MOONSWORD
by Diana Hignutt
PublishAmerica, Inc. 2002
ISBN: 1591292468
276 Pages, $21.95
Reviewed
by
William Maltese
How
about a game of word association?
I
say: “Good versus Evil. Elves. Trolls. Dragons.
Magic.”
Do
you say: “Tolkien’s LORD OF THE RINGS,”
seeing as how the third movie
of that trilogy has recently gotten so much press?
I
say: “Good versus Evil. Elves. Trolls. Dragons. Magic.
Male-to-female
transformation.”
Do
you say: “Hignutt’s MOONSWORD?” If not,
maybe you should. In that
MOONSWORD is the only fantasy novel I can immediately recall wherein
the hero permanently converts to heroine, courtesy of Druidic magic.
Let
me confess that I, shortly after finishing this book, put it aside
with a slight frown, thinking that it had perhaps gone just a tad
“over
the top”. Not that the male-to-female plot-line
can’t be believed,
because I’ve known a few people in my time who have
transgendered (male
to female, even vice versa), albeit with the help of qualified
physicians and not via incantations by any Druidic Priesthood. Rather,
I think, I was momentarily put off by a book’s male character
who not
only becomes female but, simultaneously, goes one step farther and
becomes a Goddess, as well (talk about overkill!). Or, maybe it was
just that the goddess in question set up residence —
literally — on the
moon (we’re, after all, talking the
“Moon” Goddess here). And what
about that sword made out of moonlight? And …
Luckily,
for the sake of this review, I was able to “get a
grip” and
remind myself that MOONSWORD is a fantasy novel. Fantasy, according to
Webster, “free play of creative imagination.” So,
if Tolkien can have
trees that talk and walk, then why can’t Hignutt have a
Goddess who was
a woman who was a man?
Not
that I’m taking any such comparison with Tolkien to the point
where
I agree that the author has achieved her aspiration of
“providing
readers with a transgender LORD OF THE RINGS” (MOONSWORD just
happening
to be the first book of a proposed trilogy). I’m not even
prepared to
go so far as to suggest that I agree with the Cleveland critic who
deemed MOONSWORD “a Harry Potter for adults”.
I
am willing to concede that I’ve come to the conclusion, after
much
thought and an attempted jettisoning of all male bias, that the author
has managed to combine the stereotypical characters and hackneyed
plot-lines of fantasy fiction into a novel that more than provides
it’s
money’s worth by way of good-read entertainment, especially
if
accompanied by a couple glasses of good red wine.
And
if that still doesn’t entice you to have-a-read, maybe your
curiosity can be piqued by how MOONSWORD’s author just
happened to have
undergone “his” transformation to
“her” at one and the same time that
the novel’s Prince Tolian did likewise. Which does,
you’ll have to
admit, lend credence to those book-explored aspects of the
hero/heroine’s psyche (the author having so obviously been
there, done
that, got the T-shirt), that you’re not likely to find so
deftly
examined in any other book — fantasy or otherwise —
any time soon. So,
if reading fiction written from a very unique perspective just happens
to be your “bag” … you’re not
likely to find any more unique reading
than this. |
|
 MALTESE INTERVIEWS HIGNUTT
WILLIAM
MALTESE:
Diana, tell us about your novel, Moonsword.
DIANA
HIGNUTT: It’s an adult faerie-tale thriller about a prince
who is
kidnapped by Druids and transformed into a woman in order to fulfill an
ancient prophecy and defeat a demon. The title comes from the magic
sword that must be found to kill the demonic adversary.
MALTESE:
The concept of a man being transformed into a woman definitely one with
which you’re intimately familiar, isn’t it?
HIGNUTT:
I’m a post-op transsexual woman and proud of it.
Moonsword’s subject
matter definitely no coincidence. I wrote the novel to plumb the depths
of my own gender conflict (I was a guy when I started writing), and to
create a transgender heroine to whom a general and GLBT readership
could equally relate. It’s important that transgenders
establish
positive archetypes in the public consciousness.
MALTESE:
You started the novel as a man and finished it as a woman?
HIGNUTT:
A lot of my gender identity issues and transitional angst exist side by
side with those of Moonstone’s hero/heroine Tolian.
MALTESE:
Moonsword your first novel?
HIGNUTT:
Moonsword my first baby. My first published work. I’ve had
stories and
essays published since, though.
MALTESE:
Do you think being a transsexual author helped or hindered you in
getting the book published?
HIGNUTT:
To be perfectly honest, some people may not have taken me seriously as
a novelist because I’m transsexual. Most transsexuals do
autobiographies or non-fiction.
MALTESE:
So, was it difficult, or wasn’t it, to get Moonsword into
publication?
HIGNUTT:
It’s really hard for any newcomer to get published and/or to
find an
agent, these days. You have to be able to withstand rejection after
rejection. My first agent loved the book but couldn’t sell
it. My
second and current agent finally interested a small publisher, AmErica
House, an imprint of PublishAmerica.
MALTESE:
Any secrets to getting published that you’d like to share
with those
aspiring authors, transgendered or otherwise, among our readership?
HIGNUTT:
Secrets aren’t secrets if revealed, are they? Just kidding.
Submit only
your very best work. Be sure it’s as perfect as you can get
it.
Grammatically correct. Proper punctuation. And finally, of course,
never give up. You have to believe in yourself and keep at it.
Don’t
let whatever the rejections get to you.
MALTESE:
Has your publisher been everything you hoped it would be?
HIGNUTT:
Well, let’s just say it did a fantastic job with the book
production,
and its distribution network is great. These days, however, it really
falls on any new author to do most of his/her own publicity and
promotion, even with the bigger publishing houses. In that respect, I
think my being a transsexual author has helped tremendously, and
continues to help me, in getting publicity.
MALTESE:
Admittedly, you have been getting a lot of media attention not only for
your book but for your outspoken stance on legalizing same-sex marriage.
HIGNUTT:
I stand up for what I believe. Whether for Moonsword, or for the right
of people to marry whomever they please. I firmly believe that bans on
same-sex marriage are unconstitutional as gender-based discrimination.
My wife and I are lucky, in that I was a guy when we were married, but
it’s not right that others can’t experience similar
happiness. So, yes,
I’ve been very outspoken on that subject. And, yes,
I’ve been equally
outspoken on the subject of how everyone should buy a copy of Moonsword
… please.
MALTESE:
(laughing) Are you writing anything else at the present?
HIGNUTT:
I’ve just completed a sequel to Moonsword, entitled Empress
of Clouds.
And very soon, I’ll start on the final book in the trilogy.
MALTESE:
So, it’s to be a trilogy, then? A transgender Lord of the
Rings?
HIGNUTT:
That’s my goal exactly! Although, a radio host in Cleveland
deems it a,
“Harry Potter for adults”. Which is okay, too.
END
|
|
William
Maltese