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A review by shivani_maurya
Eminent Outlaws: The Gay Writers Who Changed America by Christopher Bram
4.0
Historical accounts, comprehensive or otherwise (especially otherwise), always make me impatient. They leave this intense craving, gnawing away at the heart, to know more. They mark before(s) and after(s). Where ignorance was bliss, curiosity runs amok. That is indeed true as far as this book is concerned.
My earliest memories of coming across anything related to homosexuality is that of the pride parades. Nothing of the sort had happened in my country, yet. And the first one didn't roll along the streets till 2008. While a culture had been coming of age throughout the world, we Indians were still waking up to realize that our society and laws needed even more revisions and refinement. Over the years I have come across my share of queer-lit, articles, discussions etc. But only occasionally. And it is painfully clear how far behind we are. With our laws still under scrutiny, identifying as a homosexual is not safe, punishable by law and almost guarantees making one a social outcast. When friends and family offhandedly dismiss any discussion, giving the so called religious and morally right reasons, it is as frustrating as it is baffling. Why do some find it questionable and some don't? How did the world come to acknowledge and accept? Who all influenced and how? If you are picking this book, it will surely give part of the answers if not the whole.
By admission of the author, this is not a comprehensive history of the homosexual culture. He has left the lesbians out, admitting they deserve a separate tome. He hasn't covered all the major gay writers either. I believe people with personal favourites might feel incredulous or even outraged to not find a single mention of their idol. But then again, the writers included in this work are not the sole representatives. They are used as mediums to chronicle the history of gay culture. The author seems to have picked writers of his personal choice. And they are his instruments in this telling of truth.
Some of the writers discussed herein are Gore Vidal, James Baldwin, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Edmund White, Edward Albee, Andrew Holleran, Tony Kushner, Christopher Isherwood, Larry Kramer, Allen Ginsberg etc. The author unfolds a diorama of their lives, often crossing each other as lovers, acquaintances, friends, rivals, critics..and above all fellow budding writers of a literary phenomenon. And this phenomenon was unlike any other. Where the mainstream literary works had a penchant to breathe in the prevalent culture, the gay literature is unique in doing the reverse. It gave breath to the choking stringent culture and ushered in a new era of openness and gradual acceptance.
The book takes us through 5 decades in 5 stages, from the fifties to the nineties. From braving a barrage of critical attacks and expressing itself through all literary devices to being terrorized by an unforgiving disease and surviving despite the odds, the history of gay culture and its liberation is not one of victors and defeated. There is no version where few come on top of the other. At its root it is a fight for identity and equality. And the author has focussed mainly on the literary influence. While few details of politics and activism are included, they are not elaborated. What one can hope to glean is how the works of gay-lit advanced over the years from subtle allusions to outright affirmation, how different literary works came to be, what the motivations were behind those works, how the bigger picture was often missed in personal rivalries, how intolerant jibes had far-reaching consequences, how one victory was followed by yet another hurdle to be overcome and how the smidgeon of tolerance in our world (only 60 years hence) was dearly bought. If one takes into account the role politics, activism, legislative actions and medical advancements must have played, this book falls short on claiming the title of being the history of gay culture. At best it is a cultural memoir with a selective literary outlook. But to know something is always better than being aloof.
There is an inherent wariness to issues dealing with minority groups. Often times they are dismissed or poorly dealt with for lack of perspective and proper knowledge of their history. And it is not the minorities who should have to bear the burden of educating the majority. But they have surely done their part. One can read much into their history and learn through literary works, poems, plays, essays, debates etc. Be it fictional/non-fictional, history of any kind deserves widespread perusal. Read some. Then read some more. It is way past time for the hubris of "them vs. us" to have survived in present times. This book can get one started with few answers but even more questions. A desire to devour this rich body of literature is a given. But one should be driven for getting answers to the questions left unanswered. There are no pre-requisites to discovering a history not taught or discussed widely. Fascination (with the included), intrigue (being the excluded), curiosity (into hitherto less known) or simple questions (what, why, how) can be one's personal motivators. And they can be as good a starting point as any.
My earliest memories of coming across anything related to homosexuality is that of the pride parades. Nothing of the sort had happened in my country, yet. And the first one didn't roll along the streets till 2008. While a culture had been coming of age throughout the world, we Indians were still waking up to realize that our society and laws needed even more revisions and refinement. Over the years I have come across my share of queer-lit, articles, discussions etc. But only occasionally. And it is painfully clear how far behind we are. With our laws still under scrutiny, identifying as a homosexual is not safe, punishable by law and almost guarantees making one a social outcast. When friends and family offhandedly dismiss any discussion, giving the so called religious and morally right reasons, it is as frustrating as it is baffling. Why do some find it questionable and some don't? How did the world come to acknowledge and accept? Who all influenced and how? If you are picking this book, it will surely give part of the answers if not the whole.
By admission of the author, this is not a comprehensive history of the homosexual culture. He has left the lesbians out, admitting they deserve a separate tome. He hasn't covered all the major gay writers either. I believe people with personal favourites might feel incredulous or even outraged to not find a single mention of their idol. But then again, the writers included in this work are not the sole representatives. They are used as mediums to chronicle the history of gay culture. The author seems to have picked writers of his personal choice. And they are his instruments in this telling of truth.
Some of the writers discussed herein are Gore Vidal, James Baldwin, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Edmund White, Edward Albee, Andrew Holleran, Tony Kushner, Christopher Isherwood, Larry Kramer, Allen Ginsberg etc. The author unfolds a diorama of their lives, often crossing each other as lovers, acquaintances, friends, rivals, critics..and above all fellow budding writers of a literary phenomenon. And this phenomenon was unlike any other. Where the mainstream literary works had a penchant to breathe in the prevalent culture, the gay literature is unique in doing the reverse. It gave breath to the choking stringent culture and ushered in a new era of openness and gradual acceptance.
The book takes us through 5 decades in 5 stages, from the fifties to the nineties. From braving a barrage of critical attacks and expressing itself through all literary devices to being terrorized by an unforgiving disease and surviving despite the odds, the history of gay culture and its liberation is not one of victors and defeated. There is no version where few come on top of the other. At its root it is a fight for identity and equality. And the author has focussed mainly on the literary influence. While few details of politics and activism are included, they are not elaborated. What one can hope to glean is how the works of gay-lit advanced over the years from subtle allusions to outright affirmation, how different literary works came to be, what the motivations were behind those works, how the bigger picture was often missed in personal rivalries, how intolerant jibes had far-reaching consequences, how one victory was followed by yet another hurdle to be overcome and how the smidgeon of tolerance in our world (only 60 years hence) was dearly bought. If one takes into account the role politics, activism, legislative actions and medical advancements must have played, this book falls short on claiming the title of being the history of gay culture. At best it is a cultural memoir with a selective literary outlook. But to know something is always better than being aloof.
There is an inherent wariness to issues dealing with minority groups. Often times they are dismissed or poorly dealt with for lack of perspective and proper knowledge of their history. And it is not the minorities who should have to bear the burden of educating the majority. But they have surely done their part. One can read much into their history and learn through literary works, poems, plays, essays, debates etc. Be it fictional/non-fictional, history of any kind deserves widespread perusal. Read some. Then read some more. It is way past time for the hubris of "them vs. us" to have survived in present times. This book can get one started with few answers but even more questions. A desire to devour this rich body of literature is a given. But one should be driven for getting answers to the questions left unanswered. There are no pre-requisites to discovering a history not taught or discussed widely. Fascination (with the included), intrigue (being the excluded), curiosity (into hitherto less known) or simple questions (what, why, how) can be one's personal motivators. And they can be as good a starting point as any.