Generation Q [Paperback]

Robin Bernstien (Editor), Seth Clark Silberman (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Since the advent of the gay liberation movement in 1969 -- the direct result of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village -- there has been a plethora of writing about the lives of gay men and lesbians. Much of this has been done by people who were already "out" by the mid-1970s. Generation Q is a collection of essays, memoirs, recollections and thoughts by young people who were just being born in 1969. Ranging from humorous commentary to serious examinations of what it means to be a young gay man in the middle of the AIDS epidemic, this is an important, moving and challenging look at the problems and the pleasures facing young gay people today, for it tells us not only about our youthful presence but our future as well.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Alyson Books; 1st edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155583356X
• ISBN-13: 978-1555833565
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,087,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully edited!, July 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Generation Q (Paperback)

The most striking thing about this book is the way the voices are so different from each other, so well chosen to complement each other, yet the quality is consistent. An honest and exciting book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best anthologies I've stumbled upon, June 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Generation Q (Paperback)

The best thing about this book is its consistency. So many anthologies--no matter what the subject matter--fall into the same breakdown: one-third brilliant (however one defines it within the context of book's scope and topic: entertaining, enlightening, educational, well-written, etc.); one-third "okay;" and one-third boring drivel (again defined in many ways: droll, mundane, pedantic, boring, etc.). This book makes it's mark nearly all the way through. The diversity of the points of view exposed is enlightening in and of itself. It was just a great read. Also, I guess by definition I'm a Generation Q-er, and it was heartening to find such a pleathora of potential friends and allies out there. I don't buy the whole "family" designation--and at times even "community" seems like a stretch--but this collection of essays made me feel like (here's yet another cliche) "we're everywhere."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an anthology for the queer sesame street generation, April 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Generation Q (Paperback)

With all due respect to our elders and the tremendouschallenges they faced living as gender outlaws on the fringes ofsociety before many of us were even born, the time has come for post-Stonewall queer voices to rise up out of the chorus to sing our own songs loudly, proudly, and sometimes off-key. At various times funny, sexy, heartbreaking, and inspiring, the stories assembled in Generation Q affirm that children of the 70s are forging ahead with our own struggles and victories to further enrich the queer legacy. Coming out, gender and culture issues, feminism, alienation, discrimination, race, sex, HIV status, and S/M controversy are just some of the themes tackled. From Erika Kleinman's courageous stand to come out to her parents, community, and entire high school (the last place on earth one wants to be different), to Michael Thomas Ford's glorious gay-boy ode to pop culture ("The Village People, Tiger Beat, and Me"), this anthology showcases a richly diverse blend of well-written and thought-provoking dialogue that will surely strike a chord with 20- and 30-somethings. Highly recommended.