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The Fiancée Farce: the perfect steamy sapphic rom-com
by Alexandria BellefleurA steamy Sapphic rom-com about a modern-day marriage-of-convenience. Perfect for fans of Ashley Herring Blake, Casey McQuiston and Talia Hibbert.'Marry me and no one has to know none of this was real' Tansy's greatest love is her family's bookstore. But when it comes to actual romance, she can't get past the first chapter. Tired of questions about her love life, she invents a fake girlfriend, inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. But when the real-life Gemma crosses Tansy's path, her white lie nearly implodes. Gemma is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further - and announces their engagement. But as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, unexpected sparks start to fly and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur . . . But the scheming Van Dalen family won't give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy's newfound happiness might just get caught in the fallout. Why readers love Alexandria Bellefleur . . . 'Everything I want from a rom-com: fun, whimsical, sexy' Talia Hibbert'I was hooked from the very first page!' Christina Lauren'This book is a delight' New York Times Book Review'You can never go wrong with an Alexandria Bellefleur novel' Buzzfeed'Sparkles with a delightful mix of wit, humour and good-natured sarcasm' Mia Sosa
Suck Less: Where There's a Willam, There's a Way
by Willam BelliThe only lie told more often than "No, that looks totally cute on you" and "I got AIDS through oral" is "It gets better." Well, a lotta times it don't. Sometimes it just sucks less. But I promise you: where there's a Willam, there's a way. But this isn't all about me (for once). It's about you and how you can Suck Less at a variety of things drag queens are so much better at than the average person. I've got clap backs and life hacks and tips on classing up a simple grab-and-run lifting spree to the much more dignified act of larceny. Super-important life stuff with my own special, secret fag- swag sauce. So welcome to Willam's School of Bitchcraft and Wiggotry. Class is in session. With a foreword from Neil Patrick Harris.
No One Dies Yet: A genre-breaking novel from a powerful new African voice
by Kobby Ben BenHow do you begin a murder story starring a curious foreigner and an opportunistic local without giving away the entire plot—who died and why? You start with the obvious villain. 2019, The Year of Return. It has been exactly 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America. Ghana has now opened its doors to Black diasporans, encouraging them to return and get to know the land of their ancestors. Elton, Vincent, and Scott arrive from America to visit preserved sites from the transatlantic slave route, and to explore the country's underground queer scene. Their activities are narrated by their two combative guides: Kobby, their way into Accra's privileged circles; and Nana, the voice of tradition and religious principle. The pair's tense relationship sets the tone for what becomes a shocking and unsettling tale of murder that is at times funny, at times erotic, yet always outspoken and iconoclastic.
Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships
by William E BenemannPreviously hard-to-find information on homosexuality in early America-now in a convenient single volume!Few of us are familiar with the gay men on General Washington&’s staff or among the leaders of the new republic. Now, in the same way that Alex Haley&’s Roots provided a generation of African Americans with an appreciation of their history, Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships will give many gay readers their first glimpse of homosexuality as a theme in early American history.Honored as a 2007 Stonewall Book Award nonfiction selection, Male-Male Intimacy in Early America is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of homosexual activity among American men in the early years of American history. This single source brings together information that has until now been widely scattered in journals and distant archives. The book draws on personal letters, diaries, court records, and contemporary publications to examine the role of homosexual activity in the lives of American men in the Colonial period and in the early years of the new republic. The author scoured research that was published in contemporary journals and also conducted his own research in over a dozen US archives, ranging from the Library of Congress to the Huntington Library, from the United Military Academy Archives to the Missouri Historical Society. Male-Male Intimacy in Early America explores: the role of the open frontier and the unregulated seas as places of refuge for men who would not enter into heterosexual relationships the sexual lives of American Indians-particularly the berdache tradition-and how the stereotypes associated with American Indian sexuality molded white America&’s attitudes toward homosexuality homosexuality in slave narratives-and the homosexual subtexts of racist minstrel show lyrics the formation of European gay communities during American colonial times, with an emphasis on Berlin, Paris, and London-with English translations of material previously available only in German or French! homosexuality as presented in eighteenth-century novels popular with American readers, plus information on homosexuality that was published in medical treatises of the period United States Army and Navy courts-martial that focused on sodomy the sublimation of homosexuality by religious revival movements of the early nineteenth century, particularly among Quakers, Mormons, and Oneida Perfectionists social groups as a perceived cover for homosexual activity, with an emphasis on the Masonic Order non-procreative sexuality as a theme and as a threat during the American revolution the West in American literary tradition-and the role of popular writers such as James Fenimore Cooper and Davy Crockett in creating the myth of individual sexual freedom on the margins of American societyAuthor William Benemann rejects Foucault&’s contention that homosexuality is an artificial construct created by medico-legal authorities in the latter half of the nineteenth century. He recognizes that men have been sexually attracted to other men throughout American history, and in this book, examines their historical options for expressing that attraction. He also addresses related issues surrounding race and gender expectations, population and migration patterns, vocational choice, and information exchange. Written in a straightforward style that can easily be understood by lay readers, Male-Male Intimacy in Early America is an ideal choice for educators, students, and individuals interested in this unexplored area of American history and sexuality studies.
Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships
by William E BenemannPreviously hard-to-find information on homosexuality in early America-now in a convenient single volume!Few of us are familiar with the gay men on General Washington&’s staff or among the leaders of the new republic. Now, in the same way that Alex Haley&’s Roots provided a generation of African Americans with an appreciation of their history, Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships will give many gay readers their first glimpse of homosexuality as a theme in early American history.Honored as a 2007 Stonewall Book Award nonfiction selection, Male-Male Intimacy in Early America is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of homosexual activity among American men in the early years of American history. This single source brings together information that has until now been widely scattered in journals and distant archives. The book draws on personal letters, diaries, court records, and contemporary publications to examine the role of homosexual activity in the lives of American men in the Colonial period and in the early years of the new republic. The author scoured research that was published in contemporary journals and also conducted his own research in over a dozen US archives, ranging from the Library of Congress to the Huntington Library, from the United Military Academy Archives to the Missouri Historical Society. Male-Male Intimacy in Early America explores: the role of the open frontier and the unregulated seas as places of refuge for men who would not enter into heterosexual relationships the sexual lives of American Indians-particularly the berdache tradition-and how the stereotypes associated with American Indian sexuality molded white America&’s attitudes toward homosexuality homosexuality in slave narratives-and the homosexual subtexts of racist minstrel show lyrics the formation of European gay communities during American colonial times, with an emphasis on Berlin, Paris, and London-with English translations of material previously available only in German or French! homosexuality as presented in eighteenth-century novels popular with American readers, plus information on homosexuality that was published in medical treatises of the period United States Army and Navy courts-martial that focused on sodomy the sublimation of homosexuality by religious revival movements of the early nineteenth century, particularly among Quakers, Mormons, and Oneida Perfectionists social groups as a perceived cover for homosexual activity, with an emphasis on the Masonic Order non-procreative sexuality as a theme and as a threat during the American revolution the West in American literary tradition-and the role of popular writers such as James Fenimore Cooper and Davy Crockett in creating the myth of individual sexual freedom on the margins of American societyAuthor William Benemann rejects Foucault&’s contention that homosexuality is an artificial construct created by medico-legal authorities in the latter half of the nineteenth century. He recognizes that men have been sexually attracted to other men throughout American history, and in this book, examines their historical options for expressing that attraction. He also addresses related issues surrounding race and gender expectations, population and migration patterns, vocational choice, and information exchange. Written in a straightforward style that can easily be understood by lay readers, Male-Male Intimacy in Early America is an ideal choice for educators, students, and individuals interested in this unexplored area of American history and sexuality studies.
Word of Mouth: Gossip and American Poetry (Hopkins Studies in Modernism)
by Chad BennettCan the art of gossip help us to better understand modern and contemporary poetry? Gossip;€™s ostensible frivolity may seem at odds with common conceptions of poetry as serious, solitary expression. But in Word of Mouth, Chad Bennett explores the dynamic relationship between gossip and American poetry, uncovering the unexpected ways that the history of the modern lyric intertwines with histories of sexuality in the twentieth century. Through nuanced readings of Gertrude Stein, Langston Hughes, Frank O;€™Hara, and James Merrill;¢;‚¬;€?poets who famously absorbed and adapted the loose talk that swirled about them and their work;¢;‚¬;€?Bennett demonstrates how gossip became a vehicle for alternative modes of poetic practice. By attending to gossip;€™s key role in modern and contemporary poetry, he recognizes the unpredictable ways that conventional understandings of the modern lyric poem have been shaped by, and afforded a uniquely suitable space for, the expression of queer sensibilities.Evincing an ear for good gossip, Bennett presents new and illuminating queer contexts for the influential poetry of these four culturally diverse poets. Word of Mouth establishes poetry as a neglected archive for our thinking about gossip and contributes a crucial queer perspective to current lyric studies and its renewed scholarly debate over the status and uses of the lyric genre.
