"J. E. Sumerau's latest novel, Transmission, offers a can't-miss kaleidoscope of beautiful, raw, and exploratory reflections narrated by Millie Morrison, a protagonist making sense of how her past intersects with her present. Just as captivating as the story are Sumerau's characters, a diverse group of queer and poly individuals. Written in a stream of consciousness, Sumerau's work invites not only Millie to contemplate and process past loves, trauma, and relationships as she carves out her future in the next phase of her life; this format invites the reader to do the same, to sit with our difficulties and nostalgia alike, and to determine what's holding us back from carving out our life's path. Transmission's authenticity asks us, through Millie, to not only reflect on how we can improve our relationships with others, but perhaps most importantly, our relationship with ourselves. We root for Millie to achieve catharsis through the novel's myriad transmission of narratives--from her childhood to adulthood. And on a personal level, perhaps we can do the same for ourselves, too. Transmission is a perfect fit for personal reading, as well as those in sociology and gender & sexuality studies." --Shalen Lowell, author of Gender Optics
"At the heart of Transmission I found a stunning drift--a wide and generous current able to hold contradiction and paradox, and somehow, time itself. Here is a drift to surrender into; one punctuated with despair and radical love, one that might reveal a new story of what home and recognition can mean. J. E. Sumerau offers a voice that is really a plurality of lyric intensities; it reminds me of a river, if a river could bloom." --Selah Saterstrom, contest judge and author of Rancher, Ideal Suggestions, and Slab
"J. E. Sumerau is one of my favorite authors and Transmission does not disappoint. Once again, Sumerau leaves her unmistakable fingerprint on this beautiful story. Reading this sensitively and compassionately written novel, you will become swept up in Millie's journey, which although unique, is also sure to resonate deeply with any reader. The ending is inspiring and pure perfection. Highly recommend." --Patricia Leavy, author of Celestial Bodies: The Tess Lee and Jack Miller Novels