Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family (27 page)
Read Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family Online
Authors: Amy Ellis Nutt
Jonas and Nicole at a victory party at the Wilson Center on the campus of the University of Maine, several weeks after the family won its civil lawsuit in Maine’s highest court, 2014.
Wayne and Nicole at an April 2015 gala in Boston honoring Norman Spack, who co-founded America’s first clinic to treat transgender children. Nicole introduced Dr. Spack.
The family at Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, summer 2015.
For Kelly, Wayne, Jonas, and Nicole
I
t goes without saying that this book could not have been written without the extraordinary collaboration of the Maines family. I am grateful for their time, their honesty, and their friendship. Wayne’s detailed records of the lawsuit and Kelly’s collection of the twins’ artwork, journals, and school records were invaluable. This was never easy for any of them, but especially Nicole and Jonas, whom I watched grow up into kind, intelligent young adults. Lisa Erhardt at Asa C. Adams Elementary school also provided much insight, as did Dr. Norman Spack, and GLAD attorneys Jennifer Levi and Ben Klein, who helped me understand the nuances of the legal case. I especially want to thank Jennifer for acting as a liaison and bringing the story of the Maines family to my attention. Guidance and information from my very dear friend Dr. Jane McInerny was also key to helping me understand transgender issues. My sister Eva Nies provided an invaluable last look at the manuscript, and Cyndi Togans advised me on Papua New Guinea culture.
The privilege of being published by Random House is deep and abiding, as is my respect for, and immense gratitude to, my editor David Ebershoff. His talents as a mentor, editor, author, and intellect are bountiful, and without him this book would have been the poorer. My thanks also to the second and third Random House “eyes” on the manuscript, Caitlin McKenna (who also juggled multiple duties and guided me through many a computer malfunction) and Annie Chagnot, and to the extraordinary staff of Random House, who worked long hours under great time pressure, including Susan Kamil, publisher and editor in chief; Tom Perry, associate publisher of nonfiction; Benjamin Dreyer, managing editor; Sally Marvin, publicity director; Leigh Marchant, marketing director; Paolo Pepe, the art director for the jacket; Evan Camfield, production editor; Michelle Daniel, copy editor; Jennifer Backe, production manager; Carolyn Foley, associate general counsel; and cover photographer Kelly Campbell. Contributions were much appreciated from Nick Adams, director of trans
gender media at GLAAD; and especially Dr. Joshua Safer, endocrinologist and associate professor of molecular medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, and Dr. Curtis Crane, a reconstructive urologist and plastic surgeon in San Francisco.
Thank you also to Marty Baron, executive editor of
The Washington Post,
who allowed me a crucial two months of writing before I joined the newspaper in September 2014. Finally, thank you to my agent, Wendy Strothman, who always goes above and beyond, and to my parents and the rest of my large extended family and friends, but especially Jane Wulf, who started me out on this whole writing thing twenty-five years ago. Thanks, Bambi.
M
uch of the material for this book was drawn from hundreds of hours of interviews with the Maines family, doctors, lawyers, friends, Asa Adams school counselor Lisa Erhardt, and others. The research also included extensive personal papers, journals, medical records, court depositions, photographs and videos, and an unpublished memoir by Wayne Maines, all courtesy of the Maines family. Some of the events in this book also were witnessed firsthand by the author.
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