social sciences

This collection was the first of its kind when it came out in 1993. The three editors, all longtime advocates of queer scholarship, put together the Reader as an attempt to encourage new classes in queer studies. It was a resounding success, winning both a Lambda Literary award and notably being banned by Canadian customs.

The contributors to this volume are all well-respected names in their fields: John D'Emilio, Eve Sedgwick, Adrienne Rich, Judith Butler, Audre Lorde, and the editors themselves. There is impressive attention to including both people of color and strong lesbian voices, something many other similar collections have problems with.

The Reader is an excellent introduction to the field, although it is an academic text and can be a bit daunting for some. It works wonderfully for the purpose it was designed for, as a text for introductory classes. For those already immersed in the field, you obviously already own the book.

For an excellent compilation of essays, papers, and writings on what we now call "Queer/Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Studies," this is your book. It has practically everything, including works by people of color. If you want to get academic and intellectual, here's where you might start. If you are already academic and intellectual, this book will be a welcome addition to your library. I read many of the pieces in this book for a class in college, and they were all highly thought-provoking and important. I consider this book to be one of the basic, necessary groundstones in my library of queer/lgbt studies books and readings. Thank god for Henry Abelove for putting this together!