Book Review: Genderqueer: Maia Kobabe (2019)

by Abbigale Kernya, ​for The 44 North

Managing Editor

The book cover of Genderqueer by Maia Kobabe

Genre: Memoir, Graphic Novel, Queer Literature

“Some people are born in the mountains, while others are born by the sea. Some people are happy to live in the place they were born, while others must make a journey to reach the climate in which they can flourish and grow. Between the ocean and the mountains is a wild forest. That is where I want to make my home.”

― Maia Kobabe, Genderqueer

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This 2019 memoir by author, advocate, and storyteller Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) is a tender journey through childhood to adolescence, exploring gender expression and the anxieties of growing up. It’s a beautiful walk with time and acceptance of oneself—a teacher, a guide, and at times, a friend. 

It’s also been banned in Alberta schools. 

Genderqueer follows Maia Kobabe from infancy to adulthood, where the first memories of gender confusion and dysphoria peak through the pages. This is a memoir where self-love, kindness, and acceptance of the people around you are seen as radical and sexually explicit. When I first heard that Alberta was banning over 200 books from public school libraries, alarm bells immediately started going off. In my research to not only read a banned book, but also to recommend it to my readers, Genderqueer climbed to the top of my list after Alberta’s Minister of Education, Demetrios Nicolaides, released a list of “sexually explicit” and “harmful” books found in school libraries on X.

Imagine my shock, then, when I began reading this graphic novel and found that the only sexual red flag was the conservative projection of homophobia and transphobia that turns a peaceful recount of gender exploration into sexually explicit content.

Kobabe shares a story that is full of hope—one that is importantly what eir needed when eir was younger. The frustration and self-hatred of not having any non-binary or asexual representation when Kobabe was growing up cost eir friendships, relationships, and peace within eirself. I found the most important part of this novel to be when Kobabe—after years of thinking eir were “wrong” or “broken” for not fitting traditional masculine or feminine gender roles—finds eirself in a teaching position looking out onto the sea of students and realizing this is eir’s chance to be the change eir needed when eir was young. 

On the flip side, this story that beautifully recounts childhood innocence and welcomes in a new wave of kindness and “radical” acceptance has been constantly demonized by right-wing parties as sexually explicit. In flipping through these pages, I had a hard time coming up with examples to fit their narrative. 

Is it sexually explicit to talk about periods and pap smears?

Or talking about sex in a natural and relatable way?

Perhaps dismantling gender roles and the sexualization of young girls is too “radical?”

Or maybe it was too sexually explicit to depict gender dysphoria in a raw and honest way that not only acts as a refuge for those needing representation, but also as a learning opportunity for those looking to understand their neighbour. 

Kobabe’s journey from a fanfiction writing tween struggling to understand why eir can’t move through life equal to eir’s peers, to an adult on a mission to ensure no other transgender children feel the alienation or sense of “wrongness” that filtered through eirs childhood is as memorable as it is raw. One particular scene that really drove this message home for me was an earlier recount of when Kobabe transitioned from homeschool to public school, and feeling like eir was eons behind social norms than eirs female classmates for not understanding why women have to shave their legs, why they cannot swim with their shirt off, or why girls were so obsessed with boys. It was this novel’s transition from a sense of other to togetherness that filled this story not with sadness, but instead a profound message of hope. 

Maia Kobabe’s Genderqueer opened my eyes to a new perspective—the end goal of any great novel, I am so bold as to claim. Yet, it is hard to understand how a government could remove this teacher from shelves in the act of “protecting children” when unrestricted internet access and the normalization of extremely harmful actual pornographic content (found everywhere on Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube) are left out of the conversation. How is this novel—detailing the journey from self-hatred to self-love—harmful?

I’ll save you the trouble: it’s not. 

The fearmongering of queer spaces through the right-wing dog whistle of “protecting the children” isn’t about children at all: it’s about enacting harmful narratives to raise a generation that fears each other and anyone who dares to live authentically. The most important role we have now as an audience is to read and surround ourselves with as many “radical” perspectives as possible, ensuring everyone is given the same right to go through this life with peace, kindness, love, and respect. 

