Queer and Catholic [Paperback]

Amie M. Evans (Editor), Trebor Healey (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 11, 2008

How does one reconcile the tension between the community of one’s own Catholic upbringing and a sexuality and gender identity that may be in conflict with some of the tenets of the faith – especially when one is a member of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex community? Queer and Catholic offers a source of comfort to members of these communities, focusing on not only practicing Catholics, but also the entire experience of growing up Catholic. This unique book discusses Catholicism beyond its religiosity and considers its implications as a culture of origin. This widely varied and entertaining book pulls together a comprehensive collection of essays, stories, and poetry that together represent an honest and engaging reflection of being a queer person within the Catholic experience.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amie M. Evans is a widely published, creative nonfiction and literary erotica writer, experienced workshop provider, and a retired burlesque and high-femme drag performer. Her short stories and essays have appeared most recently in Entangled Lives: Erotic Memoirs; Ultimate Lesbian Erotica 2006; Show and Tell; Call of the Dark; 2006 Lambda Literary Award nominated Rode Hard and Put Away Wet; Best of the Best of Lesbian Erotica 2; and Ultimate Lesbian Erotica 2005. She also writes gay male erotica under a pen name. Evans is on the board of directors for Saints and Sinners GLBTQ literary festival. She graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in literature and is currently working on her MLA at Harvard. She is the author of “Two Girls Kissing,” a column on writing lesbian erotica, which can be found at www .erotic-readers.com and is co-author of a writing tips column, “Unsolicited Advice,” with Toni Amato, which can be found at www.sasfest .org.

Trebor Healey is the recipient of the 2004 Ferro-Grumley and Violet Quill awards for his first novel, Through It Came Bright Colors (The Haworth Press), and is also the author of five poetry chapbooks and a collection of poems, Sweet Son of Pan. His short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous journals, ’zines, anthologies, and reviews, including The Chiron Review; Long Shot; The James White Review; Van Gogh’s Ear; Holy Titclamps; The Lodestar Quarterly; The BlitheHouseQuarterly; VelvetMafia.com; Ashe!; Queer Dharma; Signs of Life; When I Knew; Quickies 3; M2M; Wilma Loves Betty; Out of Control; Pills, Thrills, Chills and Heartache; Skin and Ink; Best Gay Erotica 2003, 2004, 2006; Best Gay Erotic 2; and Best American Erotica 2007. Healey wrote a hit single for the Homocore punk band, Pansy Division, and was awarded a writing residency at the Morris Graves Foundation in 2004. He lives in Los Angeles. www.treborhealey.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (June 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560237139
• ISBN-13: 978-1560237136
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.7 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,490,118 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Trebor Healey is an American poet and novelist. He was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and studied English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. He spent his twenties in San Francisco, where he was active in the spoken word scene of the late 80s and early 90s, publishing 5 chapbooks of poetry as well as numerous poems and short stories in various reviews, journals, anthologies and zines. He received both the Ferro-Grumley Fiction Award and the Violet Quill Award for his first novel, Through It Came Bright Colors, and his story "Mercy Seat" was named one of the top ten online stories of 2004 by StorySouth. He lives in Buenos Aires. www.treborhealey.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Queer and Catholic November 19, 2011

By C_morales

Format:Paperback

This is a really wonderful book full of poignant personal stories, good poems and thought-provoking essays. I thought it would be an academic type tome with a particular agenda but as it turns out it's a varied and big collection of gay and lesbian accounts of growing up Catholic, with all sorts of different perspectives, from the expected negative and traumatized perspective to the comic and even the occasionally pious, mystical and devout. All are pretty insightful and entertaining in that they feel real and remind us how strange it is to grow up in a religion that just completely negates queer existence and yet is weirdly homoerotic. Most gay kids pick up on that which, as these stories attest to, help them to find a healthy relationship to their sexuality and spirituality later. But there are tragic stories too, and funny ones and sad ones--and even a couple of very strange ones--and it also becomes increasingly obvious what an overtly male religion Catholicism is, which in the end damages both genders. Because this isn't healthy maleness by a long shot. I was glad the book did not shy away from this topic, and after reading Jane Grovijahn's essay on queering and feminizing Christ, I realized how radical some Catholics continue to be. That essay is worth the price of the book and will surprise, shock or delight you. Kevin Killian's account of sexual abuse is well-rendered and far more insightful than the endless journalistic pieces we've all been subjected to over the past several years. The book also touches upon teen suicide, BDSM, transexual issues and even 9-11 with a touching piece on Father Michael Judge, the "out" Fire Dept Chaplain who was killed at ground zero (by Salvatore Sapienza, himself a former "out" brother).... And I loved the piece on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who in their odd and comic way show the world, albeit from a delightfully queer perspective, how to be really selfless, good catholics. It made me think of how gays are likely to show all of us how best to be a soldier, how best to be married and raise children and one day, how best to be a Baptist? I love that kind of irony. A really refreshing read, authentic and satisfying--and worth pointing out, representative of almost every Catholic culture/ethnicity on earth: Italian, Irish, German, Polish, Mexican, Puerto Rican from the bios (well northern hemisphere anyway). I commend the editors and the contributors of this wonderful book worth sharing with your Catholic or formerly-Catholic queer friends and relatives. You'll definitely have some great conversations over these thought-provoking pieces. Read more ›