Word of Mouth: Gossip and American Poetry (Hopkins Studies in Modernism)
by Chad BennettCan the art of gossip help us to better understand modern and contemporary poetry? Gossip;€™s ostensible frivolity may seem at odds with common conceptions of poetry as serious, solitary expression. But in Word of Mouth, Chad Bennett explores the dynamic relationship between gossip and American poetry, uncovering the unexpected ways that the history of the modern lyric intertwines with histories of sexuality in the twentieth century. Through nuanced readings of Gertrude Stein, Langston Hughes, Frank O;€™Hara, and James Merrill;¢;‚¬;€?poets who famously absorbed and adapted the loose talk that swirled about them and their work;¢;‚¬;€?Bennett demonstrates how gossip became a vehicle for alternative modes of poetic practice. By attending to gossip;€™s key role in modern and contemporary poetry, he recognizes the unpredictable ways that conventional understandings of the modern lyric poem have been shaped by, and afforded a uniquely suitable space for, the expression of queer sensibilities.Evincing an ear for good gossip, Bennett presents new and illuminating queer contexts for the influential poetry of these four culturally diverse poets. Word of Mouth establishes poetry as a neglected archive for our thinking about gossip and contributes a crucial queer perspective to current lyric studies and its renewed scholarly debate over the status and uses of the lyric genre.
The Anxiety Book for Trans People: How to Conquer Your Dysphoria, Worry Less and Find Joy
by Freiya BensonAnxiety. It's out there and it's messing things up for us all. But for some of us, it's really messing things up.As a trans woman, Freiya Benson is super anxious a lot of the time - from feeling unsafe in social situations, to worrying about how she looks and sounds - but over the years she has developed a toolkit for managing anxiety as a trans and/or non-binary person. Exploring specific triggers such as coming out, gender dysphoria, voice anxiety, transphobia, validity, passing and gender expectations, this guide will help you to identify and understand your triggers and anxiety, and build the resilience you need to handle life's challenges.With advice and personal stories from a range of trans people, this book highlights the importance of self-care and being proud of who you are and highlights how trans people can flourish both individually and as a community when their anxiety is no longer in charge.
The Anxiety Book for Trans People: How to Conquer Your Dysphoria, Worry Less and Find Joy
by Freiya BensonAnxiety. It's out there and it's messing things up for us all. But for some of us, it's really messing things up.As a trans woman, Freiya Benson is super anxious a lot of the time - from feeling unsafe in social situations, to worrying about how she looks and sounds - but over the years she has developed a toolkit for managing anxiety as a trans and/or non-binary person. Exploring specific triggers such as coming out, gender dysphoria, voice anxiety, transphobia, validity, passing and gender expectations, this guide will help you to identify and understand your triggers and anxiety, and build the resilience you need to handle life's challenges.With advice and personal stories from a range of trans people, this book highlights the importance of self-care and being proud of who you are and highlights how trans people can flourish both individually and as a community when their anxiety is no longer in charge.
Trans Love: An Anthology of Transgender and Non-Binary Voices
by Freiya BensonSelected as a 2019 LGBT Book of the Year by Dazed and Ms. MagazineA ground-breaking anthology of writing on the topic of love, written by trans and non-binary people who share their thoughts, feelings and experiences of love in all its guises. The collection spans familial, romantic, spiritual and self-love as well as friendships and ally love, to provide a broad and honest understanding of how trans people navigate love and relationships, and what love means to them.Reclaiming what love means to trans people, this book provokes conversations that are not reflected in what is presently written, moving the narrative around trans identities away from sensationalism. At once intimate and radical, and both humorous and poignant, this book is for anyone who has loved, who is in love, and who is looking for love.
