In today's creative landscape, many writers have had to adapt, often quickly, to the constantly shifting ways in which audiences find and interact with their stories. Sure, it's nice to perfect one's craft in a single genre and to make a cozy living doing just that one thing—but a number of today's creative writers, in order to sustain healthy careers, have increasingly been moving into ever widening circles and genres of writing (including film and television, for instance). This talk will explore this brave new world of publishing/broadcast through one writer's career as a constantly-evolving, genre-bending storyteller.
T Cooper is the author of nine books, including three adult novels (two of which were multiple-bestsellers in the US and Germany), a graphic novel, a Young Adult series, and a collection of short fiction. His most recent nonfiction book is Real Man Adventures (published by McSweeney's). Cooper adapted his graphic novel, The Beaufort Diaries, into an animated short which was an official selection at a variety of film festivals (including Tribeca and SXSW). He is currently directing/writing/producing his first feature-length documentary film entitled Man Made, which follows four transgender men as they make their way toward stepping on stage at the only all-trans bodybuilding competition in the world. The film has received support from the Sundance Institute, and is currently in late post-production. Cooper has also written for television (including Netflix's The Get Down, and BBC America's Copper). Cooper's journalism and short fiction have appeared in a variety of publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones, Esquire, O: The Oprah Magazine, CNN.com, Out, The Advocate, The Guardian, and The Believer, as well as on Public Radio, and in many other venues both in the US and abroad.