Artist Spotlight: Bob Cole & Modern Music Studio

by Mikaela Brewer, ​for The 44 North

Senior Editor

A bright yellow Modern Music Studio logo with black letters

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“We see it time and time again in our studio. The kids who come to see us often have this perception that music is magic, that it can’t be understood. Learning about melody and harmony, chord progressions, and just how simple the construction of their favourite music is, a lot of the time, helps to break down that mysticism, making learning the language of music more accessible. ”

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Editor's Note: I had the absolute privilege of chatting all things learning music with Bob Cole, founder of Modern Music Studio—a community-focused group of musicians & teachers emphasizing student-directed lessons & learning as fun. Please enjoy our discussion!

Mikaela Brewer (MB): Modern Music Studio provides a space for everyone to “discover their musical passions on their own terms.” I love how this implies an inherent potential & possibility in a world that teaches us we can't approach music without ‘talent’. What does this mean to you? How have you seen this discovery happen at the studio?

Bob Cole (BC): This is a really important philosophy, or foundation of our studio. We truly believe that EVERYONE has music inside of them. Nothing irks me more than someone saying, “I wish I could play an instrument, but I just wasn’t born with it”. There is this myth that musicians are created at birth, and that truly isn't the case. We just have to find what music connects with you, and allow that music to flow through you. Anyone who loves music, anyone who loves to dance, anyone who loves to air drum or air guitar, anyone who lip syncs their favourite songs—truly, anyone can learn to play an instrument. 

We see it time and time again in our studio. The kids who come to see us often have this perception that music is magic, that it can’t be understood. Learning about melody and harmony, chord progressions, and just how simple the construction of their favourite music is, a lot of the time, helps to break down that mysticism, making learning the language of music more accessible. The adult students are a totally different case altogether. I’ve seen many adult students who wanted to learn an instrument but were unsure because they’d never done it before, or believed the “born with it” myth. Breaking down those barriers can be difficult; we all become a bit more stubborn in our older years. But for those who are willing to put in the work, stop believing the myth, and instead believe in the music inside of them, it can be tremendously rewarding (not just for them, but for us as well). We have students who came to us with no musical knowledge in their 50s and 60s and are now playing open mics or jams regularly around town. Watching students begin to believe in the music inside of them is perhaps our greatest source of joy. 

MB: On student leadership: because part of the magic is discovery, choosing an instrument, style, repertoire, and pace of learning offers creative control that's supportive for anyone, but perhaps especially for young people! Tell us more about what this looks like—what if a student doesn’t (yet) know what makes them special? 

BC: Such a great question. All of our instructors focus on positivity and building a love of music first and foremost. So the focus isn’t really on accomplishment (though that’s often a nice by-product), but on building a positive relationship with their creativity. It is a very vulnerable position that students put themselves in when they come to see us. We are asking them to share something that is a very personal connection: their personal taste in music. Initially, it can be difficult for them to share what it is about music they love. Our instructors are versatile and understanding in a way that makes kids feel comfortable and ready to share what music makes them feel special. We focus on positivity and listen to music through our students' lens to find their joy and help foster their connection to music in that moment. And it can often be in the least expected places! We have taught music from movies, video games, and even a radio jingle! Teaching songs that kids (and adults) recognize and connect with allows them to feel that connection and understand that what they love about music is distinct and unique to them alone. The benefits for self-esteem and confidence building with kids have been incredible to see. 

MB: On having fun: how have you seen the joy of growth/learning impacted—or maybe shifted from the way we think about learning at school—by empowering students to learn music they love?

BC: Fun is such an important part of learning in our view. By focusing on loving music first, we sort of create that carrot on the stick. The goal isn’t to learn ‘this’ scale so that you can play ‘this’ song. We teach it a bit backwards. We teach the song and then, once they’ve grown some confidence and connection to that piece, we start to show them maybe what scale it’s using, or what a score of that song looks like and how to read it, or perhaps how to transpose that song to another key so that it matches their voice. This resonates in a huge way with students. Not only can they learn their favourite songs, but they can start to understand the theory behind how these songs are constructed. By starting with fun, we sort of “trick” students into learning the nuts and bolts of music. So much of education is focused on learning a concept or a theory first, then it moves to how that theory is applied. Some educators came along and disrupted this idea (think Bill Nye or Mark Rober). They start with the application, then work backward to the theory. It’s a much more fun way to learn, in our opinion. The added benefit is that the student gets to choose the “application” (the song) that allows them to learn the theory, which makes them that much more engaged and connected to their learning. 

MB: On building community: we all know that tending connection is community care. Modern Music Studio has such a dedicated group of skilled, supportive teachers, but part of your goal is to connect students to their peers to learn songs together, form bands, and make friendships. The studio is located in a warm, cozy house in downtown Barrie, but what does community look like outside of sessions?

