Reviews (1)

Worthwhile addition to Eighteeenth-Century Studies
McFarlane's book is quite good on the topic it covers.It avoids essentializing or questing after gay identity in a politically-motivated way (although this too has led to worthwhile criticism), and remainsskeptical and interested in the ways that the figure of the sodomite isconstructed as a political and moral trope that captures many other"transgressions" beyond that it claims to name.Particularlyrelevant and enlightening are his readings of Smollet and Cleland's Memoirsof a Woman of Pleasure. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 17th century    2. Early modern, 1500-1700    3. England    4. English Literature (Specific Aspects)    5. English fiction    6. Gay & Lesbian    7. Gay Studies    8. Gay men in literature    9. General    10. History    11. History and criticism    12. Homosexuality and literature    13. Literary Criticism    14. Literature - Classics / Criticism    15. Sexuality In Literature    16. English    17. Gay & Lesbian studies    18. Literary studies: 16th to 18th centuries    19. Novels, other prose & writers: 16th to 18th centuries    20. United Kingdom, Great Britain    21. c 1600 to c 1700    22. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (2)

Not for the uninitiated
I am currently taking an undergraduate course on Cather, and I hoped that this book would provide some insight into a side of her not covered in the course. However, I found the book full of jargon which rendered itincomprehensible to me. Perhaps if you are already initiated into the worldof "queer studies" you will find it interesting, but I don'trecommend it for a casual reader.

Daring and Provocative
Lindemann's deft analysis of Cather and her "queer" sensibilities is a refreshing change of pace from the boring, disconnected aesthetic-based criticism that has dominated Cather studies for some timenow. Written in a delightfully engaging prose style, _Willa Cather:Queering America_ provides us with insight into the next phase of Catherscholarship that dares to situate the author within the sexual-politicalenvironment of the early twentieth century. A must for queer and gay andlesbian Americanists, as well as anyone interested in American literaryhistory and the traditions that frame such a field. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1873-1947    2. 20th century    3. American - General    4. Cather, Willa,    5. Feminism and literature    6. Gay & Lesbian    7. Gay Studies    8. History    9. Homosexuality and literature    10. Literary Criticism    11. Literature - Classics / Criticism    12. United States    13. Women Authors    14. Women and literature    15. Literary Criticism & Collections / American   

Reviews (2)

Some tasty light reading
This collection is uneven; I agree with the other person to review this book that the pieces by Baker, Toole, and Allen are the best, although I also enjoyed Buford's account of hungry and thirsty soccer fans and Trevor's somewhat poignant remembrance of his gourmand accountant. This makes a fine gift book (that's how I got it) and some nice escapist fare.

Uneven but interesting
What we have here is a compilation of collected essays and excerpts from other sources on the sin of gluttony. Three of the contributions make the book worth owning.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking    2. Gay & Lesbian    3. General    4. Gluttony    5. Literary Criticism    6. Literary collections    7. Literature - Classics / Criticism    8. Short Stories (Anthologies)    9. Special Subjects In Literature    10. Fiction / Anthologies (multiple authors)    11. Literary studies: general   

Reviews (2)

A well written work
Marina Warner is an amazing scholar and teacher.In this book, she begins with the Metamorphoses of Ovid, and continues with other changes in the human spirit, in both literary and natural history.The chapter on zombies is particularly relevant to her novel Indigo; the explication of the Greek psyche is familiar ground, but well done.The only flaw in this brilliant work is the continual return to Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights as an allegory of life.Her enthusiasm for the painting does not match her vast knowledge of classical and popular literature.However, I recommend this book highly as a helpful tool to any student of the humanities.

Kaleidoscopic study of metamorphosis
The book tackles the idea of metamorphoses as a theme in art and literature.Stirred into the mix are mythology, encounters between Europeans and tribal peoples in the New World and how those encounters affected art and literature produced in the Western tradition, meanwhile relating all these to the idea of personal identity.Among the works discussed in detail are Ovid's Metamorphoses, Apuleis' The Golden Ass, Hieronymous Bosch's painting The Garden of Earthly Delights, some Renaissance-era graphic sexual depictions of Leda and the Swan, Maria Merian's late 17th century natural history studies of butterflies, and then onto a discussion of zombies, Coleridge, Jean Rhys, Kafka, Nabokov, photography, Lewis Carroll and more. This may all sound like heavy going, but Warner writes for the layperson, and you need not have read the primary sources to follow her reasoning.(But her discussion and excerpts made me want to check out a copy of Ovid and read it for myself!)The artwork is illustrated by plates, some in color.Read more

Subjects:  1. Gay & Lesbian    2. Literary Criticism    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Metamorphosis in literature    5. Semiotics & Theory    6. Special Subjects In Literature    7. Literary Criticism & Collections / Theory    8. Literary studies: general    9. Literature/English | Mythology & Folklore    10. The Arts: General Issues   

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. English Drama    3. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    4. Gay & Lesbian    5. Gay/Lesbian Nonfiction    6. Gays' writings, English    7. General    8. Great Britain    9. History    10. History and criticism    11. Homosexuality and literature    12. Literary Criticism    13. Performing Arts    14. Sexuality In Literature    15. England    16. English    17. Gay & Lesbian studies    18. Literary Criticism / Drama    19. Theatre, drama    20. c 1500 to c 1600    21. c 1600 to c 1700    22. c 1700 to c 1800    23. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. AIDS & HIV    2. AIDS (Disease)    3. Acquired Immunodeficiency Synd    4. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome    5. Apocalyptic literature    6. Gay & Lesbian    7. Gay Studies    8. Gender Studies    9. Religious aspects    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Theater - History & Criticism    13. United States    14. psychology    15. AIDS: social aspects    16. USA   

Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Charity    3. Collections    4. Conduct of life    5. Fiction    6. Gay & Lesbian    7. Literary collections    8. Literature    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Prose    11. Religion    12. Religious Literature   

Subjects:  1. European - General    2. Gay & Lesbian    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Metamorphosis in literature    5. Semiotics & Theory    6. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    7. Literary studies: general   

Reviews (1)

Must have
College-level collections strong in literary criticism must have this study, which integrates and examines three works of criticism: Gertrude Stein's THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS, Toklas's own THE ALICE B. TOKLAS COOK BOOK, and WHAT IS REMEMBERED. The idea of autobiography is probed as both the genre and the writers' methods and approaches are examined. Chapters deconstruct the true story idea and provide many points for study and examination.
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Subjects:  1. Authors, American    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Gay & Lesbian    5. History and criticism    6. Lesbian Studies    7. Literary    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Toklas, Alice B.    11. What is remembered    12. Women    13. Women Authors    14. Women authors, American    15. Biography & Autobiography    16. Literary studies: from c 1900 -    17. Literature of special Lesbian interest    18. Social Science / Lesbian Studies   

Editorial Review

This reprint (with some revision and a new chapter) of John Clum's classic 1991 study should be shelved beside Alan Sinfield's Read more

Reviews (1)

Out of the Closet and on the Stage
Scholar John Clum's critical textual analysis of Gay Theatre, is not a historical account of the plays themselves. In this work, he critically looks at a wide variety of gay plays, some well known others not.In conclusion Clum writes that this type of drama has much wider universality to audiences (both gay and straight) than what is often perceived. A must for scholars of both Theatre and gay studies! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American    3. American drama    4. Drama    5. English drama    6. English-speaking countries    7. Gay & Lesbian    8. Gay Studies    9. History    10. History and criticism    11. Homosexuality and literature    12. Literary Criticism    13. Plays / Drama    14. Sexuality In Literature    15. English    16. Gay studies (Gay men)    17. Plays & playwrights: from c 1900 -    18. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Subjects:  1. 1631-1700    2. Aeneas (Legendary character) in literature    3. Comparative Literature    4. Dryden, John,    5. Gay & Lesbian    6. Knowledge    7. Literary Criticism    8. Literature    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Literature, Medieval    11. Roman influences    12. Special Subjects In Literature    13. Turnus (Legendary character) in literature    14. Virgil    15. Dryden, John    16. Influence   

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Gay & Lesbian    3. General    4. Literary Criticism    5. Literature - Classics / Criticism    6. Literary Criticism & Collections / General   

Reviews (1)

The Best There Is!
Better than the literary crit stuff that has been published on Isherwood, and miles ahead of the various attempts at biography, these 'Conversations' give a portrait of the whole man. It really is the best there is on the life of Christopher Isherwood ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1904-    2. 1904-1986    3. 20th century    4. Authors, English    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    8. Gay & Lesbian    9. Interviews    10. Isherwood, Christopher,    11. Literary    12. Literature - Classics / Criticism   

Subjects:  1. Gay & Lesbian    2. Literary Criticism    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Literature: History & Criticism   

