Mons Bissenbakker, Copenhagen University, invites nordlitt to a conversation about new Danish literature on trans experiences. We discuss how trans writers navigate existing narratives and seek alternative modes of expression within a system that resists ambivalence – both its own and that of others. We also speculate about the problem of masculinity and find resonances between being on testosterone and menopause. Revisiting a story by Victoria Benedictsson/Ernst Ahlgren, Mons Bissenbakker demonstrates a new trans reading, navigating between resonance and recognition, and offering insights into 19th century sexology and the figure of the invert. Last but not least, he outs nordlitt's final question as a rather “trans” enquiry.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Introducing Mons Bissenbakker

(00:03:00) Literature as a Way of Establishing Conversation

(00:06:16) Transgender Literature in a Danish Context 

(00:14:37) The Relationship to Language, Narrative and Genre

(00:24:41) Gry Stokkendahl Dalgas and At performe transkønnet vrede

(00:31:52) Luka Holmegaard and Havet i munden

(00:37:51) Understanding Pain and Suffering through the Medical System versus SM

(00:49:35) Building Community and its Political Implications

(56:16:00) Victoria Benediction/Ernst Ahlgren through a “Trans-Lens”

(01:04:32) ”Ur mörkret” and Reading for Resonance and Recognition

(01:10:17) The Figure of the Invert 

(01:18:25) Misogynist Feminism

(00:27:42) Naming and Understanding the Author Ernst Ahlgren

(01:34:38) Future Research Projects

(01:37:04) Advice to Student-Self (“a very trans-question”!)

Bibliography, further information, and comments are available on Experiment Geisteswissenschaften.

https://exgeist.hypotheses.org/category/nordlitt

Idea and conception: Stefanie von Schnurbein

Cut: Cecilia Falkman