Customer Reviews

Men Like That: A Southern Queer History

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A wonderful book, a revolutionary book, a truthfully human book. Make no mistake: this is not a dense sociological-historical work distanced by academic patois one plows through for what insights might be obscured therein, but a scholarly work marked by clean prose and a clean treatment of male-to male sex, employinging the language that most often informs such experiences as they are experienced. John Howard's oral and regional histories, insights and analysis extend in so many directions, opens up so many spaces that extended and opened up this reader's awareness, not the least of which was how mislead conventional concepts of male sexuality have been.

I had to write a short review on this book. Seeing as I am a current (and lifelong) gay resident of Mississippi, I was delighted to find a history of the places that I frequented during my youth. The book is titled after a line in the movie "Ode to Billie Joe," which was based on the song of the same name by Bobbie Gentry. I of course, remember this song and how all of us speculated on exactly what was thrown off the Tallahatchie bridge. I have a really special(?) memory of the movie, because it was the first time I ever took a girl on a date, and lo and behold, it was a movie about a gay man in Mississippi. (Did anyone ever ever think that the song or the movie might be about being gay in Mississippi?) Talk about irony. I may be somewhat prejudiced about it but I really believe that this book was written not just as a history of the gay experience in the South, but as a pointed evaluation of what has actually changed regarding homosexual life in Mississippi. There have been a number of books detailing the gay experience in Mississippi lately (Mississippi Sissy is the first one that comes to mind), but this one is a real history of what has happened to gay Mississipians in the last 40-50 years. I especially loved the detailed investigations into the experiences of Jon Hinson and Bill Allain. And I want to thank John Howard for bringing to the fore the modern institutions and expressions of gay life in Mississippi. The majority may hate us, but we're here and we're still queer.

"Men Like That" takes us on journeys to places that have rarely been written about before--to sites of queer culture, to places in the heart and mind, to relationships that defy categorizing. Anyone--gay, straight, or otherwise--who has felt isolated because of their sexuality, and whose isolation was lessened by an unpredictable connection with someone else, will benefit from this well-written, well-researched, and fascinating book. Perhaps Howard's most important contribution to the history of queer life is the fact that he questions identity as the primary category for queer folk to attach to, and he makes that challenge with historical evidence, not ideological platitudes or post-modern LitSpeak. The deeply humane premise--that desire links us, one and all, to create connections with others and so to make communities that may not be mappable--asks readers to consider desire at once on its own terms, and as embedded in the curious and mundane stuff of daily life. The book aims most of all to contribute to a better understanding of the human condition, which is, in my view, a relief.

Men Like That is a wonderful book about Mississippi gay history. It is written by Dr. John Howard, whom himself is a gay Mississippian. Dr. Howard delves into history of gay Mississippi, something even gays in Mississippi have no idea exists, providing a sense of pride in our own community that no other person, author or otherwise, has been able to do, or tried to do. Often is the case, the Southern states are overlooked in their roles in gay history. It took a gay man from Mississippi, to bring to light Mississippi gay history. Thank you Dr. Howard.

This is, to my knowledge, the first widely-available book of its kind, and it's good. The aspects of it with which the reader may disagree or take issue simply underline the need for further work in this area, and when it's published the writer will have Howard to thank.

Couldn't believe a book in this condition would sell at such a low price. Completely satisfied with this item and with the service provided by vendor. Will purchase from them again!

Having spent a portion of my youth in Mississippi, I was certainly
interested in the notion of a study devoted entirely to the state's
gay 20th century history. Unfortunately, I felt that the book lacked
focus and organization in the presentation of material. Sub-headings
of the book began focused but digressed into unrelated topics. The
shifting of person was bothersome as well. In first person, the book
was intimate. In third, it was analytical. Swinging both ways jarred
the flow terribly. Howard seemed bound by awkward ... All told, the
subject material was fascinating but lacking in a cohesive and
professional layout.