Iphis

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writer’s notebook

This is a loose retelling of Ovid’s story of Iphis, who is born with a ‘female’ body but raised male by her mother to appease her father who wanted a son. Iphis falls in love with Ianthe, a woman who she is arranged to marry but who does not know of her secret identity. Iphis and her mother pray to the goddess Isis for assistance, who transforms Iphis’ body into a ‘male’ one. The parable-like quality of the story, role of magic and transformation, and “happily ever after” ending all make the early story read like a modern fairytale.

I wanted to reimagine the story in a modern setting, as a commentary about the future of transgenderism at a time of rapid medical development. It also speaks more broadly to the feeling of having to change to suit the image others have for you. The ‘subverted’ part comes in through the fact that I reimagine the story as one of transgender liberation and transfuturism (and through some influence from Macbeth, which engages with issues of gender transformation in similarly interesting ways.)