Trans Love: An Anthology of Transgender and Non-Binary Voices
by Freiya BensonSelected as a 2019 LGBT Book of the Year by Dazed and Ms. MagazineA ground-breaking anthology of writing on the topic of love, written by trans and non-binary people who share their thoughts, feelings and experiences of love in all its guises. The collection spans familial, romantic, spiritual and self-love as well as friendships and ally love, to provide a broad and honest understanding of how trans people navigate love and relationships, and what love means to them.Reclaiming what love means to trans people, this book provokes conversations that are not reflected in what is presently written, moving the narrative around trans identities away from sensationalism. At once intimate and radical, and both humorous and poignant, this book is for anyone who has loved, who is in love, and who is looking for love.
Blood Debts (Blood Debts)
by Terry J. Benton-WalkerMost Anticipated from Buzzfeed, BookPage, Nerd Daily, and more. Featured on NPR Weekend Edition Sunday.'An extravaganza from start to finish' Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights'Riveting. Unflinching. Powerful' Ayana Gray, New York Times-bestselling author of Beasts of Prey'Sings with hope and barely disguised rage. Fantastic from start to finish' TJ Klune, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean SeaIn New Orleans gods meddle and magic will betray you, but this time justice will reign. Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau - the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family - are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn't sick - she's cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.Cristina and Clement used to be each other's most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they'll have to find a way to trust each other and their family's magic, all while solving the decades - old murder that sparked the still - rising tensions between the city's magical and non-magical communities. And if they don't succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.Praise for Blood Debts 'Riveting and relevant'Kirkus Reviews, Starred review'Blood Debts is a force and Terry J. Benton-Walker is truly an author to watch'Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin'Steeped in magic that's every bit as dark as it is moving'Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger'The real magic is this book-don't let it slip through your fingers'Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift'Intricately woven threads of magic, intergenerational trauma, and well-placed social commentary'Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin'Sharp and searing'J. Elle, New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Ebony
Blood Justice (Blood Debts)
by Terry J. Benton-WalkerBlood Justice is the hotly anticipated sequel to Terry J. Benton-Walker's debut Blood Debts.'An extravaganza' Chloe GongCristina and Clement Trudeau have conjured the impossible: justice. Having restored their family's stolen throne, the time has come to look forward to a brighter future for the magical community. But for Valentina Savant, she lost everything and is hellbent on revenge. And lucky for her, she's not the only one. Hateful anti-magic protesters and a ruthless detective with a personal vendetta sabotage their reign at every turn. Worst of all, to protect the boy he loves, Clem has summoned a brutal god that stalks them from the shadows. Shocking murders, disappearances, and new alliances are changing the game forever - and not everyone will survive the final round.'Sings with hope and barely disguised rage'TJ Klune
No House to Call My Home: Love, Family, and Other Transgressions
by Ryan BergIn this lyrical debut, Ryan Berg immerses readers in the gritty, dangerous, and shockingly underreported world of homeless LGBTQ teens in New York. As a caseworker in a group home for disowned LGBTQ teenagers, Berg witnessed the struggles, fears, and ambitions of these disconnected youth as they resisted the pull of the street, tottering between destruction and survival.Focusing on the lives and loves of eight unforgettable youth, No House to Call My Home traces their efforts to break away from dangerous sex work and cycles of drug and alcohol abuse, and, in the process, to heal from years of trauma. From Bella's fervent desire for stability to Christina's irrepressible dreams of stardom to Benny's continuing efforts to find someone to love him, Berg uncovers the real lives behind the harrowing statistics: over 4,000 youth are homeless in New York City-43 percent of them identify as LGBTQ.Through these stories, Berg compels us to rethink the way we define privilege, identity, love, and family. Beyond the tears, bluster, and bravado, he reveals the force that allows them to carry on-the irrepressible hope of youth.
