Laverne Cox became a breakout TV star at 40 with a starring role in Orange Is the New Black. Since then, she’s become an advocate and role model for trans people, which she says means “invit[ing] people to see trans people as human beings.” In today’s episode, Cox joins All Things Considered’s Ailsa Chang for a conversation about her new memoir Transcendent. They discuss Cox’s childhood in Alabama, how reading Walden provided her with important language and what it was like to find creative success later in life.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedaySee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy