Melissa Faliveno is the author of the acclaimed 2020 memoir-in-essays Tomboyland, which earned recognition as a best book from Oprah Magazine, the New York Public Library, and NPR. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Faliveno now teaches creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Much of her writing discusses themes of sexuality and gender, though she also writes about class, violence, home, and her upbringing in the Midwest. Her work has appeared in various national publications, including the queer site Autostraddle.
Faliveno is publicly out as bi. Her essay “Tomboy,” anthologized in Tomboyland, details her complicated relationship with gender and bisexuality. In 2020, Esquire excerpted a portion of “Tomboy” that focuses specifically on Faliveno’s treatment of language and the fluidity of sexuality and words. Of labels like bi, genderqueer, and queer, she writes:
I use these words because they’re the best words I have. […] And sometimes I feel like I’m still seeking the words that fit.
Notably, she came out to her parents through the book, mailing them copies with a seven-page letter when pandemic restrictions prevented an in-person conversation. As she noted, a Midwestern upbringing rarely encouraged open discussion of gender or sexuality.
Faliveno affirmed her bi identity in an August 2020 tweet celebrating Tomboyland reaching #1 in Amazon’s bi studies category:
Her writing addresses common bisexual experiences, such as bi erasure and biphobia, with a deft hand, allowing for the complexities of identity and sexuality.
Since Tomboyland‘s publication, Faliveno has continued to shape conversations about identity through both writing and teaching. Her 2022 contribution to the anthology Sex and the Single Woman: 24 Writers Reimagine Helen Gurley Brown’s Cult Classic demonstrates her ongoing exploration of gender and sexuality in contemporary contexts.
As a bi Midwestern writer navigating academia and literary circles, Faliveno brings a unique perspective to discussions of regional identity, visibility, and the evolving language of selfhood, ensuring her voice remains vital in both LGBT and literary communities.