Interview III. Kit Thurston-Mathews
discusses the junction between identity and writing
Description: Kit Thurston-Mathews is a prolific writer from England who is seeking to pioneer transgender representation in literature and encourage others to honor their voices. In this interview, Kit Thurston-Mathews discusses the junction between identity and writing.
Introduction to Kit Thurston-Mathews: Hello, I’m Kit! I’m a 21 year old trans man with the absolute pleasure of doing this interview today.
Kit! I’m so grateful to be interviewing you today. You are one of the best upcoming writers I’ve had the pleasure of publishing and I couldn’t think of anyone better to approach for an interview. Therefore, can you tell me what made you decide to pursue writing as a career?
Thank you for the honor! Around early 2024 I decided to make a go out of creative writing more seriously—I had neglected the craft somewhat during my teenage years, and realize now it is an incredibly important outlet for me. What I couldn’t always say out loud, I said in prose, poems. I love expanding my worldview with what I read, and connecting with it too. It’s something I aim to do with my writing.
Beautiful imagery (especially with nature) is often found to be the highlight of your works. Tell me why utilizing this literary device in your expression is so important to you. How does it amplify the messages you seek to convey in your works?
I’ve come to the realization recently—not a new realization by any means—that Nature is very important in conveying certain themes, particularly the queer experience. It harbors and protects those who are not accepted or welcomed in public spaces. In that light, Nature and natural spaces become important not just for queer people but for anyone that faces discrimination or alienation. I love Grace Nichol’s poem Beauty for this reason, the final stanza particularly:
Beauty
is a fat black woman
riding the waves
drifting in happy oblivion
while the sea turns back
to hug her shape
In “Seafarer”, one of your poems available to read on your Instagram page, you create this beautiful, complex atmosphere by expressing how though Earth is a solace for humans, it is immortal. Can you tell me what drove you to produce such a message? Can it even be interpreted as a metaphor for oneself in regards to identity—as in, though we’ll always be humans, our true identity is forever immortal?
When I first started writing Seafarer, I realized—perhaps subconsciously—that the idea of solace and mortality could go hand in hand. That it is the fact that nothing is immortal could be something of a comfort. Even a dead star’s light will take a long time to fade out completely. I liked that idea. I thought the sentiment applies to us as well. Through memory, even in mortality do we find a way to be immortal.
Transgender authors, unfortunately, make up a very small percentage in the writing world. Therefore, it is safe to say we need more representation. Tell me how you intend to use your platform, expression, and passion to pioneer more representation of transgender authors who aspire to tell their stories to the world?
It's a scary time for trans people. It’s been scary for a minute. But I want to use my platform to show people that we exist, and will continue to exist. It means so much to see and read other trans authors; I hope my work will resonate with the people in my community and encourage them to tell their stories too.
How has your identity contributed to the development of your writing?
After a relatively tumultuous battle with identity, I have arrived now at a sort of clarity with it. As much clarity as I can get at this point in my life. I’ve been on hormones for ten months, and it genuinely feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I think my work reflects the peace and euphoria I’ve found in transitioning.
As a fellow author involved in the literary magazine scene, how has your experience been? Do you often find visibility within the community, or do you think more efforts should be made to platform queer voices?
I’ve come across many magazines that prioritize and utilize queer voices, particularly within smaller magazines, which I am grateful for. I would love to see more magazines dedicated to promoting trans voices, especially at a time such as this.
Tell me about your favorite publication experience. What piece got published? Who published it? Why was it your favorite experience?
It would probably have been my poem “23.05.24” for Bitter Melon Review’s Pride Issue. I’d written that poem after applying my first dose of testosterone, and it was a joy to have that published. It’s nice to look back on that issue and see how far I’ve come since then, both in terms of transition and writing skill.
What is your biggest ambition and how do you intend to fulfill it?
I am really determined to publish a book; whether it be a novel, a collection of short stories, or a collection of poems. It would be a big achievement on my part. Outside of publishing, I am also interested in building accessible and free literary spaces for people to engage with books. The reason why I love to read so much is, in part, due to my parents encouraging that love. Books are incredibly important, and I want to give people a chance to love them as much as I do.
Similarly to what I asked during an interview last week, what is your best piece of advice to young queer and BIPOC people who want to achieve great things like you have?
It’s kind of a simple one, but keep writing. Show people you are here, and you always intend to be here. I’ve come across such beautiful work from young queer and BIPOC authors, so to those of you who are reading this: your work, what you write, matters.
And you know me, I love to ask the tough questions—who is your favorite writer?
It would probably be Max Porter, who writes books that are a blend of poetry and prose. I was recommended his book Grief is the Thing with Feathers, and it was the first time I read something like it. He writes in a way that is introspective, compassionate, and totally unique. I had the distinct pleasure of attending a reading for his recent book Shy, and that kind of cemented the love of his work for me.
Kit Thurston-Mathews’ Biography: Kit Thurston-Mathews is a writer and poet based in Stroud England. Being queer has influenced a lot of what he sets out to write and his work focuses primarily on identity and connection. He is currently in the second year of his creative writing course; he intends to pursue a writing career beyond this, aiming to publish wherever and whenever he can.