Product Description

The status of gay and lesbian literature - for centuries considered marginal at best and corrupting at worst - has changed dramatically over the last twenty-five years. Gay and lesbian programs now flourish in universities around the world, and the body of gay and lesbian writing continues to grow and to enter the mainstream. At no time has there been a greater need for a focused and insightful guide to the remarkable range of literature and its authors. The revised edition of The Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage is a reader's companion to this impressive body of work. It provides overviews of gay and lesbian presence in a variety of literatures and historical periods; in-depth critical essays on major gay and lesbian authors in world literature; and briefer treatments of other topics and figures important in appreciating the rich and varied gay and lesbian literary traditions. Included are nearly 400 alphabetically arranged articles by more than 175 scholars from around the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1867843 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 864 pages

Review
"The writing is informative but also provocative, critical and yet consistently accurate and inclusive in the selection of works discussed."
-"Library Journal, December 15, 2002
..."superb reference work."
-American Reterence Books Annual 2003
"Comprehensive in scope, taking us from ancient to contemporary times and treating each topic with an admirable thoroughness, this is the first edition of what I predict will become an authoritative record for an expanding 'literary heritage'."
-Richard Schneider Jr., editor of "The Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review
"This remarkable volume contains essential reading for gay people seeking evidence of ancient roots and roles--and for anyone else who wants a more complete picture of the origins of literary endeavor than formal education usually offers."
-Lisa Alther, author of "Kinflicks and Five Minutes in Heaven
"It is dedicated to the recovery, consolidation, and document of the diverse legacies of same sex love in literature, and the 150-plus scholars from around the world who ahve authored these articles should be proud to have contributed so successfully to that mission.."
-"Library Journal, G. Douglas Meyers, Dec 02

From the Back Cover
The status of gay and lesbian literature-for centuries considered marginal at best and corrupting at worst-has changed dramatically over the last twenty-five years. Gay and lesbian studies programs now flourish in universities around the world, and the body of gay and lesbian writing continues to grow and to enter the mainstream. At no time has there been a greater need for a focused and insightful guide to the remarkable range of literature and its authors.

The revised edition of The Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage is a reader's companion to this impressive body of work. It provides overviews of gay and lesbian presence in a variety of literatures and historical periods; in-depth critical essays on major gay and lesbian authors in world literature; and briefer treatments of other topics and figures important in appreciating the rich and varied gay and lesbian literary traditions. Included are nearly 400 alphabetically arranged articles by more than 175 scholars from around the world. New articles in this volume feature authors such as Michael Cunningham, Tony Kushner, Anne Lister, Kate Millet, Jan Morris, Terrence McNally, and Sarah Waters; essays on topics such as Comedy of Manners and Autobiography; and overviews of Danish, Norwegian, Philippines, and Swedish literatures; as well as updated and revised articles and bibliographies.

About the Author
Claude J. Summers is William E. Stirton Professor in the Humanities and Professor of English at the University of Michigan, Dearborn. He has written widely on 17th-century English literature; written book-length critical studies on Christopher Marlowe, E. M. Forster, and Christopher Isherwood; and is the author of Gay Fictions: Wilde to Stonewall. He received the Lambda Literary Award for the first edition of The Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage.

Customer Reviews

Perfect Reference for a Queer Academic
This is not a book that will keep you reading through the night and not only because one night would not be enough. This is a book you will keep on reading for years, picking it up to broaden your knowledge about still new authors and historical characters only to be surprised most of the time that, yes, they are included and given a broad and comprehensive treatment as well. Simply a must of you are interested in gay and lesbian literature and literary tradition. A necessary item in your reference library and a perfect book for browsing.