photo courtesy of Feminist Press
Justin Vivan Bond
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“Tango” is the product of the meandering meditations of one Justin Vivian Bond.  V is her own special creation, in every way.  While from the outset that we understand that all are given pounds of clay to mold into something magnificent, that definition of “magnificent” can vary widely.  In Mx. Bond’s case, v has chosen wisely—“v” being Mx Bond’s preferred pronoun.  V’s unvarnished look back at an earlier life that leads up to the present is both wondering and wonder-full.   While at the time we don’t see how our choice of friends and the situations where we find ourselves will shape our future, the broad light of hindsight is 20/20. 
Named for a dance that shares European and African roots, “Tango” calls to mind Ginger Rogers–a sexy woman who knew what she was about: after all she did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in heels–which is Mx. Bond’s point. But the Tango is also a dance of seduction, paralleling the act of love.  There are as many variations of Tango as there are people who dance, so what makes my way of doing it “right?”  Is it merely because it’s more common?  Mx. Bond explores the road not taken by most.
Perhaps because my childhood happened in parallel to Mx. Bond’s, the detail v provides is bathed for me in the sepia glow of my own nostalgia for records, flip digital clocks, and the time we thought was so complex, but now seems so simple.  Except it was complex then, and seems simple now because we’ve worked out our solutions.  V’s unflinching gaze turned within v’s self, and outward, to posit interesting reasons for where some of the dramatis personae find themselves today and makes for an interesting light read.  While the prose is candid, the concepts have more weight.  You’ll recall scenes in the book long after it’s done.  The reading is swift, the interpretation takes a while.
Recently Mx. Bond performed in cabaret for the Arts Project in Cherry Grove, and part of the performance was a reading from v’s book, due for publication on September 13.  While those of prurient interest will have one take-away from the reading, others will want to open this shell to find the tender meat inside.  Mx. Bond’s book evokes v’s style in performance–this isn’t opera and it’s not situation comedy–but there are many of the same elements.  Visit FeministPress.org for more information on where to get your copy.  See Mx. Bond on the tour and make certain it gets signed–energy changes, grows, and mixes.  What’s part of Tango is also part of you.