Elliot Page Reveals 6 Books That Made a Difference

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In his highly anticipated memoir, Pageboy, actor Elliot Page shares intimate stories about secret love affairs, battling body image, and struggling with family discord. Out now, the book delves into the universal human experience of searching for one’s true self.

Page skyrocketed to fame (and earned an Oscar nomination) for his role in 2007’s Juno. Popular movies like Inception and Whip It followed, cementing his status as a respected actor. From the outside, it was easy to assume Page had it all. But internally, he was struggling to find his place. In 2014, Page publicly came out as gay. And, in 2020, he shared that he was trans.

His memoir details much of his experience and describes how he found joy. Here, he shares books that inspired him along his journey.

“I hope everyone reads this. Miss Major speaks with such profound wisdom, highlighting the realities for Black trans women and how much the mainstream LGTBQ+ movement has left the most vulnerable behind and purposefully excluded those who are responsible for the groundbreaking acts of resistance that have changed our culture. If there is a book to read and someone to listen and learn from, it’s Miss Major.”

“Read this if you have queer people in your family—which means everyone should read this. Sarah Schulman never lets us off the hook in the best possible ways. She shows us that these are not just individual problems but a societal crisis. A book I have read and reread many times over.”

“I couldn’t put this down—even the painful parts that were hard to read. Brian Broome’s writing is unparalleled. The way he tells his story helped me be more complete with the details I chose to reveal about my own life. Whole paragraphs in this book left me audibly gasping.”

“Thomas explores what it is to be a man through his journey of becoming the first trans man to box in Madison Square Garden. He investigates how we define masculinity and what type of man he wants to be. This is a such a unique true story, one that inspired me and offered me hope, and it is so beautifully written.”

“C. Riley Snorton’s Black on Both Sides is full of essential information about historical intersections between Blackness and transness. Snorton draws a direct line from the past to what we are witnessing today with anti-trans legislation, highlighting the erasure of the Black trans experience and representation throughout history.”

“Alexander Chee intertwines his personal story with broader political and social issues. In these powerful and intimate essays, he explores the process and importance of writing, what it means to be honest with oneself, what it means to learn about who we are and crack ourselves open to tell our truth.”

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