The Letter A
A novel by Chyx Xyng
The Letter A is a genre-nonconforming novel consisting of six interwoven stories about gender dysphoria, forbidden love, and acceptance as told by three generations of gender nonconformists.
The Letter A is a Runner-Up for the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award for Unpublished Manuscripts. The Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop news release said:
"Chyx Xyng’s ‘Letter A’ earned runner-up honours. With its innovative narrative and striking use of language, Xyng’s composite novel comprises seven interwoven stories that explore gender dysphoria, forbidden love, and the acceptance of difference."
PART 1
A Simple Letter
"A" is for abomination. "A" is for appalling. "A" is for Alan. Alan is my name. I am not Alan… Walter named his son Alan, a name that meant sturdy, handsome, and noble. When Alan puts on a bra for the first time, everything feels right. But Walter is so worried that the world will crush Alan that he hurts the person he loves most. Amidst their shattered lives, Walter realizes that he has a daughter, and her name is Alana.
PART 2
Ayutthaya
To Signals-Crossed Samantha, fear is red and smells like the wisps of an extinguished matchstick. Awe is blue and carries the scent of salt on sun-kissed skin. Romantic love is purple and has the fragrance of an old bookstore...
​Alana is Samantha's friend, and she's the bluest sapphire. Samantha knew Alana had feelings for her; she was afraid Alana would express those feelings. Because while blue and red make purple, awe and fear do not equate love.
PART 3
Another Chance
Our Father, who art in heaven; Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done; On earth as it is in heaven – Ron put the barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger… Ron was fucked-up, which meant he was perfect for Rachel. After Ron killed himself, an unexpected cry for help from her sister pulled Rachel back from the depths of depression. Rachel rebuilds her life and fulfills a dream she once shared with Ron.
PART 4
A shattered clay figurine
What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Alan was Fatima's childhood crush. When Alan became Alana, Fatima felt betrayed, until she realized that Alana was still the same person with whom she fell in love. But her love was unrequited. In her later years, Fatima would find her life intertwined with a baby who was rescued by Alana's mother and the person who caused the death of Alana's father.
PART 5
Another Life
Do we reunite with our loved ones after death? Mildred's time with Mùa Xuân was fleeting, but it was everything. When Mùa Xuân passed away, Mildred began to hear her voice. As a scientist, Mildred understood that altered activity in the superior temporal gyrus could disrupt the brain’s auditory processing regions, and how these anomalies could lead to perceiving voices that weren’t there. But she also knew that when love passes away, it doesn’t simply vanish but continues in different forms, much like the flame of a dying candle served as the flame for a new one.
PART 6
A is for Love
Anya and Davika are Alana's and Samantha's daughters. Anya is born nine hundred and sixty seconds before Davika, which makes Anya the strong one, the one expected to protect her little sister. When Davika drowned, Anya set out on a journey to discover their true self and find self-forgiveness.