No House to Call My Home: Love, Family, and Other Transgressions
by Ryan BergIn this lyrical debut, Ryan Berg immerses readers in the gritty, dangerous, and shockingly underreported world of homeless LGBTQ teens in New York. As a caseworker in a group home for disowned LGBTQ teenagers, Berg witnessed the struggles, fears, and ambitions of these disconnected youth as they resisted the pull of the street, tottering between destruction and survival. Focusing on the lives and loves of eight unforgettable youth, No House to Call My Home traces their efforts to break away from dangerous sex work and cycles of drug and alcohol abuse, and, in the process, to heal from years of trauma. From Bella's fervent desire for stability to Christina's irrepressible dreams of stardom to Benny's continuing efforts to find someone to love him, Berg uncovers the real lives behind the harrowing statistics: over 4,000 youth are homeless in New York City -- 43 percent of them identify as LGBTQ. Through these stories, Berg compels us to rethink the way we define privilege, identity, love, and family. Beyond the tears, bluster, and bravado, he reveals the force that allows them to carry on -- the irrepressible hope of youth.
Gay and Gray: The Older Homosexual Man, Second Edition
by Raymond BergerIn the absence of accurate information, American culture has upheld a distorted view of what it means to be an older gay man. Gay and Gray is the first and only scholarly full-length treatment of older gay men in America today. It breaks the stereotype that older gay men are strange, lonely creatures and reveals that most older gay men are well-adjusted to their homosexuality and the aging process.This second edition contains four new chapters that present additional perspectives on the reality of gay aging. Dr. Minnigerode&’s study shows that older gay men do not perceive themselves as growing old faster than their heterosexual counterparts, and that forty is the age at which most gay men believe that the label “young” no longer applies--this finding led Berger and other researchers to define “older” gay men as those over forty. Pope and Schulz confirm Berger&’s finding that for most older gay men a continuation of sexual activity and sexual enjoyment is the norm. John Grube&’s paper on the interaction of older gay men with younger gay liberationists explores the cultural divide between today&’s older gay man and his younger counterpart, filling a gap left in the first edition. And a concluding chapter by Richard Friend on a theory of successful gay aging summarizes much of the current thinking about this topic. The true situation of the older homosexual male presented in Gay and Gray challenges preconceptions about what it means to be old and gay. It asserts that in most ways, older gay men are indistinguishable from other older people. Because the book portrays older gay men in a realistic and sympathetic light, it is therapeutic for the many gay men who have been burdened with society&’s negative and distorted views about them. These men may compare their own lives to those of the respondents described in the book. Gay and Gray offers younger gay men a rare glimpse into their futures and enlightens and comforts those who count older gay men among their family and friends. The conclusions drawn in the book will change people&’s perspectives and offer new ways of thinking for and about older gay men.Gay and Gray is filled with rich case histories and treats its subject with dignity and compassion. Topics of focus include: love relationships social and psychological adjustment gay community self-acceptance being ”in the closet” and ”coming out” as a gay person intergenerational attitudes popular stereotypesAs the first intensive interview and questionnaire study of gay men aged 40 and older in America, Gay and Gray examines the lives of these men in light of cultural stereotypes. Author Berger asks about the social lives of these men, their involvement in both the heterosexual and homosexual communities, their ”coming out” experiences, their attitudes about younger gays, their experiences in growing older, and their strategies for adapting to life&’s challenges. In the study, Berger reveals that, contrary to stereotypic views, most older gay men are well-integrated into social networks and lead active and generally satisfying lives. He found that few live alone; most scored as well as younger gays on measures of psychological adjustment, such as self-acceptance; many are open about their homosexuality with family, friends, and colleagues; and the most well-adjusted older gay men were integrated into a homosexual community, associated with younger gay men, and were unwilling to change their sexual orientation.
