MEET KATE BORNSTEIN
“For me, mentoring is like breathing--it keeps me alive…New generations have taken my work so much further than I could ever have imagined, and when I'm working with a mentee, it's me who gets encouraged and inspired. Circle of life, right?”
Location: Middleton, Rhode Island
Disciplines: Theater, Playwriting, Literary fiction, Nonfiction/essays
Kate Bornstein, an author, playwright, and performer, has reshaped gender and identity conversations for over thirty years. Their books, including Gender Outlaw, My Gender Workbook, and Hello, Cruel World, offer a compassionate rethinking of living outside the binary. A longtime performer, they’ve toured internationally, debuted on Broadway at 70, and appeared in The Blacklist and I Am Cait. Their memoir, A Queer and Pleasant Danger, recounts their journey from Scientology to gender outlaw. A new edition of Hello, Cruel World arrived April 29, 2025, and new edition of Nearly Roadkill: queer love on the run is due out in September 2025.
Work
Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us
My Gender Workbook: How to Become a Real Man, a Real Woman, the Real You, or Something Else Entirely
Hello Cruel World
A Queer and Pleasant Danger
mentor profile
What interests you about mentoring?
“For me, mentoring is like breathing--it keeps me alive. I've written, and spoken, and performed material based on what I've got in my heart and mind. And I'm thrilled to know that my work has gone on to encourage and inspire generations of artists. But I only know so much. New generations have taken my work so much further than I could ever have imagined, and when I'm working with a mentee, it's me who gets encouraged and inspired. Circle of life, right?”
Given your experience and interests, what kind of emerging artist do you feel best positioned to support?
“I'm proud to say that nearly every word of mine that's been published began as part of a performance. So I feel I'm best positioned to support artists who are either writing for performance, or those who are working to publish work based on their performance.”
Have you had mentors of your own? Who have they been?
“Holly Hughes shines as both my performance and writing mentor. John Emigh taught me everything I know about acting and comedy.”
This Mentor is open to working with Fellows either remotely or in-person!