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A review by kaptainkate
The Full Spectrum by David Levithan, Billy Merrell
4.0
The Full Spectrum was an interesting read for me for a variety of reasons. One, I'm not actually a huge fan of non-fiction unless it's stuff about writing or social psychology, like Malcolm Gladwell (who, ironically, wrote the book I started after this one), but this is an anthology of non-fiction works from GLBTQ persons and dealing with issues and learning about sexual and gender identities. You can see why it would interest me.
I suppose to some, my interest in gender and sexuality might seem strange since I am a straight, white, cis-female, but even though my gender and sexual identities are rather uncomplicated when compared to many others, I can't help a fascination with sexuality and gender. I don't know if I can pinpoint what about it draws me in so much, but I suppose it's similar to my interest in Gladwell's works and Freakonomics, perhaps it's just a thirst for knowledge. But enough about me and my extensive interests. The book.
It's a collection of 40 stories, essays, poems, and even some photographs that tell the stories of these people. Some are snapshots of moments, relationships, or tales of coming out, while others span much longer terms delving into the murky waters of gender identity and questioning. The process of acceptance, both from others and from themselves.
The anthology is aptly named since it does cover, while not perhaps the actual full spectrum, a feeling of the full spectrum and at least hints of the possibilities from the identity standpoint, the emotional standpoint, and the actual point of view.
I was surprised as to how many of the stories dealt with religion, but in a very positive manner and how their religion helped them in accepting their sexuality, rather than challenging it and acting as a catalyst for self-hatred. I actually rather enjoyed seeing how people put into their own words, their relationship with religion and how it works with their identity.
That isn't to say all the stories have happy-go-lucky relationships with religion, but I guess the spectrum comes in there too.
There was a good variety in the pieces, both in content and in form. My only qualms with the collection were that a few of the pieces I just "didn't get", which isn't to say that they were bad, just that they were on a level that I am not on. There were also a few pieces where I questioned the editing choices, but I think that's true of just about any work of literature.
I also would have appreciated more balance in the placement of stories. I have no idea how the editors chose the order in which the pieces appeared, but I guess I'm picky about that in the same way I make mix CDs, there is a rhyme and reason. But it's a bit like sentence construction, you need to mix up short and long sentences and medium sentences so it doesn't get monotonous and it wasn't necessarily the tone that was monotonous or even the contents, it was the lengths. There were periods filled with 20 pages of 1 - 3 page stories and then you went into a chunk of 15 - 20 page stories and it got a little tiresome sometimes.
In all though, I really enjoyed the anthology and I think that there are lessons to be learned by everyone, regardless of age, sexuality or gender identity.
I suppose to some, my interest in gender and sexuality might seem strange since I am a straight, white, cis-female, but even though my gender and sexual identities are rather uncomplicated when compared to many others, I can't help a fascination with sexuality and gender. I don't know if I can pinpoint what about it draws me in so much, but I suppose it's similar to my interest in Gladwell's works and Freakonomics, perhaps it's just a thirst for knowledge. But enough about me and my extensive interests. The book.
It's a collection of 40 stories, essays, poems, and even some photographs that tell the stories of these people. Some are snapshots of moments, relationships, or tales of coming out, while others span much longer terms delving into the murky waters of gender identity and questioning. The process of acceptance, both from others and from themselves.
The anthology is aptly named since it does cover, while not perhaps the actual full spectrum, a feeling of the full spectrum and at least hints of the possibilities from the identity standpoint, the emotional standpoint, and the actual point of view.
I was surprised as to how many of the stories dealt with religion, but in a very positive manner and how their religion helped them in accepting their sexuality, rather than challenging it and acting as a catalyst for self-hatred. I actually rather enjoyed seeing how people put into their own words, their relationship with religion and how it works with their identity.
That isn't to say all the stories have happy-go-lucky relationships with religion, but I guess the spectrum comes in there too.
There was a good variety in the pieces, both in content and in form. My only qualms with the collection were that a few of the pieces I just "didn't get", which isn't to say that they were bad, just that they were on a level that I am not on. There were also a few pieces where I questioned the editing choices, but I think that's true of just about any work of literature.
I also would have appreciated more balance in the placement of stories. I have no idea how the editors chose the order in which the pieces appeared, but I guess I'm picky about that in the same way I make mix CDs, there is a rhyme and reason. But it's a bit like sentence construction, you need to mix up short and long sentences and medium sentences so it doesn't get monotonous and it wasn't necessarily the tone that was monotonous or even the contents, it was the lengths. There were periods filled with 20 pages of 1 - 3 page stories and then you went into a chunk of 15 - 20 page stories and it got a little tiresome sometimes.
In all though, I really enjoyed the anthology and I think that there are lessons to be learned by everyone, regardless of age, sexuality or gender identity.