Gay and Gray: The Older Homosexual Man, Second Edition
by Raymond BergerIn the absence of accurate information, American culture has upheld a distorted view of what it means to be an older gay man. Gay and Gray is the first and only scholarly full-length treatment of older gay men in America today. It breaks the stereotype that older gay men are strange, lonely creatures and reveals that most older gay men are well-adjusted to their homosexuality and the aging process.This second edition contains four new chapters that present additional perspectives on the reality of gay aging. Dr. Minnigerode&’s study shows that older gay men do not perceive themselves as growing old faster than their heterosexual counterparts, and that forty is the age at which most gay men believe that the label “young” no longer applies--this finding led Berger and other researchers to define “older” gay men as those over forty. Pope and Schulz confirm Berger&’s finding that for most older gay men a continuation of sexual activity and sexual enjoyment is the norm. John Grube&’s paper on the interaction of older gay men with younger gay liberationists explores the cultural divide between today&’s older gay man and his younger counterpart, filling a gap left in the first edition. And a concluding chapter by Richard Friend on a theory of successful gay aging summarizes much of the current thinking about this topic. The true situation of the older homosexual male presented in Gay and Gray challenges preconceptions about what it means to be old and gay. It asserts that in most ways, older gay men are indistinguishable from other older people. Because the book portrays older gay men in a realistic and sympathetic light, it is therapeutic for the many gay men who have been burdened with society&’s negative and distorted views about them. These men may compare their own lives to those of the respondents described in the book. Gay and Gray offers younger gay men a rare glimpse into their futures and enlightens and comforts those who count older gay men among their family and friends. The conclusions drawn in the book will change people&’s perspectives and offer new ways of thinking for and about older gay men.Gay and Gray is filled with rich case histories and treats its subject with dignity and compassion. Topics of focus include: love relationships social and psychological adjustment gay community self-acceptance being ”in the closet” and ”coming out” as a gay person intergenerational attitudes popular stereotypesAs the first intensive interview and questionnaire study of gay men aged 40 and older in America, Gay and Gray examines the lives of these men in light of cultural stereotypes. Author Berger asks about the social lives of these men, their involvement in both the heterosexual and homosexual communities, their ”coming out” experiences, their attitudes about younger gays, their experiences in growing older, and their strategies for adapting to life&’s challenges. In the study, Berger reveals that, contrary to stereotypic views, most older gay men are well-integrated into social networks and lead active and generally satisfying lives. He found that few live alone; most scored as well as younger gays on measures of psychological adjustment, such as self-acceptance; many are open about their homosexuality with family, friends, and colleagues; and the most well-adjusted older gay men were integrated into a homosexual community, associated with younger gay men, and were unwilling to change their sexual orientation.
Chasing Adonis: Gay Men and the Pursuit of Perfection
by Tim BerglingWhat is it about some men that makes them an object of our deepest desires? And how far are we willing to go in pursuit of those desires?Chasing Adonis: Gay Men & the Pursuit of Perfection delves into one of the most central mysteries of gay life: What is it gay men find attractive in other men, and why? How much is nature, how much is nurture . . . or maybe just clever marketing? This unique book examines steroid use, body image disorders, gym culture, Internet hook-ups, obsession, stalking, porn, erotic Web sites, strip clubs ... and everything else that makes gay men act "a little bit nutty" when they meet someone who drives them "crazy!" Frank, sexy, and controversial, it uses a light touch to examine a serious subject: how gay society objectifies the male body. Tim Bergling, author of Sissyphobia: Gay Men and Effeminate Behavior and Reeling in the Years: Gay Men&’s Perspectives on Age and Ageism, surveys gay men about their individual concepts of beauty and desire and about the almost unattainable "Adonis" standard many of them set for themselves. Teenagers, senior citizens, and the guys "stuck in the middle" discuss the idea of perfection, how much it changes or evolves over time, and whether the exterior "package" outweighs what&’s inside. From the author:It never ceases to amaze me just how powerful the &’d-word&’&’(desire) can be, how it can take control of our lives and shut everything out, sometimes for just a few moments, sometimes for days or weeks at a time, depending on how badly we&’re smitten. Ask just about anybody, and they can likely pull up a story from their past-or their present-when they&’ve done something incredibly stupid or ill-advised, or maybe just something completely out of character, in pursuit of their heart&’s desire.Chasing Adonis examines: obsession and rejection self-esteem issues the allure of youth preferences in body shapes, types, and sizes "designer genes" vs. first impressions assessing body parts narcissism or comfort level-why men chase after guys who look like them AIDS and HIV gay porn adult book stores and the Internet the Calvin Klein ad campaign featuring "Marky" Mark Wahlberg the Abercrombie & Fitch ads "Tom of Finland" gay icons weight training and fitness clubs steroids and plastic surgery "circuit parties" body dysmorphia and much more!Chasing Adonis: Gay Men and the Pursuit of Perfection is an entertaining and enlightening read for gay men of all ages.
