Transcendence: Queer Restoryation invites readers into a world where distinctions of gender, time, and place become fluid and flexible. Binary ways of seeing the world will not simply disappear — we must actively replace them. 38 self-portrait photographs and six mythic tales explore paths beyond supposed binaries, creating new stories that empower, inspire, and heal. The book was recently published with Skylark Editions. See more from the project here.

We are trying to donate books to every LGBTQ+ library in the country! If you would like to support this effort, please donate here or share with friends and family, and if you are an LGBTQ+ library, please reach out to me directly at [email protected].

Cai Quirk (they/them or ey/em) is a trans and genderqueer multi-disciplinary artist who focuses on the intersection of gender diversity throughout history, its erasure, and contemporary reclamation and restoryation. Their self-portrait series ‘Transcendence’ engages with connections between gender, mythology, and nature-based spirituality, and came out as a book in March of 2023 with Skylark Editions (available here).

In the last seven months, Cai has given over fifty talks and workshops in conferences across America, and their work was exhibited in five photo shows in October 2022 alone, in three states and two countries. In the spring of 2022 Cai received the Minnie Jane Scholarship and a four-month artist residency from the Pendle Hill Quaker Center. They received bachelor’s degrees in music and photography from Indiana University.