Editorial Review

This book gathers the work of more than 100 female poets, of primarily British and American descent, since the 17th century. Emma Donoghue's astute introductory essay suggests a coherent tradition between the poetry of pre-20th-century romantic friendships and explicit contemporary lesbian poetry. She includes work by well-known writers such as Aphra Behn, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Adrienne Rich, and Audre Lorde, and also introduces the work of lesser-known historical writers. The brief biographies of the poets at the end of the book illustrate not only the varied backgrounds of these writers working outside the mainstream, but also the kinds of networks and alliances they formed to sustain one another. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Treasure Trove
this book is fabulous! Emma Donoghue's introduction provides fascinatingcontextual information, guiding the reader through attitudes toward lovebetween women from the late 1660s to the early 1990s. The poems themselvesfairly leap off the page with lives of their own.Donoghue selected poemswhich are quite accessible and widely varied.I did have some troublegetting past the melodrama of some of the earlier work, but once I did, Idiscovered many, many truly delightful poems illuminating the myriadaspects of women's love for one another.At the end of the book is asection of biographical notes about the poets which is intriguing on itsown.This volume would be an asset to anyone's library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American poetry    2. Anthologies (multiple authors)    3. English poetry    4. Gay & Lesbian    5. Lesbians' writings, American    6. Love poetry, English    7. Poetry    8. Sexuality In Literature    9. Women Authors    10. Literary Criticism & Collections / Gay & Lesbian    11. Poetry & poets   

Reviews (1)

Startling academic study
This smart, amazingly well-researched and groundbreaking study on the literature of sodomy and male love in the 17th Century is written in jargon-free language and is utterly convincing. That's probably because Mr. Hammond doesn't try to overinterpret the evidence he has available (and it is quite alot) but leaves room for doubt and variable readings. This restraint (so rare in gay studies...believe me, I know) makes his book stand out in the field, that and the fact that he has unearthed a treasure trove of literature either unknown or known only to a few specialists. His facts are fascinating, his style engaging. Future research in the history of sexual writing will have to take his work into consideration. Bravo, Mr. Hammond! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 16th century    2. 17th century    3. Early modern, 1500-1700    4. England    5. English literature    6. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    7. Gay & Lesbian    8. History    9. History and criticism    10. Homosexuality and literature    11. Literary Criticism    12. Literature - Classics / Criticism    13. British Isles    14. English    15. Gay studies (Gay men)    16. Literary Criticism & Collections / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    17. Literary studies: 16th to 18th centuries    18. Literature of special Gay interest    19. Literature/English | British Literature | 17th C & Restoration    20. Shakespeare studies & criticism    21. c 1600 to c 1700   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Alienation (Philosophy)    3. Alienation (Social psychology) in literature    4. Blanchot, Maurice    5. European - French    6. French Literature    7. Gay & Lesbian    8. History and criticism    9. Jabes, Edmond    10. Levinas, Emmanuel    11. Literary Criticism    12. Literature - Classics / Criticism    13. Literature, Modern    14. Philosophy Of Judaism    15. French    16. Jabès, Edmond    17. Jewish studies    18. Literary studies: general    19. Literary theory    20. Lévinas, Emmanuel    21. Western philosophy, from c 1900 -   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American fiction    3. English fiction    4. Gay & Lesbian    5. Gothic & Romance    6. History and criticism    7. Horror tales, English    8. Lesbian Studies    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Women Authors    13. English    14. Literary studies: from c 1900 -    15. Literary theory    16. Novels, other prose & writers    17. c 1970 to c 1980    18. c 1980 to c 1990    19. c 1990 to c 2000   

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. Gay & Lesbian    3. Identity (Philosophical concep    4. Identity (Philosophical concept) in literature    5. Literary Criticism    6. Sociology    7. Sociology - General    8. Cultural studies    9. Gender studies    10. Social Science / Sociology / General    11. Social groups & communities   

Editorial Review

Ruthann Robson's canny, well-written essays on lesbian legal theory and pedagogy, rooted in her experience as a lesbian professor at a progressive law school, offer a sparkling application of poststructural analysis, queer theory, and cautious, common-sense feminism to a wide range of legal problems and possibilities. She begins by imagining Sappho as a modern-day law student, with the hope of uncovering Sapphic rather than Socratic methodologies in legal theory: "How could [invoking Sappho] change the ways in which we understand, practice, and apply law? What if we adopted the Sapphic lyric as a mode of communication and understanding rather than Socratic argumentation?"Read more

Reviews (1)

A unique look at lesbians in the law
Robson is an openly lesbian, politically progressive law professor.(In later articles, she has come out as a cancer victim as well.)This is a collection of her essays on lesbians, homosexuality and the law.This book has a great introduction.Robson is a complex thinker, so do not assume this book will just say, "Aren't lesbian lawyers cool!?"Robson's analysis of legal issues can be overly pessimistic at times:as if one domestic partner law or pro-gay legal decision can be criticized for not removing all oppressions throughout the world!Still, this was an interesting read.It differs from many gay legal texts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Civil Law    3. Feminist jurisprudence    4. Gender & the Law    5. General    6. Law    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Legal status, laws, etc    9. Legal status, laws, etc.    10. Lesbian Studies    11. Lesbians    12. United States    13. Literary Criticism & Collections / Gay & Lesbian