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Depart, Depart!
by
When an unprecedented hurricane devastates the city of Houston, Noah Mishner finds shelter in the Dallas Mavericks’ basketball arena. Though he finds community among other queer refugees, Noah fears his trans and Jewish identities put him at risk with certain "capital-T" Texans. His fears take form when he starts seeing visions of his great- grandfather Abe, who fled Nazi
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Paperback, 88 pages
Published
September 1st 2020
by Stelliform Press
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Start your review of Depart, Depart!

This book is the product of the Gay Agenda your grandmother warned you about. If reading from the perspective of a transdude and his found queer family sounds unpleasant, this might not be the literary experience you are looking for. However, I urge you to try it anyway and fight through your [c]iscomfort. You might learn a thing or two.
Sim Kern's writing immediately pulled me into the character's body and allowed me to explore a world so close to my own. It is stark, it is dark, and it is rivo ...more
Sim Kern's writing immediately pulled me into the character's body and allowed me to explore a world so close to my own. It is stark, it is dark, and it is rivo ...more

I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
I had really high expectations for Depart, Depart! and I'm very happy to say they were fully met.
I'm always a little cautious when reading books involving climate change because after two climate change courses at uni I feel like I can easily be disappointed or see mistakes in the author's research or in their attitude towards what climate change is/does and how we can/s ...more
I had really high expectations for Depart, Depart! and I'm very happy to say they were fully met.
I'm always a little cautious when reading books involving climate change because after two climate change courses at uni I feel like I can easily be disappointed or see mistakes in the author's research or in their attitude towards what climate change is/does and how we can/s ...more

This was an interesting little novella that certainly wasn't without its flaws but was ultimately very readable. It's about a 20-something Jewish trans guy who is the sole survivor of his friend group and family from a climate disaster in Houston. He arrives at a makeshift shelter and immediately finds a queer corner consisting of a Latina trans woman, a nonbinary Asian person, plus a couple periphery queers. While there, he starts to see the ghost of his grandfather who survived the Holocaust.
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I wish I could not shelve this book as contemporary.
Depart, Depart follows Noah, a Jewish trans man who ends up in a shelter after a hurricane devastates Houston. It's a story about what societal collapse brings out in people - about connection and grief and rage, and about how catastrophe puts even more of a target on marginalized people's backs.
I usually can't read stories about natural disasters, but this one worked for me - I couldn't stop reading it. Maybe it's because it's short, maybe it' ...more
Depart, Depart follows Noah, a Jewish trans man who ends up in a shelter after a hurricane devastates Houston. It's a story about what societal collapse brings out in people - about connection and grief and rage, and about how catastrophe puts even more of a target on marginalized people's backs.
I usually can't read stories about natural disasters, but this one worked for me - I couldn't stop reading it. Maybe it's because it's short, maybe it' ...more

Depart, Depart! is an unapologetically queer cli-fi touching on the very real potential of our current climate crisis in a this-shit-could-happen-in-the-near-future plot while showcasing the hate and discrimination LGBTQA+ folks deal with even during natural disasters.
Noah Mishner, as far as he knows, has lost everything. His home, his roommates, his family, following a massive flood brought on from Hurricane Martha. He ambles around the bright lights of the Dallas’ Mavericks’ arena, bleary eye ...more
Noah Mishner, as far as he knows, has lost everything. His home, his roommates, his family, following a massive flood brought on from Hurricane Martha. He ambles around the bright lights of the Dallas’ Mavericks’ arena, bleary eye ...more

I really enjoyed reading this and honestly couldn't put it down until I finished it. Just an absolutely engrossing book, it's so great.
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*I received an e-arc of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Depart, Depart! is a deeply moving and political story about gender, queerness, religion, global warming, bigotry, police corruption, gun control, the holocaust and so much more.… We follow Noah, who has just been rescued after a hurricane causes dangerous flooding in Houston, Texas. He's been evacuated to the Dallas Mavericks' basketball arena, which has been repurposed as a shelter. Noah, a gay ...more
Depart, Depart! is a deeply moving and political story about gender, queerness, religion, global warming, bigotry, police corruption, gun control, the holocaust and so much more.… We follow Noah, who has just been rescued after a hurricane causes dangerous flooding in Houston, Texas. He's been evacuated to the Dallas Mavericks' basketball arena, which has been repurposed as a shelter. Noah, a gay ...more

