Contemporary Gay American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook

by Emmanuel S. Nelson (Editor)

Overview

Publication of this sourcebook on important gay American fiction writers grants legitimacy and recognition to this rapidly emerging area of literary studies. Though wary of canon-formation in this groundbreaking work, editor Nelson has selected fifty-seven writers whose works have received serious critical acclaim and/or have won large audiences or, in a few cases, are worthy of greater attention. Included are representative writers of detective fiction and science fiction, but not authors of erotic fiction or pulp novels. Also excluded are a few novelists whose expressed wishes for privacy were respected. Writers and their works are examined in the gay literary context, and a majority of the contributing essayists are themselves gay male scholars and writers who bring with them a level of personal and political sensitivity that is generally lacking in non-gay assessments of this literature.

Each entry begins with biographical information, proceeds to an interpretive summary of major works and themes, provides an overview of critical reception accorded the author, and concludes with bibliographies of primary and secondary materials. In a lively and perceptive introductory essay, Bredbeck inquires into what we mean by gay literature and the inherent tensions in these terms. Conceding the impossibility of speaking conclusively of gay literature, he nevertheless stresses the importance of the task and ends with a survey of critical studies of the gay male novel and works of gay male criticism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313280191
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/26/1993
Pages:	456
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.12(d)

About the Author

EMMANUEL S. NELSON is Associate Professor of English at the State University of New York College at Cortland. His special interests in gay literature, post colonial literature, and ethnic American literature are reflected in his publications, including Connections: Essays on Black Literatures, AIDS: The Literary Response, and Reworlding: The Literature of the Indian Diaspora (Greenwood Press, 1992).

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Steve Abbott
James Baldwin
Bruce Boone
Christopher Bram
William S(eward) Burroughs II
Truman Capote
Marsh Cassady
John Champagne
Christopher Coe
Dennis Cooper
Michael Cunningham
Daniel Curzon
Christopher Davis
Samuel Delany
Larry Duplechan
Melvin Dixon
David Feinberg
Robert Ferro
John Fox
Sanford Friedman
John Gilgun
Gary Glickman
Robert Gluck
Clayton R. Graham (Larry Paul Ebmeier)
Harlan Greene
Allan Gurganus
Richard Hall
Joseph Hansen
Andrew Holleran
Bo Huston
Christopher Isherwood
Arturo Islas
Joe Keenan
Randall Kenan
Kevin Killian
Larry Kramer
David Leavitt
Armistead Maupin
James Merrill
Larry Mitchell
Paul Monette
Ethan Mordden
Michael Nava
Felice Picano
David Plante
Joseph Ashby Porter
John Preston
James Purdy
John Rechy
Paul Reed
Paul Russell
Jonathan Strong
Gore Vidal
Peter Weltner
Edmund White
George Whitmore
Donald Windham
Appendix
Index

Editorial Reviews

The 57 male novelists in this volume range from Isherwood and Baldwin to Maupin and Leavitt, with some lesser-known writers appearing as well. There are notable absences, but several authors requested that they not be included. Each entry includes a biography, summary of major works and themes, assessment of critical reception, and bibliography of both primary sources and selected studies. The bibliographies are wildly uneven. Primary sources list only novels for some authors, whereas for others short stories and nonfiction are also given. Secondary sources also vary greatly, but generally not enough scholarly articles are given. Still, the material provided is excellent, and the sections on critical reception, which often delineate how homophobia has informed critical opinion, are invaluable and unprecedented. A fine essay by Gregory Bredbeck helps define the idea of ``gay literature.'' Gay/lesbian studies are blossoming, and this volume will begin to fill the enormous gap in our reference collections on the subject; nothing like it is currently available. A companion volume on lesbian writers is forthcoming. Recommended for all undergraduate and research collections.-- Brian Kenney, Brooklyn P.L.

Library Journal

Fifty-seven gay American fiction writers whose works have received critical acclaim are examined in the gay literary context by contributing essayists who are themselves gay male scholars and writers. Each entry begins with biographical information, proceeds to an interpretive summary of major works, provides an overview of critical reception, and concludes with bibliographies of primary and secondary materials. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Gay and lesbian studies is emerging as a serious area of study at many universities, resulting in an increase in the publication of scholarly works on the topic. Nelson has done an excellent job in editing this book about gay novelists, which should be a welcome addition in all research libraries as well as other libraries where there is an interest in gay and lesbian culture "Contemporary Gay American Novelists" profiles 57 serious and widely read male writers who were selected by the editor as representative of the variety of gay literature. These individuals are authors of detective stories, science fiction, personal histories, and novels that portray various aspects of gay life and culture. Authors who write only pulp novels and erotic fiction are not included, nor are those who asked not to be publicly identified as gay. Biographees range from the famous, such as James Baldwin and Christopher Isherwood, to lesser-known novelists whose "works deserve wider attention," such as John Fox and Peter Weltner Most of the biobibliographies were written by gay scholars, giving an insightful and empathic tone to the essays. The profiles vary in length from 4 to 19 pages, and all open with biographical information about the novelist. This is followed by a discussion of major works and themes, pointing out the role of gender identity in the writings, as well as ideas living novelists may be interested in pursuing in the future. The "Critical Reception" section of the essay discusses the significance of the author's works, as well as providing information about how the writings have been received by gay and mainstream media and audiences. The essays conclude with two bibliographies, one of works by the novelist and the other of selected studies about him This new work is well written and fascinating to read. Scholars and general readers, as well as closeted gays, will find it an enlightening book to both consult and browse. It fills a need in the area of gay and lesbian studies and is recommended for academic and large public libraries.

Zom Zoms