Chasing Adonis: Gay Men and the Pursuit of Perfection
by Tim BerglingWhat is it about some men that makes them an object of our deepest desires? And how far are we willing to go in pursuit of those desires?Chasing Adonis: Gay Men & the Pursuit of Perfection delves into one of the most central mysteries of gay life: What is it gay men find attractive in other men, and why? How much is nature, how much is nurture . . . or maybe just clever marketing? This unique book examines steroid use, body image disorders, gym culture, Internet hook-ups, obsession, stalking, porn, erotic Web sites, strip clubs ... and everything else that makes gay men act "a little bit nutty" when they meet someone who drives them "crazy!" Frank, sexy, and controversial, it uses a light touch to examine a serious subject: how gay society objectifies the male body. Tim Bergling, author of Sissyphobia: Gay Men and Effeminate Behavior and Reeling in the Years: Gay Men&’s Perspectives on Age and Ageism, surveys gay men about their individual concepts of beauty and desire and about the almost unattainable "Adonis" standard many of them set for themselves. Teenagers, senior citizens, and the guys "stuck in the middle" discuss the idea of perfection, how much it changes or evolves over time, and whether the exterior "package" outweighs what&’s inside. From the author:It never ceases to amaze me just how powerful the &’d-word&’&’(desire) can be, how it can take control of our lives and shut everything out, sometimes for just a few moments, sometimes for days or weeks at a time, depending on how badly we&’re smitten. Ask just about anybody, and they can likely pull up a story from their past-or their present-when they&’ve done something incredibly stupid or ill-advised, or maybe just something completely out of character, in pursuit of their heart&’s desire.Chasing Adonis examines: obsession and rejection self-esteem issues the allure of youth preferences in body shapes, types, and sizes "designer genes" vs. first impressions assessing body parts narcissism or comfort level-why men chase after guys who look like them AIDS and HIV gay porn adult book stores and the Internet the Calvin Klein ad campaign featuring "Marky" Mark Wahlberg the Abercrombie & Fitch ads "Tom of Finland" gay icons weight training and fitness clubs steroids and plastic surgery "circuit parties" body dysmorphia and much more!Chasing Adonis: Gay Men and the Pursuit of Perfection is an entertaining and enlightening read for gay men of all ages.
Desire/Love
by Lauren Berlant“There is nothing more alienating than having your pleasures disputed by someone with a theory,” writes Lauren Berlant. Yet the ways in which we live sexuality and intimacy have been profoundly shaped by theories — especially psychoanalytic ones, which have helped to place sexuality and desire at the center of the modern story about what a person is and how her history should be read. At the same time, other modes of explanation have been offered by popular and mass culture. In these domains, sexual desire is not deemed the core story of life; it is mixed up with romance, a particular version of the story of love. In this small theoretical novella-cum-dictionary entry, Lauren Berlant engages love and desire in separate entries. In the first entry, Desire mainly describes the feeling one person has for something else: it is organized by psychoanalytic accounts of attachment, and tells briefly the history of their importance in critical theory and practice. The second entry, on Love, begins with an excursion into fantasy, moving away from the parent-child structure so central to psychoanalysis and looking instead at the centrality of context, environment, and history. The entry on Love describes some workings of romance across personal life and commodity culture, the place where subjects start to think about fantasy on behalf of their actual lives.
Lgbtq Youth And The Paradox Of Digital Media Empowerment: (Routledge Research in Gender, Sexuality, and Media)
by Lauren S. BerlinerProducing Queer Youth challenges popular ideas about online media culture as a platform for empowerment, cultural transformation, and social progress. Based on over three years of participant action research with queer teen media-makers and textual analysis of hundreds of youth-produced videos and popular media campaigns, the book unsettles assumptions that having a "voice" and gaining visibility and recognition necessarily equate to securing rights and resources. Instead, Berliner offers a nuanced picture of openings that emerge for youth media producers as they negotiate the structures of funding and publicity and manage their identities with digital self-representations. Examining youth media practices within broader communication history and critical media pedagogy, she forwards an approach to media production that re-centers the process of making as the site of potential learning and social connection. Ultimately, she reframes digital media participation as a struggle for―rather than, in itself, evidence of―power.
