Jennifer Finney Boylan

Jennifer Finney Boylan, born on June 22, 1958, is a distinguished professor at Barnard College, a celebrated author, and a prominent advocate for transgender rights. After earning her degree from Wesleyan University in 1980, she pursued graduate studies in English at Johns Hopkins University.

From 1988 to 2014, Boylan was a faculty member at Colby College, where she received the prestigious title of "Professor of the Year" in 2000. In 2014, she transitioned to Barnard College, where she currently serves as a Professor of English and the Anna Quindlen Writer-in-Residence.

Boylan's advocacy work includes being the first openly transgender co-chair of GLAAD's National Board of Directors from 2013 to 2017. She is actively involved with the Policy Advisory Board of Gender Rights Maryland and is a trustee of the Kinsey Institute for Research on Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.

As an accomplished author, Boylan has penned thirteen books, encompassing novels, short story collections, and memoirs. Her groundbreaking 2003 memoir, *She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders*, was the first bestseller by an openly transgender American and is hailed by *The Advocate* as a pivotal work in transgender literature. Her 2020 memoir, *Good Boy: My Life in Seven Dogs*, further showcases her narrative talent. Additionally, from October 2007 until April 2022, she contributed opinion pieces to *The New York Times*. In October 2022, she collaborated with bestselling author Jodi Picoult on a novel titled *Mad Honey*.