I'm a consultant for Stelliform Press, so I got to read this novella when it was first submitted, and I've been excited for this marvelous story to get out into the world for a while now. Read the other 5-star community reviews here on Goodreads for some plot points and insightful commentary. Depart, Depart! is a must-read.
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"Depart, Depart" is an important and engrossing work of cli-fi unlike anything I have ever read before. Sim Kern packs a lot of social and political commentary into this volume, addressing vital concerns such as the social and institutional oppression of LGBTQ2IA+ and BIPOC communities, police brutality, and generational trauma. The plot is fast-paced and engaging.
One of the strongest components of the novella is Kern's exploration of the challenges of positioning oneself in relation to familia ...more
One of the strongest components of the novella is Kern's exploration of the challenges of positioning oneself in relation to familia ...more

A lovely story of a young transgender man battling his demons, literally, and discovering what sort of person he wants to be. Also, there’s a killer flood and a roving band of gun-toting thugs. Exciting, heart-felt, transformative. An important story for queer folk and their allies. And, it includes fantastic Jewish representation, especially for people (some of my family included) who are from non-traditional Jewish backgrounds. A fast read, eye-opening and engaging.
I received a free eARC of th ...more
I received a free eARC of th ...more

I absolutely loved this hopeful, beautiful novel about solidarity, the development of identity, and the strength of community and love and acceptance. Noah is a survivor of a devastating hurricane that destroys Houston. Evacuated to Dallas, he's given shelter in an athletic arena, where neighborhoods of similar folks spring up. There he finds other trans people who are--like him--in need of medical care and emotional support. And to top it all off, Noah is being haunted by his great-grandfather
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Thank you to Stelliform Press & Netgalley for an arc for an unbiased review.
Kern tells the story of Noah Mishner who finds shelter after a major hurricane within the walls of the Dallas Mavericks' basketball area. Noah starts seeing visions of his absent grandfather, Abe, who had fled Nazi Germany as a boy. All the while he is just trying to survive in a micro-community full of the same aggressors before the hurricane happened. This tiny novella packs such a punch. There were a few anxiety induc ...more
Kern tells the story of Noah Mishner who finds shelter after a major hurricane within the walls of the Dallas Mavericks' basketball area. Noah starts seeing visions of his absent grandfather, Abe, who had fled Nazi Germany as a boy. All the while he is just trying to survive in a micro-community full of the same aggressors before the hurricane happened. This tiny novella packs such a punch. There were a few anxiety induc ...more

"Depart, depart quickly!"
Yes! Finally I have found an LGBT+ story that isn't about romance. I have longed for an interesting story that has a wide range of characters on the queer spectrum without it being about their love interest.
A hurricane destroys Texas (which is happening right now 😬) and Noah is spared only because of a mysterious, ghost-like materialization of his great-grandfather as a child. Abe is a Jewish child that survived the holocaust by being hidden in a duffel bag and boarding ...more
Yes! Finally I have found an LGBT+ story that isn't about romance. I have longed for an interesting story that has a wide range of characters on the queer spectrum without it being about their love interest.
A hurricane destroys Texas (which is happening right now 😬) and Noah is spared only because of a mysterious, ghost-like materialization of his great-grandfather as a child. Abe is a Jewish child that survived the holocaust by being hidden in a duffel bag and boarding ...more

I’m sorry but I really didn’t like this one. The writing was okay, but it’s the narrative and even more the characters that totally turn me off with this book. For the characters this is more of a personal match that didn’t fit, as for the narrative I think there were too many subject trying to be forced I such a short novella and the queer aspect was way too present for me. I have nothing against any kind of genre of sexes preferences or whatever but I always find it weird to put it out up fron
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Absolutely nothing more disappointing than to realize that a book you were eager to read is a novella. Novellas are fine, that's not the issue, it's the surprise novella that gets to me. But make no mistake, this isn't about anything but my poor reading skills when it comes to synopses and paying attention to the finer details. Because here's the deal, I WANT MORE OF THIS STORY! I think that Noah was amazing and I loved to hear his inner thoughts. In the Venn diagram of climate fiction, queer re
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Nakedly aching Sim Kern's DEPART, DEPART! beautifully weaves together a ghost story about disaster, ancestry, trauma, found family, and ultimately what it means to survive with a whole soul. I couldn't put it down.
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I enjoyed the juxtaposition of current fears (climate catastrophe, fights for gender identity and the imperative to be utterly oneself) with historic ( a Jewish ghost from the time of Nazis. The journey of discovery that Noah takes us on is heartening - in a life of so much chance and circumstance, we get to choose some pretty incredible things, how we act, how we display love to family and friends, and that past choices don't define who we will be in the future.
The writing was strong, the char ...more
The writing was strong, the char ...more