The Shisha (New Erotic Reads Ser.)
by Kitti BernettiWhen Siobhan decides to get exotic, and chooses the local belly dancing bar as a party venue, she gets a lot more than she bargained for. Siobhan's lusted after Adam for ages but he has no idea how wonderfully satisfying a girl with abundant curves can be.Until, that is, he's mesmerised by Leila the belly dancer with her voluptuous hips and generous breasts. But the evening doesn't quite turn out like any of them planned. Except for Leila, of course, who knows exactly what she wants ... and exactly how to get it.
Paradoxes of Neoliberalism: Sex, Gender and Possibilities for Justice (Social Justice)
by Elizabeth Bernstein Janet R. JakobsenFrom the rise of far-right regimes to the tumult of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent years have brought global upheaval as well as the sedimentation of longstanding social inequalities. Analyzing the complexities of the current political moment in different geographic regions, this book addresses the paradoxical persistence of neoliberal policies and practices, in order to ground the pursuit of a more just world. Engaging theories of decoloniality, racial capitalism, queer materialism, and social reproduction, this book demonstrates the centrality of sexual politics to neoliberalism, including both social relations and statecraft. Drawing on ethnographic case studies, the authors show that gender and sexuality may be the site for policies like those pertaining to sex trafficking, which bundle together economics and changes to the structure of the state. In other instances, sexual politics are crucial components of policies on issues ranging from the growth of financial services to migration. Tracing the role of sexual politics across different localities and through different political domains, this book delineates the paradoxical assemblage that makes up contemporary neoliberal hegemony. In addition to exploring contemporary social relations of neoliberal governance, exploitation, domination, and exclusion, the authors also consider gender and sexuality as forces that have shaped myriad forms of community-based activism and resistance, including local efforts to pursue new forms of social change. By tracing neoliberal paradoxes across global sites, the book delineates the multiple dimensions of economic and cultural restructuring that have characterized neoliberal regimes and emergent activist responses to them. This innovative analysis of the relationship between gender justice and political economy will appeal to: interdisciplinary scholars in social and cultural studies; legal and political theorists; and the wide range of readers who are concerned with contemporary questions of social justice.
Is the Rectum a Grave?: and Other Essays
by Leo BersaniOver the course of a distinguished career, critic Leo Bersani has tackled a range of issues in his writing, and this collection gathers together some of his finest work. Beginning with one of the foundations of queer theory—his famous meditation on how sex leads to a shattering of the self, “Is the Rectum a Grave?”—this volume charts the inspired connections Bersani has made between sexuality, psychoanalysis, and aesthetics. Over the course of these essays, Bersani grapples with thinkers ranging from Plato to Descartes to Georg Simmel. Foucault and Freud recur as key figures, and although Foucault rejected psychoanalysis, Bersani contends that by considering his ideas alongside Freud’s, one gains a clearer understanding of human identity and how we relate to one another. For Bersani, art represents a crucial guide for conceiving new ways of connecting to the world, and so, in many of these essays, he stresses the importance of aesthetics, analyzing works by Genet, Caravaggio, Proust, Almodóvar, and Godard. Documenting over two decades in the life of one of the best minds working in the humanities today, Is the Rectum a Grave? and Other Essays is a unique opportunity to explore the fruitful career of a formidable intellect.
Is the Rectum a Grave?: and Other Essays
by Leo BersaniOver the course of a distinguished career, critic Leo Bersani has tackled a range of issues in his writing, and this collection gathers together some of his finest work. Beginning with one of the foundations of queer theory—his famous meditation on how sex leads to a shattering of the self, “Is the Rectum a Grave?”—this volume charts the inspired connections Bersani has made between sexuality, psychoanalysis, and aesthetics. Over the course of these essays, Bersani grapples with thinkers ranging from Plato to Descartes to Georg Simmel. Foucault and Freud recur as key figures, and although Foucault rejected psychoanalysis, Bersani contends that by considering his ideas alongside Freud’s, one gains a clearer understanding of human identity and how we relate to one another. For Bersani, art represents a crucial guide for conceiving new ways of connecting to the world, and so, in many of these essays, he stresses the importance of aesthetics, analyzing works by Genet, Caravaggio, Proust, Almodóvar, and Godard. Documenting over two decades in the life of one of the best minds working in the humanities today, Is the Rectum a Grave? and Other Essays is a unique opportunity to explore the fruitful career of a formidable intellect.