BC: We have so many students, for whatever reason, who seem to have difficulty fitting in with other walks of life, or difficulty with confidence in other areas. But when they walk through our doors, they get to feel like a rock star. And we’ve seen these kids’ confidence soar beyond our walls, to the performances we put on (Five Points Theatre, Aqua Theatre Orillia, and the Barrie Legion), and to the weekly jams we host. We’ve watched friendships grow and provided a sense of belonging for some kids who really needed it. As the years have gone on, we’ve watched kids graduate to university or college arts programs (one was even accepted to Harvard!). It's been super rewarding to help these kids find their footing and build their sense of belonging along the way. I think our approach—focusing on fun, encouraging a multi-instrumentalist approach, encouraging students to play music with their peers, to perform and to write and record songs—it’s given students a sense of belonging that maybe they didn’t have before they began lessons.

When I first had the idea for our studio, I wanted first and foremost for it to be a place where students who love music would find others like them and to bond over that love. I wanted to build a community of young musicians. The mutual passion for music we see in our students is incredible, and we love knowing that we’ve helped to create friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. 

MB: How can folks reading this spotlight support the musicians at Modern Music Studio—teachers & students alike?

BC: First and foremost, support the arts in our community in any way you can! The knock-on effects of that will benefit all of us who are trying to enrich our beautiful city through the creative arts. 

If you are interested in finding out more about music lessons with us, please go to modernmusicstudio.ca or email modernmusicbarrie@gmail.com to ask us any questions you might have. 

And finally, keep an eye out for all the amazing things our students and teachers are doing in our community, from working with at-risk or underprivileged youth (Glowing Hearts Charity, Orillia Youth Centre), to bi-annual performances at the Five Points Theatre and other venues around town, where you may find one of our students or teachers playing. We also have the amazing band Jupiter Hollow, who have members teaching with us, and then there is Sammy Johnston, who is an incredible blues/rock musician. Alondra Vega-Zaldivar is working as musical director this fall with the South Simcoe Theatre. And we have our choir starting up this spring that will be led by the incredibly talented Gillian Seaman. So look for their performances as well, and be sure to cheer super loud for our float at the Santa Claus parade in November! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep track of all the cool things we are up to. And a vote for us in the Reader's Choice Awards in October would be really great too!

Artist Spotlight: Wenzdae Anaïs Brewster (she/her)

by Mikaela Brewer ​for The 44 North

Wenzdae sitting on a wooden chair next to a window. She is wearing a green, brown, and red patterned skirt and a flowy white top. She has tattoos, lots of jewelry, piercings, and large glasses. Her hair is blond and cropped short, and she has light brown skin. Next to her are several plants and a wooden side table with a lamp.

Multimedia Artist: digital, traditional beadwork, oddity work, and painting 

Wenzdae (she/her) is an Afro-Indigenous, multi-media artist hailing from the Georgian Bay Metis Community, of which she is a registered and claimed member. She is a direct descendant of the Clermont-Dusome, Trudeau-Papanaathyhianencoe and Beausoliel-Giroux family lines, and her lineage is traced to Manitoba as well as Barbados on her paternal side.

Wenzdae is an accomplished artist with many credits to her name. She specializes in jewellery production, Indigenous beadwork, graphic design, and traditional hand-poke tattoos. Wenzdae has over 13 years of experience and mentorship under her belt.

Her credits include artworks published in both media and television, including creating beadwork for ‘Motherland: Fort Salem’ and an upcoming season of

‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ as well as outfitting several Indigenous community leaders and celebrities.

She is a published author, illustrator and photographer, with one of her iconic images being named amongst CBC’s top 12 best Canadian book covers of 2017. She was also a recipient of the 2013 James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Award and has multiple upcoming projects and publications coming in the following years through her agency (Trans Atlantic Agency) and Swift Water Books.

Website: wenzdaeweird.ca

Instagram: instagram.com/wenzdaeweird.ca

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“My roots will always play a key role in how I think, how I create and perceive the world but they will not define or limit me as an artist. I hope people see that art and culture are not the same as history. Culture is forever shifting and growing, evolving and expanding. Finding new ways to implement old techniques into modernity is one of the ways we carry our ancestors into the present.”

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For a few years, I've had the absolute privilege of wearing and admiring Wenzdae's art. Please spend some time with her responses to my questions about her work, alongside photographs of the variety of art she crafts!

