A review by blueberryhotel
The Other Persuasion: short fiction about gay men and women by Seymour Kleinberg

challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

this was a super interesting read; i really appreciated the chronology of stories that served as a retrospective on gay people in literature and therefore a reflection of their reputation in society writ large. it’s always fascinating and comforting (though often upsetting) to read perspectives from and/or on gay people throughout history and draw links to the present, noting how much has changed and how much has stayed the same. it was also fun to take on the challenge of reading older literature, where the prose can often be dense and i need to stop every few sentences to look up a word i don’t know. 
some of my favorite stories: mabel neathe, momma, my brother writes poetry for an englishman, two on a party, a step towards gomorrah, middle children
there’s a lot of tragic and unsavory material in here too, of course, and much to unravel re: race and class relations. important to keep in mind and reckon with while reading