Ready for a mind-bending journey through queer history, identity, and shapeshifting adventure? Join our New York City group for an engaging and vibrant evening at our August Book Club meeting as we dive headfirst into Andrea Lawlor’s razor-sharp novel, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl. This gathering is a fantastic opportunity to step away from the blueprints and construction sites to connect with fellow queer and ally professionals over a story pulsing with music, passion, and deep exploration of gender and intimacy. Come ready to share your perspective, spark new insights, and build meaningful relationships with a community that celebrates exactly who you are beyond the clock.
Register To Join Us!
Book Club is free to attend, but space is limited so be sure to secure your spot quickly.
What To Expect
Sharp Dialogue: Unpack a brilliant, fast-paced story that explores the deep queer archives of struggle, transformation, and pleasure.
Industry Intersect: Step outside your day-to-day role and bond with peers across the design, construction, and real estate industry over a shared love of great storytelling.
Fresh Perspectives: Gain unique insights into identity, fluidity, and history from a diverse circle of queer and ally professionals.
Lasting Connections: Build community beyond the profession in a fun, supportive setting that lifts everyone up with gusto.
About The Book
It’s 1993 and Paul Polydoris tends bar at the only gay club in a university town thrumming with politics and partying. He studies queer theory, has a dyke best friend, makes zines, and is a flaneur with a rich dating life. But Paul’s also got a secret: he’s a shapeshifter. Oscillating wildly from Riot Grrrl to leather cub, Paul transforms his body and his gender at will as he crossed the country––a journey and adventure through the deep queer archives of struggle and pleasure. Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl is a riotous, razor-sharp bildungsroman whose hero/ine wends his/her way through a world gutted by loss, pulsing with music, and opening into an array of intimacy and connections.
About The Author
Andrea Lawlor is the author of two chapbooks, Position Papers (Factory Hollow Press, 2016), and Position Papers (Belladonna*, 2024), as well as a novel, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl (Rescue Press, 2017; Vintage, 2019; Picador UK, 2019). Their stories, essays, and poems have appeared in publications such as Ploughshares, The Brooklyn Rail, jubilat, and The New York Times. They are the recipient of a Whiting Award for Fiction and the Prix Sade, as well as fellowships from Lambda Literary, Radar Labs, the Ucross Foundation, and Macdowell. They are an Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Mount Holyoke College, and live in Western Massachusetts.
Still have questions?
Reach out to Tommy Guerra at tguerra@buildoutalliance.org with questions or for more information.
About Book Club
The Build Out Alliance book club brings members of our community together, from avid readers to short-story dabblers, around many queer voices captured by the written word. Our meetings include open and honest conversations about each book, where we welcome all critiques and opinions. Many of these books are an opportunity to educate ourselves about queer history and identity, often linked to some of the most pressing issues we face today. Book Club’s range of selections intentionally promotes insight into a wide spectrum of topics, identities, and stories within the queer community.