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Abstract

17c">In Amazon’s 9-part global thriller The Power, all teenage girls in the modern world <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-power-the-basics-of-amazons-paradigm-shifting-series-e41b10d90327?sk=7803ab9024228a043b68929a29df321b">suddenly develop the power to electrocute people at will</a>. It’s hereditary, it’s inbuilt, and it can’t be taken away from them.Younger girls can awaken the Power in older women. Soon enough, every woman in the world can do it. And with that comes a startling reversal in gender-based power dynamics — and the revelation that <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-reason-people-keep-thinking-the-power-might-be-transphobic-71cbb2800b75?sk=dc8467cc54176b95ac37742b4bee8e71">how the world responds may merely repeat the mistakes of the past</a>.Since publication, I’ve read the book at least once a year. You could say I’m obsessed, but why wouldn’t I be?See also: <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-power-explaining-the-shows-connection-to-the-handmaid-s-tale-7787988125ca?sk=32a42027da1613fac51063dc6e3ca7dc">Why The Power Wouldn’t Exist Without The Handmaid’s Tale</a>I’ve been in publishing for a LONG time. I’ve edited my share of award-winning and best-selling authors. I am a <a href="https://readmedium.com/this-is-what-i-mean-when-i-say-patriarchy-is-evil-regardless-of-a-persons-gender-b9f6221fae86">transgender identical twin</a>. I have a Master’s in Journalism. I volunteer every year with <a href="https://readmedium.com/announcing-donors-for-the-2023-writers-for-hope-auction-74a3dc8c3c3e?sk=500a7633340b9f88cb3ebc5559916f06">Writers For Hope to support sexual violence survivors</a>. I am the second-only transgender <a href="https://readmedium.com/mfw-i-am-a-40-under-40-nominee-6ba3f8d58423?sk=3c48a344fd144910f7715b8c9776fdb5">nominee for 40 Under 40</a> from UGA. I cover “invisible” trans representation in media throughout history.So believe me when I tell you that despite being written by a cisgender woman, The Power has <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-reason-people-keep-thinking-the-power-might-be-transphobic-71cbb2800b75?sk=dc8467cc54176b95ac37742b4bee8e71">some of the most powerful representation for trans people</a> I’ve ever encountered.<h2 id="942b">As a trans woman, this book makes me feel seen</h2>And the show? Naomi Alderman deliberately worked with trans people — <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-power-the-basics-of-amazons-paradigm-shifting-series-e41b10d90327?sk=7803ab9024228a043b68929a29df321b">including casting the acclaimed trans actress Daniela Vega from the Academy Award Winning movie A Fantastic Woman (2017) in a pivotal role</a> — to ensure Amazon Studio’s adaptation of her NYT best-selling book offers everyone in the trans community as much Power as they can claim to fight back.The Power premieres March 31 on Prime Video <figure id="b47a"> <div>

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    </figure></iframe></div></div></figure><h2 id="56e0">Catch up with our ongoing exclusive coverage of The Power</h2><figure id="80fc"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*6Hd_V0et9WK1J3Xo.png"><figcaption><a href="https://readmedium.com/translating-the-power-an-exclusive-recap-show-for-the-amazon-original-series-3fff4817757b?sk=9622aada0d8076683bea2fca850a1d1b">TRANSlating The Power: An Exclusive Recap Show For The Amazon Original Series</a></figcaption></figure><ul><li><a href="https://cooltransmom.substack.com/p/barack-obamas-favorite-book-of-2017">Barack Obama’s Favorite Book Of 2017 Is Now A Trans-Allied TV Show</a></li><li><a href="https://readmedium.com/the-power-the-basics-of-amazons-paradigm-shifting-series-e41b10d90327?sk=7803ab9024228a043b68929a29df321b">The Power: The Basics Of Amazon’s Paradigm-Shifting Series</a></li><li><a href="https://readmedium.com/the-power-explaining-the-shows-connection-to-the-handmaid-s-tale-7787988125ca?sk=32a42027da1613fac51063dc6e3ca7dc">The Power: Explaining The Show’s Connection To The Handmaid’s Tale</a></li><li><a href="https://readmedium.com/the-reason-people-keep-thinking-the-power-might-be-transphobic-71cbb2800b75?sk=dc8467cc54176b95ac37742b4bee8e71">The Reason People Keep Thinking “The Power” Might Be Transphobic</a></li></ul><h2 id="446e">Guess what?</h2><p id="c979">I only need two more words to end the article. I’ll bet you can already guess what they are.</p><figure id="9455"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*k9I77XXn9IrLQWIT4Bd_Ew.gif"><figcaption>THANKS OBAMA</figcaption></figure><h2 id="4fec">PS. Barack Obama And Translating Everything Recommend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</h2><p id="d1d5">On his 2017 reading list, former US president Barack Obama also recommended sports books <i>Coach Wooden and Me</i> by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Grand Central Publishing) and <i>Basketball (and Other Things)</i> by Shea Serrano (Abrams).</p><p id="6443">To keep up with Kareem, check out his Substack: <a href="https://kareem.substack.com/p/welcome-to-my-world-of-sports-politics">Welcome to My World of Sports, Politics and Pop Culture</a></p><p id="83a1"><i>If you like my work and want to support it, <a href="https://ko-fi.com/stephenieedits">buy me a cup of coffee</a> or become a paid subscriber for <a href="https://cooltransmom.substack.com/">Translating Everything</a></i></p></article></body>