A tightly written, harrowing story I couldn't put down, Depart, Depart! hit both close to home (geographically) and far outside of it (religiously and gender identity-wise).
Part ghost story, part survival story, part bildungsroman, and all too real. Sim Kern manages to pack entire generations into a relatively small space with an ending that is not hopeful so much as determined. I want to go into further detail, but don't want to give anything away. If you're a fan of queer novellas along the l ...more
Part ghost story, part survival story, part bildungsroman, and all too real. Sim Kern manages to pack entire generations into a relatively small space with an ending that is not hopeful so much as determined. I want to go into further detail, but don't want to give anything away. If you're a fan of queer novellas along the l ...more

You should read Depart, Depart!
It’s about the groups and cultures that we’re a part of – those that we choose, and those that we’re born to and may prefer to leave behind.
It’s about the violence that finds us when we’re at our most vulnerable, and the demons (real and imagined) that force us to make difficult choices - not just of survival, but of who we’re going to be and what remains of us when we’re safe again.
It’s about the people that leave us when we need them most. And it asks what it say ...more
It’s about the groups and cultures that we’re a part of – those that we choose, and those that we’re born to and may prefer to leave behind.
It’s about the violence that finds us when we’re at our most vulnerable, and the demons (real and imagined) that force us to make difficult choices - not just of survival, but of who we’re going to be and what remains of us when we’re safe again.
It’s about the people that leave us when we need them most. And it asks what it say ...more

This review is also on http://dnruttan.com
I received the novella DEPART, DEPART! by Sim Kern as an e-ARC (Advance Review Copy) several months ago in exchange for an honest review, and I am finally getting around to actually reviewing it. And I have one reaction to sum up my feelings upon finishing this book at last: I am stunned by this book’s force and magic, blown away by its relevance for our times.
I also feel a twinge of regret about this book, because there are those who will miss out on i ...more
I received the novella DEPART, DEPART! by Sim Kern as an e-ARC (Advance Review Copy) several months ago in exchange for an honest review, and I am finally getting around to actually reviewing it. And I have one reaction to sum up my feelings upon finishing this book at last: I am stunned by this book’s force and magic, blown away by its relevance for our times.
I also feel a twinge of regret about this book, because there are those who will miss out on i ...more

I have the pleasure of reading and reviewing “Depart, Depart!” by Sim Kern. I phrase it this way because there is so much of this novella that is out of my scope of reality that I feel like it is an honor to be exposed to themes and lives that I know very little about. I mean I have never steered away from LGBTQ+ literature, movies, or the community, but “Depart, Depart!” feels different. This is a story that needs to be told, needs to be shouted, needs to be required.
Noah is in the middle of a ...more
Noah is in the middle of a ...more

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book*
This is quite a short read but you get thrown in to the story from the very first paragraph, making you become immersed straight away. This was actually quite clever as it didn't waste any time building up the world and you learned everything as you were reading. It is also a clever way to ensure that the reader is immediately intrigued and somewhat invested in the story, the events that ...more
This is quite a short read but you get thrown in to the story from the very first paragraph, making you become immersed straight away. This was actually quite clever as it didn't waste any time building up the world and you learned everything as you were reading. It is also a clever way to ensure that the reader is immediately intrigued and somewhat invested in the story, the events that ...more

Depart, Depart! followed Noah into a large hurricane shelter after he has lost everything. The hurricane took his friends, his community, his home, his car and his sense of safety.....and his Testosterone pills. Now he is surrounded by a crowd of "all american red-blooded" Texans who have also lost everything and all he has left is his backpack and, under his loose hoody...his binder that keeps his breasts flattened to his chest. As he stands in line to enter the stadium he also discovers that h
...more

