Out, Loud, & Laughing: A Collection of Gay & Lesbian Humor (Paperback)

by Charles Flowers (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Humor can be a saving grace. As national controversy swirls around such gay and lesbian issues as the military ban and domestic partner rights, comedy provides a means of coping as well as the perspective afforded by a good belly laugh. Fifteen gay and lesbian humorists contribute stand-up routines, performance works, and essays to this anthology, and gays in the military, dating rituals, and coming out to one's parents are prominent among the subjects they consider ripe for comedy. Though uneven, the collection has its gems, such as Emmett Foster's performance piece "Nelson Volunteers," a tragicomic portrait of a fortysomething gay man seeking meaningful companionship in his outwardly enviable life. Good, too, is Marga Gomez's vignette on the legalization of same-sex marriage, thanks to squibs like "My girlfriend and I want the right . . . but we don't want to get married. We're queer, not crazy." Whitney Scott

Product Description
Hilarious and socially minded, this book features 15 of today's funniest gay and lesbian humorists, from stand-up comics like Kate Clinton and Frank Maya to the performance work of the Pomo Afro Homos and Marga Gomez to the queer Addison and Steele of the 1990s, Frank DeCaro and David Sedaris.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; Anchor Books ed edition (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385476183
• ISBN-13: 978-0385476188
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,847,682 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars There are some funny moments., March 15, 2002

By	DONALD G. FOX "Santee Sioux" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just finished reading this collection of humorous writings. While some of the pieces were written to be read, the vignettes from stand-up comedy do not always work as well as one imagines that they might in a club. Some of the pieces already feel a bit dated (the compilation is just from 1995). However, David Sedaris' writing is great fun. Of course, the format allows the reader to pick up and put down the book between very short "chapters"; a benefit for such light comedy. Overall, a quick read, not too heady, a bit silly, albeit a bit dry.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 50-50 funny and not-funny, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

I agree with the editorial reviewer who said this compilation is uneven. Some of these pieces are just plain *not funny* -- bland humor, worn jokes. But some of the pieces ARE funny -- with some gay-specific humor (which isn't to say only gay people get it, just that it's topical) and some more general humorous looks at life. On balance I'd say it's about 50-50 funny and not. It's something you can skim through and get a few laughs out of in the course of a day. The flat-out essays work best; the scripts of stand-up shticks and performance art don't translate well to the page.