Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. This being in NPR podcast, we feature a lot of political books on here.

You know, the type of books either detailing palace intrigue or that explain how some political actor is thinking behind a certain bit of policy.

But I think this interview with Danica Rome is the first

one we've played that has a politician either A, talking about keg stands, or B, talking about

how she used to sing in a thrash metal band that, according to its bandcamp page, quote, represents one

thing, partying. Sick. She's also the first

openly transgender state legislator in the country. But as she explains in her new memoir,

Burn the Page, her identity is made up of a lot of different things. Everyone's is. And she

tells NPR's Juana Summers about feeling confident in

embracing all those different parts of herself. In the U.S., national security news can feel

far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show

sources and methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring

you stories of real people helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Yes, Dana Karam made history when she was elected to represent voters in suburban Northern Virginia.

But take a listen to how she describes herself.

You know, you don't get too many transgender metalhead reporter Yogini stepmom vegetarians running for office?

That's right. She is an openly transgender woman and former journalist who has also fronted a metal band.

And Rome was re-elected in November to a third term.

She said she feels like her story is relatable.

I like to think that for all the, you know, eccentricities, you know I have, and even the, you know, just different worlds

of identities, I think one thing that's very common on this is that, you know, like, I do know

...