Lesbian and Gay Studies and the Teaching of English: Positions, Pedagogies, and Cultural Politics [Paperback]

William J. Spurlin (Editor)

Product Details

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Publisher: Natl Council of Teachers (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814127940
• ISBN-13: 978-0814127940
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #754,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great topic, so why am I so frustrated and disgusted!?, July 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Lesbian and Gay Studies and the Teaching of English: Positions, Pedagogies, and Cultural Politics (Paperback)

The fact is: it's easier to set up a gay and lesbian literature course than it is to set up such a course in any other discipline. The fact is: gay literary ancestors left more about their existence than did gay royalty, gay militarists, or gay scientists. The fact is: even today, there is still a gross generalization that all of every school's gay and lesbian faculty are in the English department. Thus, a book that interrogates the intersections between English studies and gay studies is terribly timely and necessary. Spurlin has compiled a diverse anthology that not only should gay and lesbian studies scholars, but all gay and lesbian faculty anywhere, should read. The authors included are quite diverse in terms of race and gender. There are two amazing pieces here. First, DiGangi discusses the importance behind debates regarding Shakespeare's sexual orientation. Second, Ruth Vanita has an outstanding article about homophobia among postcolonial literary critics and why her book on historical gay South Asia was so needed. With the exception of these two essays, every other submission left me disappointed in one way or another. The most disgusting, practically nefarious, example comes from Jay Ken Lorenz. In his article, he discusses the life lessons he learned by hosting a gay and lesbian film studies course at a conservative university (Georgetown); however, he ends with an unnecessary, capricious, stupid, naive, and downright racist anecdote about how he threw a dodgeball at a young Asian-American "sissy" boy and ended up breaking his nose. Susan Talbert's piece is this pessimistic diatribe about why lesbian teachers should NOT come out. Jody Norton's essay on transgender issues in English classes was so obtuse that I could not read past three pages or so. tatiana de la tierra's article says it's "from the US-Mexico border." However, instead of getting the sense of border-crossing in Anzaldua's or Gomez-Pena's way, de la tierra is merely speaking about working at an American college that happens to be kinda near the border. Marcia Blumberg's chapter about the AIDS quilt said nothing about English courses. My critiques can go on. Further, most of the authors had an axe to grind. Of course, gay men and lesbians, and particularly teachers from our community, have much over which to be angry. However, that anger, when written, is usually meant to motivate people to bring about change. Here, the authors just sound surly with no purpose in their meanness. This book has left me quite frustrated. I am clueless as to the author's vision. I am waiting for a better book on this crucial topic to come along.