Columbia Reader on Lesbians and Gay Men in Media, Society, and Politics
- Book Review,
by James D. Woods (Editor)
From Publishers Weekly
Gross, a University of Pennsylvania media professor, and the late Woods, a CUNY-Staten Island professor of media studies, have compiled a formidable and mostly somber collection of book excerpts and articles that address many aspects of gay life. Even though all of these articles have appeared elsewhere, it is useful to have them united in the present book. Topics addressed include religion, medicine, politics (conservative and liberal), education, media, same-sex marriage, AIDS and gay minorities. The writers range from outspoken outing advocate Michelangelo Signorile to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who reaffirms Catholic doctrine on homosexuality. In a book as vast as this, the quality of writing is bound to be spotty. There are some boilerplate exercises, such as John D'Emilio's Marxist positing that "two aspects of capitalism?wage labor and commodity production?created the social conditions that made possible the emergence of a distinctive gay and lesbian identity." The best contributions are those that break free of simplistic ideological categories. Flora Rheta Schreiber's moving "I Was Raising a Homosexual Child" and David Ehrenstein's "More than Friends" combine good thinking with understanding. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Though the title seems specific, the content of this book is not. With a wide array of topics and points of view, from history to communications studies, and types of materials, from popular and belletristic to academic, this may well be a breakthrough collection for general readers. Each section is divided into subsections with introductions by the editors, both communications professors, to set the appropriate context. Sections deal with broad topics, such as the media or community tactics, while subsections treat more specific points of view. Because the book includes selections about current issues like marriage and cyberspace, it is also a good snapshot of the state of gay and lesbian life today. Recommended for all collections with gay and lesbian readers as well as research communities with interest in the field.?David S. Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., PhiladelphiaCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Carol LeMasters
A unique and lively anthology.
Esther Newton author of Cherry Grove, Fire Island: Sixty Years in America's First
The most up-to-date, media-savvy conception of how to organize and teach an introductory course on lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender studies to undergraduates. I can't wait to use it.
Gregory Herek editor of Stigma and Sexual Orientation and Out In Force: Sexual Orientation and the Military editor of Stigma and Sexual Orientation and Out In Force: Sexual Orientation and the Military,
A source book destined to be widely cited by activists and academics alike. . . . a lively and unique anthology of articles analyzing, illustrating, and challenging the sexual prejudice that pervades American society. Students of mass media and those simply trying to understand Ellen's coming out episode in historical context will find it tremendously useful.
Margaret Cruikshank , author of The Gay and Lesbian Liberation Movement
Casts a much wider net than previous anthologies. It is unique in its combination of historical documents and current work. A major contribution to lesbian and gay studies.
Leroy Aarons founder, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
A lively, irreverent one-stop-shopping reader on lesbian and gay male sensibility. Its impact is cumulative and subtly subversive: these are protean journalists, authors and activists giving voice to the depth and variety of gay experience - a voice that will no longer tolerate being squelched.
Book Description
Lambda Literary Awards Finalist Here at last is a comprehensive and highly approachable introduction to lesbian and gay studies for students and general readers. More than one hundred articles, essays, and primary documents cover the formation of gay identity, religious, scientific, medical, and legal perspectives, the mainstream media, lesbian and gay media, and community prospects and tactics. From Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick´s essay, "How to Bring Your Kids Up Gay," to Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger´s "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons," to a 1947 Newsweek article, "Homosexuals in Uniform," The Columbia Reader explores experiences and representations of lesbian and gay people in an engaging and accessible format. The Columbia Reader features: · concise introductions to each section, as well as a substantial general introduction · viewpoints -ranging from radical to conservative -of lesbian and gay scholars and community writers, as well as nongay intellectuals and public figures · essays, articles, and primary documents from both mainstream and lesbian/gay sources · detailed exploration of mainstream media representations of gays and lesbians in films, television, and print as well as the rise of lesbian/gay media outlets · broad coverage of history and identity, social, cultural, legal, medical, and religious regulation, AIDS, and lesbian and gay political agendas and strategies · current topics, such as the recent development of a cybercommunity, as well as questions of censorship and pornography, same-sex marriage, the ethics of "outing," gay and lesbian activism, and the conservative backlash Grounded in key social and political topics rather than wholly theoretical approaches, The Columbia Reader on Lesbians and Gay Men in Media, Society, and Politics will be a valuable resource for years to come.
About the Author
Larry Gross is Sol Worth Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Contested Closets: The Politics and Ethics of Outing and editor of Image Ethics: The Moral Rights of Subjects in Photographs, Film and Television, and On the Margins of Art Worlds. James D. Woods was assistant professor of communications at the College of Staten Island, CUNY, and author of The Corporate Closet: The Professional Lives of Gay Men in America.
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