If you’re not familiar with JD Derbyshire, they’re an award-winning playwright, a stand-up comic, and a very funny human. Mercy Gene, the title of Derbyshire’s latest book, from Goose Lane, is a scrambled version of the word “emergency,” and that more or less sums up JD’s story. Mercy Gene is auto-fiction, and is loosely based on Derbyshire’s play, Certified. In Certified, the audience, in the role of a psychiatric panel, determines by a vote whether or not JD should be certified. JD has been certified in the past, which is part of the story and one of the book’s major themes, along with assault, memory, comedy and queer identity. Mercy Gene is stream of consciousness—though never confusing—and is made up of short pieces: lists, memories and wonderful fictional appearances by Margot Kidder and Miriam Toews. The book is a testament to queer survival. Young Janice/Jan/JD is helped early on in their identity quest by their next-door neighbour Edwin. Edwin lives with his mother: he’s in the basement, she’s upstairs. On Saturday nights Edwin and his friends throw parties where they dress up in drag and dance. Edwin sees early on who JD is and provides a safe space for them, and, without words, the message that you are seen, you are loved and you are safe here. Edwin’s friends bring over ties, suit jackets and Oxford shoes for Janice/Jan/JD and christens them Sweet Pete. And they all dance. As drag comes under attack from the hard right, it’s great to be reminded of the strength of drag culture and its role in community. Other memories, such as an early assault, horrify, as do JD’s battles with institutionalization. Mercy Gene never loses its funny bone though. This is a wonderful book.
—Peggy Thompson