Barack Obama’s Favorite Book Of 2017 Is Now A Trans-Allied Sci-Fi TV Show

Barack Obama, The Man In The Golden Tower, And “The Power” To Fight Back

Graphics by Stephenie, elements from Barack Obama, Trump, Hitler, The Comey Rule (CBS/Showtime), and a filter in the ToonMe app

The year after Trump got elected, President Obama suggested everyone read a book that could change the world

Obama’s last day in office was January 19th, 2017, after which Donald Trump was inaugurated, threatened to burn the country to the ground, and then nearly did so by inciting an insurrection on January 6, 2021.

On the other end of the spectrum, former President Barack Obama told everyone to read a book about empowerment that gives voice to all women, men, and gender non-conforming people who promise to never let abusive men take that kind of control again.

It’s tradition

In what has since become tradition covered in outlets as near as Medium and as far as the former US president’s own Facebook, Barack Obama named British author Naomi Alderman’s The Power as one of his favorite books of 2017.

President Obama’s Facebook (click through to see President Obama’s full list)

In his post, Obama wrote:

During my presidency, I started a tradition of sharing my reading lists and playlists. It was a nice way to reflect on the works that resonated with me and lift up authors and artists from around the world. With some extra time on my hands this year to catch up, I wanted to share the books and music that I enjoyed most.

Published first by Viking in the UK, The Power grabbed the £30,000 Baileys Prize, the fiction choice for Foyles’ Book of the Year, and later settled on top of the NYT best-seller list before being adapted into the upcoming Amazon Studios original series.

In Amazon’s 9-part global thriller The Power, all teenage girls in the modern world suddenly develop the power to electrocute people at will. It’s hereditary, it’s inbuilt, and it can’t be taken away from them.

Younger girls can awaken the Power in older women. Soon enough, every woman in the world can do it. And with that comes a startling reversal in gender-based power dynamics — and the revelation that how the world responds may merely repeat the mistakes of the past.

Since publication, I’ve read the book at least once a year. You could say I’m obsessed, but why wouldn’t I be?

I’ve been in publishing for a LONG time. I’ve edited my share of award-winning and best-selling authors. I am a transgender identical twin. I have a Master’s in Journalism. I volunteer every year with Writers For Hope to support sexual violence survivors. I am the second-only transgender nominee for 40 Under 40 from UGA. I cover “invisible” trans representation in media throughout history.

So believe me when I tell you that despite being written by a cisgender woman, The Power has some of the most powerful representation for trans people I’ve ever encountered.

As a trans woman, this book makes me feel seen

And the show? Naomi Alderman deliberately worked with trans people — including casting the acclaimed trans actress Daniela Vega from the Academy Award Winning movie A Fantastic Woman (2017) in a pivotal role — to ensure Amazon Studio’s adaptation of her NYT best-selling book offers everyone in the trans community as much Power as they can claim to fight back.

The Power premieres March 31 on Prime Video

Catch up with our ongoing exclusive coverage of The Power

TRANSlating The Power: An Exclusive Recap Show For The Amazon Original Series

Guess what?

I only need two more words to end the article. I’ll bet you can already guess what they are.

PS. Barack Obama And Translating Everything Recommend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

On his 2017 reading list, former US president Barack Obama also recommended sports books Coach Wooden and Me by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Grand Central Publishing) and Basketball (and Other Things) by Shea Serrano (Abrams).

To keep up with Kareem, check out his Substack: Welcome to My World of Sports, Politics and Pop Culture

If you like my work and want to support it, buy me a cup of coffee or become a paid subscriber for Translating Everything