Julie Kliegman with Louisa Thomas: Finding Renee Richards

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Fifty years ago, Renée Richards made international headlines in her fight to compete in the women’s draw of the 1977 US Open. She marked a major milestone as the first trans athlete to sue for the right to participate in professional sports in her identified gender category. After securing a historic legal victory, Richards competed at the highest level. Although she lost in the first round of the singles tournament, she and her partner successfully reached the doubles finals, ultimately falling to Martina Navratilova and her partner.

Finding Renee Richards chronicles Richards’s extraordinary life well beyond the court. Kliegman traces her journey from a tumultuous upbringing in Queens, New York, to her highly successful career as an eye surgeon. Now in her nineties, Richards remains a remarkably complex figure. She changed the athletic world forever, yet she actively questions the place of trans athletes in sports today. Kliegman deftly probes these contradictions, offering critical reflections on what is at stake for athletes, fans, and the queer community.

Julie Kliegman is a writer and editor with work in outlets including The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, Slate, Bookforum, The Ringer, Defector, Texas Monthly, Vulture, and The Verge. They are a regular guest on podcasts including You’re Wrong About and Hang Up and Listen. Kliegman has been copy chief at Sports Illustrated and copy editor at The Ringer. They have also taught journalism to undergraduates at the New School. Their first book was Mind Game: An Inside Look at the Mental Health Playbook of Elite Athletes. Kliegman lives in Queens, New York.

Louisa Thomas is a staff writer for the New Yorker. She is the author of Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams, a biography of the former First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams (1775-1852), and Conscience: Two Soldiers, Two Pacifists, One Family — A Test of Will and Faith in World War I, about her great-grandfather, Norman Thomas, and his three brothers. She is also the coauthor, with John Urschel, of Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football, and the co-editor, with Mary Pilon, of Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard. A former writer and editor for ESPN's Grantland, her writing has appeared in the New York Times, New York, Vogue, Racquet, several Best American Sports Writing anthologies, and other places. An avid runner, chess enthusiast, and tennis player, she lives outside of Boston with her husband and two small children.

Brookline Booksmith, thriving in the heart of Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts, since 1961, is one of New England’s premier independent bookstores. We offer a vast selection of books, ranging from current bestsellers to the most eclectic titles. We are also known for our beautiful and inspired gifts. Customers buy and sell gently used books in our treasured Used Book Cellar and enjoy our bountiful bargain book selection. We host award-winning events series (including our groundbreaking Transnational Literature Series), offering more than 300 author talks, community conversations, and book clubs annually. Find more at brooklinebooksmith.com!