Agitation

Alexandrine Ogundimu Agitation (2022)
This approximately continues the story from Ogundimu's Desperate and is, I would guess, at least partially autobiographical by some definition, because the detail seems too painfully well observed for it to be otherwise. I don't recall Desperate as being particularly lacking in any sense, but Agitation nevertheless seems to take it up a few notches, whatever it is, relating a thoroughly grim narrative yet without itself being grim, refusing to push buttons or play the usual sympathy cards. In this respect it reminds me a little of John Fante, although this may simply be because I read The Road to Los Angeles fairly recently.

I'm almost hesitant to mention that Ogundimu is a transwoman and that V, the narrator of Agitation, is an autogynephile, because although this is an element of the story, it's simply one component of the whole, but one which might be seen to eclipse everything else given the current climate of social media - which would be misleading and a disservice to the author. Indeed, the subject is such that I'm reluctant to elaborate beyond that Agitation sheds a refreshingly honest light on the matter; and by honest I mean unflinching and entirely free of the usual one size fits all empowerment horseshit which I doubt really helps anyone. This isn't porn, but neither is it an indictment or even dirty laundry, so thank Christ someone has the guts to write this stuff without doodling pink fucking unicorns in the margin.