Writer; and Distinguished Artist-in-Residence
Emerson College
Boston
Becoming a White Man

At the Academy, Carl will continue working on his memoir Becoming a White Man (Simon & Schuster, forthcoming), which explores his transition from being perceived as a queer white woman theater-maker to living fully as a white man. Carl sees this work as “both a searing critique of and a love letter to white masculinity,” and an “intervention into the political conversation of gendered bodies.” In his view, America is perhaps more divided along the gender binary than at any time in its history, with biology “sealing our fate more than ever before.” Carl is keenly aware of the context for his decision to write an account of his personal journey: “I become a white man as white men march in Charlottesville to assure America of their supremacy,” he writes. “I become a white man and feel the incredible love and joy of inhabiting the wholeness of my being.” With this memoir, Carl turns his own story into an exploration of American identity politics, transphobia, gender politics, and love.

Photo: Annette Hornischer

P. Carl is a nonfiction writer and Distinguished Artist in Residence at Emerson College. He completed his BA in English and MA in Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and a PhD in Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society at the University of Minnesota. Carl writes widely on theater, gender, and inclusive practices. The co-founder and past director of HowlRound, a think tank, journal, and knowledge commons committed to building community among international theater makers, he stands at the forefront of creating innovative knowledge platforms and cultural transformation models for arts organizations.

 

In 2017, Carl was awarded a prestigious Art of Change Fellowship from the Ford Foundation. He was named Theater Person of the Year in 2015 (National Theater Conference), as well as an Alumni of Notable Distinction (University of Minnesota). He has served as Co-artistic Director of Arts at Emerson College, Director of Artistic Development at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, and Producing Artistic Director at The Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis. Recent contributions as a dramaturg and producer include Claudia Rankine’s 2017 play, The White Card, Melinda Lopez’s Mala (2017 Elliot Norton Award Winner for Outstanding New Script), Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s How to Be a Rock Critic, and Deborah Stein and Suli Holum’s The Wholehearted.

Meet P. Carl

A short portrait filmed at the Hans Arnhold Center, introducing the work and ideas behind fellows’ projects in Berlin.

Listen to the Podcast

Hear the full conversation, recorded live at the Hans Arnhold Center.

Upcoming events

Discover what’s coming up in the Academy’s public program this semester.

View all upcoming events

Past events

Lectures, readings, and conversations from the Academy’s public program.

View all past events

“On March 16,2017, at the Chandler Hotel, I become a white man. I cross a line and I join a club that will define my reality going forward.”

18 Sep 2018

Berlin Journal Articles

Essays, interviews, and creative work published in the Academy’s annual magazine.

View all articles
Berlin Journal Articles

Becoming a White Man in the Theater

“I have gone through a gender transition. I joined a club. I became a white man.”

27 Sep 2018

News

Announcements and updates from the American Academy in Berlin.

View all news

Press

Commentary, essays, and interviews in the German and international press.

View all Press

Books

Books written by fellows of the Academy, many begun during a semester in Berlin.

View all Books

Videos

Lectures, readings, and conversations filmed at the Hans Arnhold Center.

View all Videos

P. Carl: Becoming a White Man

Author P. Carl discusses his memoir, “Becoming a Man.”

18 Sep 2018

Fellow Spotlight: P. Carl

Writer and dramaturg P. Carl is at the American Academy in Berlin working on a memoir of gender transition. 

14 Sep 2018

Podcasts

Recorded conversations from the Hans Arnhold Center.

View all podcasts

Beyond the Lecture: P. Carl

Writer P. Carl discusses his memoir about gender transition, Becoming a White Man.

1 Nov 2018

Explore Past Fellows

View all Fellows

Hakim Abderrezak

Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies, University of Minnesota

Marco Abel

Professor and Chair, Department of English, University of Nebraska at Lincoln

David Abraham

Professor of Law, University of Miami School of Law, University of Miami

Michael J. Abramowitz

President, Freedom House
Diese Medieninhalte sind derzeit blockiert.
Um eingebettete Videos oder Social-Media-Beiträge anzuzeigen, erlauben Sie bitte Cookies von externen Medienanbietern in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen.