NO OFFENSE: A MEMOIR IN ESSAYS
available February 21, 2025 with ELJ Editions
When Jackie “came out” in 2014, right as the Trump era was revving up, she began paying closer attention to the inappropriate questions, uncomfortable reactions, and pointed assumptions about sexuality and gender she was witnessing and now experiencing firsthand. NO OFFENSE: A MEMOIR IN ESSAYS takes a magnifying glass to subtle moments that many people don’t recognize as homophobic or transphobic, exploring the impact of microaggressions on LGBTQ+ folks. Blending personal essay and cultural critique, the collection confronts society’s representation of and reactions to queerness at poignant moments in Jackie’s life, from wedding planning to OBGYN appointments to the Pulse Nightclub Massacre, and beyond. Revealing the complex and tender moments that sculpted their identity from a tomboy adolescence to gender exploration as an adult, NO OFFENSE analyzes the loaded conversations queer and trans folks face every day on topics like labels, haircuts, Halloween costumes, and more.
(Cover Design: Jonathan Colon)
Praise for No Offense: A Memoir in Essays
“A deeply honest, open-eyed, and at times, disarmingly funny exploration of the journey toward selfhood, of the language that can harm us and set us free.”
Melissa Faliveno
author of Tomboyland
“A smart and deeply inspiring celebration of queer identity.”
Edgar Gomez
author of Alligator Tears and High-Risk Homosexual
“In No Offense, there is a tenderness given to both the past and present selves along with love and hope toward the future self, too. Domenus’ engaging narrative voice leads readers to an unfurling of these selves.”
Athena Dixon
author of The Loneliness Files
“Both contemporary and timeless, No Offense offers keen observations about masculinity, sexuality, friendship, and so much more.”
Zoë Bossiere
author of Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir
“Equal parts humor and heartbreak. Refreshingly frank.”
Sabrina Imbler
author of How Far the Light Reaches
“An ode to owning your story, to the fluidness of identity and self-discovery. This book cracked me open.”
Marisa Crane
author of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself
“A feel-good memoir about coming out and coming-of-age. Jackie Domenus is the kind of writer whose critical lens you can trust.”
JACKIE DOMENUS 