Various (Ansen, Alan; Bowles, Jane; Bowles, Paul; Burroughs, William S.; Cassady, Neal; Cowen, Elise; Di Prima, Diane; Ginsberg, Allen; Giorno, John; Gysin, Brion; Huncke, Herbert; Norse, Harold; Orlovsky, Peter; Wieners, John)

Queer Beats: How the Beats Turned America On to Sex (Selected Writings)

Berkeley, CA: Cleis Press, 2004. First Printing. Softcover. “Blasting through the crew-cuts and conformism of their day, the Beat writers were queer in the fullest sense of the word: their fluid sexuality challenged all sexual and romantic conventions. Most shocking of their unconventional attitudes was their embrace of same-sex eroticism. At a time when gay people were considered mentally ill or criminal, the Beats celebrated spontaneity and freedom in thought, word, and action” (from Back Cover). Now this is quite the volume: infinitely valuable and curiously easy to overlook. A volume curiously easy to file — (or, let’s be honest, toss) — into the stacks of (just-north-of-valueless) literary-critical works bearing similar names. However, the open-minded reader will be rewarded, however, upon realizing that the volume compiles not a mélange of dissertations but writings the writings (& reflections) of pioneering, gay Mid-Century American authors themselves. This, by itself would be enough — but the book doubles as a key biographical study of Beat literary history itself, compiling comparative unknowns (like Alan Ansen the totemic early influence on the Beats, Herbert Huncke) besides marquis-topping headliners like Allen Ginsberg & William S. Burroughs. Your Devoted Managing Curator would be remiss not to add that there has been, in recent years, an all-out ideological war over what exactly is meant by ‘Queer.’ In 1951, when William S. Burroughs started writing a book with that very word taken for its title, it simply meant “a homosexual man who did not cross-dress, or present effeminately.” It said to the world (in the words of Gore Vidal), — that “Homosexuality is a perfectly normal, natural thing and has been from the beginning of time. The difference between a homosexual and a heterosexual is the same as [the difference between] someone who has brown eyes and blue eyes.” Vidal’s words have become ever more prophetic as time’s marched on; and today, acceptance of gay marriage and gay Americans (even in conservative circles) has reached an all-time high. This book teeters curiously on the definition of queer mentioned above — it, in one sense, looks “forward” (or, perhaps more accurately, to the present) and champions the definition favored by professors of postmodern literature and social-justice academics. It also curiously looks “backward,” — to the “real” definition of the word as it was meant when it came from the lips of the very authors whose work (and statements/commentary) this volume commendably compiles. The result is a scholastically-nutritive, and politically evenhanded work; a bona-fide, fact-based, and largely unbiased view into an extremely important topic in Beat literary history-&-scholarship. From the collection of Allen Tobias, assistant to Allen Ginsberg beginning in the 1960s, curator, critical author & scholar who is our good friend & esteemed colleague at the European Beat Studies Network (ebsn.eu). Trade-format softcover original: “First Edition,” as stated on copyright page; First Printing, as indicated by number sequence thereon. In very fine condition, virtually as new with only slightest shelf-wear to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge, else pristine. Very Fine. [Item #5723]

Price: $20.00