Out of the Ordinary: A Life of Gender and Spiritual Transitions
Michael Dillon; Lobzang Jivaka
Language: English
Published by Fordham University Press, New York, 2017
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: The Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB, Brooks Bay, TAS, AustraliaThe Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB
AbeBooks seller since November 21, 2016
Condition: Used
US$ 47.36
Quantity: 2 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
23.5cm x 16cm. xi, 238 pages. Matte papered boards, pictorial jacket. "Now available for the first time--more than 50 years after it was written--is the memoir of Michael Dillon/Lobzang Jivaka (1915-62), the British doctor and Buddhist monastic novice chiefly known to scholars of sex, gender, and sexuality for his pioneering transition from female to male between 1939 and 1949, and for his groundbreaking 1946 book Self: A Study in Ethics and Endocrinology. Here at last is Dillon/Jivaka's extraordinary life story told in his own words. Out of the Ordinary captures Dillon/Jivaka's various journeys--to Oxford, into medicine, across the world by ship--within the major narratives of his gender and religious journeys. Moving chronologically, Dillon/Jivaka begins with his childhood in Folkestone, England, where he was raised by his spinster aunts, and tells of his days at Oxford immersed in theology, classics, and rowing. He recounts his hormonal transition while working as an auto mechanic and fire watcher during World War II and his surgical transition under Sir Harold Gillies while Dillon himself attended medical school. He details his worldwide travel as a ship's surgeon in the British Merchant Navy with extensive commentary on his interactions with colonial and postcolonial subjects, followed by his "outing" by the British press while he was serving aboard The City of Bath. Out of the Ordinary is not only a salient record of an early sex transition but also a unique account of religious conversion in the mid-twentieth century. Dillon/Jivaka chronicles his gradual shift from Anglican Christianity to the esoteric spiritual systems of George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky to Theravada and finally Mahayana Buddhism. He concludes his memoir with the contested circumstances of his Buddhist monastic ordination in India and Tibet. Ultimately, while Dillon/Jivaka died before becoming a monk, his novice ordination was significant: It made him the first white European man to be ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Out of the Ordinary is a landmark publication that sets free a distinct voice from the history of the transgender movement." (publisher's blurb) Multiple copies available this title. Category: Biography & Autobiography; Magic, Mysticism & the Occult; LGBTIQ+::Gender Diversity; LGBTIQ+. ISBN/EAN: 9780823274802. Inventory No: 0021510.…
Seller Inventory # 0021510
- Title
- Out of the Ordinary: A Life of Gender and Spiritual Transitions
- Author
- Michael Dillon; Lobzang Jivaka
- Publisher
- Fordham University Press, New York
- Publication year
- 2017
- Condition
- New Book
- Dust jacket
- New
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0823274802
- ISBN 13
- 9780823274802
- Edition
- Reprint.
- Seller catalogs
- Biography & Autobiography
Now available for the first time―more than 50 years after it was written―is the memoir of Michael Dillon/Lobzang Jivaka (1915–62), the British doctor and Buddhist monastic novice chiefly known to scholars of sex, gender, and sexuality for his pioneering transition from female to male between 1939 and 1949, and for his groundbreaking 1946 book Self: A Study in Ethics and Endocrinology. Here at last is Dillon/Jivaka’s extraordinary life story told in his own words.
Out of the Ordinary captures Dillon/Jivaka’s various journeys―to Oxford, into medicine, across the world by ship―within the major narratives of his gender and religious journeys. Moving chronologically, Dillon/Jivaka begins with his childhood in Folkestone, England, where he was raised by his spinster aunts, and tells of his days at Oxford immersed in theology, classics, and rowing. He recounts his hormonal transition while working as an auto mechanic and fire watcher during World War II and his surgical transition under Sir Harold Gillies while Dillon himself attended medical school. He details his worldwide travel as a ship’s surgeon in the British Merchant Navy with extensive commentary on his interactions with colonial and postcolonial subjects, followed by his “outing” by the British press while he was serving aboard The City of Bath.
Out of the Ordinary is not only a salient record of an early sex transition but also a unique account of religious conversion in the mid–twentieth century. Dillon/Jivaka chronicles his gradual shift from Anglican Christianity to the esoteric spiritual systems of George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky to Theravada and finally Mahayana Buddhism. He concludes his memoir with the contested circumstances of his Buddhist monastic ordination in India and Tibet. Ultimately, while Dillon/Jivaka died before becoming a monk, his novice ordination was significant: It made him the first white European man to be ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Out of the Ordinary is a landmark publication that sets free a distinct voice from the history of the transgender movement.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Cameron Partridge is an Episcopal priest, theologian, scholar of trans and religious studies, and an openly transgender man. He has taught at Harvard University, Harvard Divinity School and Episcopal Divinity School and is currently the rector of St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in San Francisco.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
The Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB
Brooks Bay, TAS, Australia
Shipping rates from Australia to U.S.A.
| Item | 12 to 40 business days | 3 to 10 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | US$ 28.00 | US$ 45.00 |
Payment methods
- Bank Wire Transfer
- Cash
- Paypal
Store description
The Book Merchant Jenkins is an antiquarian bookseller and auction house buying and selling rare and interesting books in all genres with a focus on Sexuality, LGBTIQ+, Ethnopharmacology, Counterculture, and Art. After twenty years in Brisbane, The Book Merchant Jenkins has relocated to alongside the Huon River in far south Tasmania. The new book house will open to visitors in 2027. You can find Jenkins exhibiting at the following book fairs in 2026: London (14-17 May), Melbourne (30 July-1 August), Berlin (14-20 September), Sydney (22-24 October). Books can also be ordered online at any time.…
Specialty
General Antiquarian, Sexuality, LGBTIQ+, Ethnopharmacology, Counterculture, and Art.Association member
Seller's business information
The Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB
QLD, Australia
Terms of sale
We ship domestically and internationally every weekday using Australia Post, DHL, or the most practical carrier.
Ph. +61 413 469 509
Email: hello@thebookmerchantjenkins.com
Items guaranteed as described or a full refund including postage provided.
Change of mind returns can be initiated within 30 days. Return shipping in these cases is at your own expense. Provided the item is received in the same condition it was sent out in, you will receive a refund for the item price, shipping costs will not be refunded for change of mind returns. This refund policy does not apply to goods which have been used or damaged after delivery, or if any attempt has been made to alter the product, or if they have been dropped or broken. All products must be returned in their original condition. All postage and insurance costs are to be paid by the buyer. We recommend that you return the product via Registered post and that you pre-pay all postage. You assume any risk of lost, theft, or damaged goods during transit & therefore we advise you take out shipment registration of insurance with your postal carrier. The Book Merchant Jenkins will not be responsible for return parcels lost or damaged in transit if you choose not to insure.
Shipping terms
Each book packaged with the protection it needs to arrive in the exact condition it was sent out in.
In most cases orders are sent out the same or within 1 business day of being received.
Most orders within Australia should arrive within 2-7 business days, or express within 1-2 days.
Most international orders should arrive within 7-14 business days, longer to some remote areas, and can take up to 45 days.
International Express should arrive 3-7 days.
If it has been longer than 10 business days for Australian deliveries or 20 business days for International deliveries and you have not received your order, email us. Your parcel may be delayed in customs, or awaiting collection at your local post office.
In the extremely rare case a package is missing a replacement or full refund will be issued. Replacements or refunds will not be issued until Australia Post has concluded a missing parcel investigation. Investigation times can vary depending on the response time of Australia Post and their International Delivery Partners. Rest assured we care about your order's safe arrival. We are always available to answer your questions and thank you for your patience while an investigation is ongoing.