books comes out (since I am planning to write many many more). https://www.waterstones.com/book/paralian/liam-klenk/9781785891205
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Paralian launching May 28th, 2016
Only four more months to go until launch (I’m so excited!!)… and here a little taste of what’s to come: “Marcello felt a delightful wave of heat and energy rushing through his body just as the fifth car reached its final destination – Sandra’s bedroom wall. It impacted in a cacophony of noise and falling…
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The Moment
Have you ever read “The Hours” or seen the movie? It’s one of my all-time favorites, making me cry — with sadness as much as happiness — every time. One scene in particular always stays with me: In a very intimate moment towards the end of the movie, Clarissa says to her daughter, ”I remember…
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The Legacy of Adoption
A press release from Literally PR concerning my memoirs ‘Paralian’ (launching soon!). This release focussing on the adoption side of things…
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King for a Day
One thing I’ve always loved about living and traveling abroad is that you pick up a lot of quirky little customs from each place you’ve been to. Today is “Holy Three Kings” day here in Zurich. On this day, bakeries make a special “Kings” cake, consisting of usually nine individual little sweet breads, joined together…
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Island Life
https://www.banffcentre.org/centrepiece/2013/02/living-on-this-island-we-call-banff/ In 2013, I spent a few weeks enjoying a theatre management internship at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada. Those were magical weeks in which I learned about team work and creativity on a different kind of island – one surrounded by mountain ranges instead of a deep blue sea. Here is an article…
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Transgender Today – Liam’s Thoughts
[wpvideo w4SQzHUq] Here a short video I submitted to the New York Times today… they are doing a series of portraits on transgender people… intriguing stories and beautiful thoughts from around the world on gender identity and what it means to be human: https://www.nytimes.com/…/the-quest-for-transgender-equality… #Paralian#LiamKlenk #notjusttrans #LGBT #lovinglife #nevergiveup #beinghuman#wearethesumofourexperiences #lifejourney #goforward
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Paralian Teaser
[wpvideo VlINKbTs] Many special thanks to my friend Axel for putting together this teaser for ‘Paralian’ as early as spring 2014 (Back then my book still had the working title ‘The Fortunate Nomad’ and we thought it would be published a lot sooner as you can see from the projected launch date at the end…
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“There’s such a lot of world to see…”
I am sitting at home on the couch with my two cats today, relaxing, enjoying the surprisingly warm rays of winter-sunshine and marvelling at the mighty alps spanning the horizon. At the same time, my mind is wandering and I am amazed by the rich life I’ve been privileged to lead so far. There were…
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Liam
Last week, one of you asked how I came to choose the name ‘Liam’ for myself… For a long time, even before beginning hormone therapy, I wondered about the right name. My first thoughts were along the lines of carrying on family traditions and maybe pick ‘Karl’ in honour of my late grandfather and my…
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Not just transgender
After many weeks of pondering the right subtitle for my book, we decided on “Not just transgender”. Being trans has in many ways impacted my life and also shaped me as an individual. I came into this world as a little boy, trapped in the body of a girl. Until the age of 23 people…
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Cat Hairs and Words
The last two weeks have been very busy for my two cats and me. Each day after my day job, we worked hard on proofreading ‘Paralian’ together one final time. While Pushka, the Persian, distributed as many hairs to my manuscript as she could, I marked the odd spelling mistake in red, trying to get…
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Traveling in Time
I spent four days in Budapest last week. It’s a beautiful old town with breath-taking historical buildings and a romantic river, meandering through the heart of the city. As I soaked in the sights and smells all around me, I found myself traveling to places I had never expected. The steaming hot lentil stew and…
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One More Round
Here we go… final typeset for ‘Paralian’ is done. I’ll spend the next days going through it all once more to look for any remaining typos and grammatical errors. Right after that we’ll be ready to shoot for the stars and the production of my memoirs will begin in earnest! #Paralian #memoirs #LiamKlenk #LGBT #notjusttrans #transgender#ilovewriting #nevergiveup
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Those Precious Moments
Leisurely hovering side-by-side a big Napoleon Wrasse in Micronesia, its slowly rotating eye following my every move while silently enquiring “Who are you biped? Should I be worried about you?”… Feeling the wingtip of a Manta Ray, brushing against me light as a feather, while the giant creature continues sailing over my head as gracefully…
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The Road Not Taken
In 2003, I asked one of my friends to transform my entire apartment into a work of art. I gave him the poem “The Road not taken” and trusted his imagination. My friend came up with an intriguing graffiti, transforming the walls of my entire home into a colorful wonderland. His visual story culminated in…
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An Aspiring Writer
Being a writer is fascinating. At first I was only able to write in total quiet and isolation. The slightest distraction threw me off balance. Now, I am more focused. I am getting more done. My writing is developing and I can see a stark contrast between the first few chapters I wrote and the…
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Home
Homelessness has always been a blessing and a curse. Growing up homeless in body, family, and country I often felt a great longing inside of me, a loneliness beyond words. No amount of time spent with people could extinguish that. Over the years much of my nomadic existence was a search for home, a search…
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The Mighty Columbia
The Columbia River holds great significance in my life. Here was my first home away from home. I wrestled with black widow spiders and rattle snakes. I bought freshly caught salmon from Native Americans. I learned how to drive a car. On this river’s banks I found first love after my gender change operations. Above…
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At one point we all switched off our torches and sat silently in the dark. I could feel the weight of the mountain on my shoulders, breathed the dense earthy atmosphere around me with heightened senses. Since then I know that I need the open sky above me, need to feel a fresh breeze caressing…
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On Top of The World
Traveling eight weeks through Micronesia and the Philippines my friends and I came to Palawan. We took the local bus from El Nido to Sabang and spontaneously hopped on top, following the locals’ example. For nine hours we sat up top, the wind whipping into our faces. My ass hurt like never before, being perched…
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My math teacher in high school once asked me why I wore leather jackets in his classroom; what was I protecting myself from? I laughed at his question and answered something stupid. Truth is that for a very long time I needed the strong smelling leather around me. I was too homeless, too desperate, and…
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Very true. As much as I am telling myself to enjoy the process, it is a daunting task. I am moving along at a snail’s pace whereas writing my 1st draft flowed like a powerful river. Well, I have always loved a good challenge, so on we go.
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My friends had amazed me with their frequent visits and heartfelt gifts. I had received flowers, poems, a pink stuffed animal pig, and most importantly an overwhelming amount of love and support. As the little pig watched over me I slowly came to through a very thick fog. Psychologists had warned me that the actual…