May 29, 2020
Mary
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Emergency Response Planners and disaster workers
Shelves:
netgalley-i-love-netgalley
Depart, Depart! followed Noah into a large hurricane shelter after he has lost everything. The hurricane took his friends, his community, his home, his car and his sense of safety.....and his Testosterone pills. Now he is surrounded by a crowd of "all american red-blooded" Texans who have also lost everything and all he has left is his backpack and, under his loose hoody...his binder that keeps his breasts flattened to his chest. As he stands in line to enter the stadium he also discovers that h
...more

In a work that sits at intersections of climate justice, prejudice, queerness, and social justice, Kern brings together a number of issues that would seem to be far too much for a slim work like this. Yet, Depart Depart is a powerful and beautifully told story, and as difficult as it is to read, the humor and empathy of the central character, Noah Mishner, make it all but impossible to put down and walk away from. Instead, Noah is a character who will carry readers through the journey told in th
...more

What I expected: bleak, strident, horrifying.
What I got: humane, realistic, horrifying but somewhat loving
Depart, Depart! is about Noah, a trans man who has evacuated Houston after the Addicks and Barker reservoirs failed and flooded the city during a hurricane. He finds like-minded queer folks in the sports stadium in Dallas where he lives on a cot near the family restroom, and they make their way in the temporary shelter-- Elena, a dark-skinned trans Latina in her 40s, and Malone, a mixed-rac ...more
What I got: humane, realistic, horrifying but somewhat loving
Depart, Depart! is about Noah, a trans man who has evacuated Houston after the Addicks and Barker reservoirs failed and flooded the city during a hurricane. He finds like-minded queer folks in the sports stadium in Dallas where he lives on a cot near the family restroom, and they make their way in the temporary shelter-- Elena, a dark-skinned trans Latina in her 40s, and Malone, a mixed-rac ...more

Jan 23, 2021
Anna Hepworth
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
on-my-shelves,
short-fiction
This is a quick read, but it is not an enjoyable story.
Set in the immediate aftermath of a disaster (storms/flooding) while there is another ongoing disaster (wildfires) this story is a gruelling read. Our viewpoint character is Noah, who might be one of the few people to have reached the shelter from the worst hit part of their city. The shelter is some kind of sports stadium, and Noah finds a small group of people at least a little like them --- poor, queer, and obviously 'other' in the eyes ...more
Set in the immediate aftermath of a disaster (storms/flooding) while there is another ongoing disaster (wildfires) this story is a gruelling read. Our viewpoint character is Noah, who might be one of the few people to have reached the shelter from the worst hit part of their city. The shelter is some kind of sports stadium, and Noah finds a small group of people at least a little like them --- poor, queer, and obviously 'other' in the eyes ...more

In contrast to the previous book I reviewed, I haven’t seen Depart! Depart! anywhere besides the search function for Netgalley. This time, I really don’t understand why. Sim Kern’s excellent novella manages to be beautifully written, researched, compelling, and prescient in only sixty-eight pages!
I really have to commend them for writing such a chilling tale of climate change and a ghost haunting. The responses in this world to the refugees of the hurricane rings incredibly true. Noah and his ...more
I really have to commend them for writing such a chilling tale of climate change and a ghost haunting. The responses in this world to the refugees of the hurricane rings incredibly true. Noah and his ...more

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley.
This book had too much going on for the length it is. As a reader, I felt whipped between plotlines, never able to settle on any one situation, event, thought, or feeling. And while human existence is that chaotic and messy, it doesn't make for a good reading experience. Had this book been longer, with more time to explore each facet of the story, I'd probably feel less like the author was just ticking boxes to say they had represented xyz. A ...more
This book had too much going on for the length it is. As a reader, I felt whipped between plotlines, never able to settle on any one situation, event, thought, or feeling. And while human existence is that chaotic and messy, it doesn't make for a good reading experience. Had this book been longer, with more time to explore each facet of the story, I'd probably feel less like the author was just ticking boxes to say they had represented xyz. A ...more
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