M: For each of your projects/artworks, is there a story behind their crafting/creation process that you'd like to share?

W: Each creation is made different but with equal intention and care. I never truly have a plan going into a new piece (even when I think I do—haha). The theme of the work varies based on what I want to emphasize or project into the world, but the foundation of all my creations is my culture. I spent years under the mentorship of my chosen aunt, June Taylor, who taught me everything I know about Indigenous beadwork (specifically woodlands aesthetic) while we sat at her kitchen table. No matter what I create, the foundation of my knowledge stems back to those days. 

M: How do you, your family, ancestry, community, politics, and values braid into your work on these projects? Where/how, especially, would you like folks to witness/experience this when spending time with your work? Is there anything you hope people pay particular attention to? Take action with/from?

W: I am an intuitive artist who also happens to be Black and Indigenous, as well as European and South Asian. My creative knowledge stems from my Metis heritage, which I grew up deeply entrenched in—from plant medicine knowledge to resistance through storytelling. I like to think of my work as culturally rooted in that heritage but able to be enjoyed by all. I have no intention of separating myself, my beliefs or morals from my work. I like to call myself a radical hippie—as I strongly stand for freedom and equality, which has never truly been achieved by the “peace and love” motto we typically identify with hippie culture, particularly as it pertains to non-western communities. My roots will always play a key role in how I think, how I create and perceive the world, but they will not define or limit me as an artist. I hope people see that art and culture are not the same as history. Culture is forever shifting and growing, evolving and expanding. Finding new ways to implement old techniques into modernity is one of the ways we carry our ancestors into the present.

M: If these projects could speak, what might they say/offer? If not in words, what might they offer in energy? Mind, body, heart, spirit? 

W: My work would offer a new perspective on mixed identity, not one that “waters down” any one of the cultures in my background but one that incorporates, shares and enhances each, in particular, the ways in which they connect and alchemize into something uniquely beautiful. Love knows no boundaries or borders, so cultural appreciation is essential for the ethical trading of knowledge, skills, stories, and arts. My work embraces elements of the aesthetics and environmentally informed processes that underpin my understanding of art, while also bringing its own unique characteristics that have been made possible through the act of true cross-cultural communication. 

Hand-painted ethically harvested animal skulls with upcycled vintage frames (2024-2025).

Accessibility text: An array of animal skulls painted in many different colours, shapes, and designs.

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Modern beadwork created for the set of “Motherland: Fort Salem (2023)”

Accessibility text: Several women (characters) from the show "Motherland: Fort Salem" wearing a variety of Wenzdae's beaded jewelry, especially earrings.

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A sample of diverse styles & mediums re: original illustrations for current & forthcoming projects

Accessibility text: 2 paintings of Indigenous women in pink and purple dresses decorated with rainbows, flowers, and butterflies. They are also wearing black and white feathers in their hair.

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Eighteen unique images commissioned by Indigenous Geographic

Accessibility text: "A diverse and visually vibrant range of illustrations inspired by Métis culture, ensuring accuracy and respect for traditional design elements.” The images include canoes, flowers, moccasins, and more!

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Utilizing natural & upcycled materials, glass cut beads and ethically harvested and treated animal products. Samples from recent commissioned and creative projects (2022-2025)

Accessibility text: Many pieces of beaded jewelry in different colours, including rings, earrings, necklaces, and small purses. They feature images of water, trees, people, flowers, and other shapes.

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Early draft illustrations for ‘THE GIRL WHO COLLECTED STARS’ (Swift Water Books/Penguin Random House Canada, forthcoming 2026)

Accessibility text: 2 drawings of a young girl with medium brown skin, brown curly hair, and round glasses. In the first, she is looking out the window of an apartment building at night, through purple curtains. The building is surrounded by flowers and stars, and a small black cat looks out the window next to her. In the second image, the girl is standing on a green stool with blue flowers, looking into a mirror. She's wearing a striped purple dress and pink socks.

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Signature Beadwork Style

Accessibility text: This signature style came from a dream Wenzdae had of beautiful birch bark paddles dripping with beaded florals and berries, and they carried people to and from the river banks. Upon waking up, she knew she had to re-create this vision. The Métis (also known as the floral beadwork people) are known for their intricate botanical beadwork designs on materials such as plush velvet. Wenzdae combined the teardrop shape of an ore with colourful materials and glass cut beads to make her staple beadwork design she’s now known for. You can view these creations on her website or on the big screen.

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