Book Description
The Meaning of Difference is a text-reader about the social construction of difference as it operates in American formulations of race, sex and gender, social class, and sexual orientation. The book is based the conviction that similar processes are at work in the construction of differences of color, sex and gender, class, and sexuality and that these processes likely also apply to other master statuses such as disability. Four framework essays provide the conceptual structure for the book. Following each framework essay is a set of readings that illustrate the concepts and processes described in the essays. The readings have been selected for readability, conceptual depth, and applicability to a variety of statuses.
Customer Reviews:
Diversity Explained.......2007-09-26
A good book. Gives all sides to Diversity issues and is coupled with many first hand articles that are very interesting. Definetly worth a read if you're interested in issues of diversity.
Great articles.......2007-09-23
Very interesting book, great perspective from lots of different authors on diverse social issues such a racial inequality, gender, and sexual orientation. The framework essays are also particularly interesting - I highly recommend it for anyone interested in sociological issues!
facinating insights.......2007-07-16
This book is great for anyone who is interested in questions like why do we as Americans' see white people and black people differently. It answers questions like this for gender, race, ethnicity and disability. The first chapter is terribly dry but it sets the stage for the rest of the book which is very insightful.
(There's a bit of good history in here as well).
Great book on diversity in America.......2006-11-10
This book gives a very broad and encompassing look at many of the topics that contribute to and affect diversity and differences in America today.
College Textbook.......2005-03-04
While the text offers important thought provoking articles and essays on Race Gender and Social Issues, it is not Student friendly text. A text with such a wide array of information should offer a section of review at the end of each reading. By having a review "for students", it ensures an understanding of concepts and objectives. Furthermore, it offers students a place to review when studying for exams. I give the text a 5 star rating for the informative articles and essays but 1 star for none existing review material.
Average customer rating:
- Light and predictable - and relaxing
- Dumber for reading it
- One of her worst...
- Yes - DS gets worse with each book ...
- Coming out needs filling out
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Coming Out
Danielle Steel
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
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ASIN: 0385338325
Release Date: 2006-06-27 |
Book Description
Olympia Crawford Rubinstein has a busy legal career, a solid marriage, and a way of managing her thriving family with grace, humor, and boundless energy. With twin daughters finishing high school, a son at Dartmouth, and a kindergartner from her second marriage, there seems to be no challenge to which Olympia cannot rise. Until one sunny day in May, when she opens an invitation for her daughters to attend the most exclusive coming-out ball in New York–and chaos erupts all around her. One twin’s excitement is balanced by the other’s outrage; her previous husband’s profound snobbism is in sharp contrast to her current husband’s flat refusal to attend.
For Olympia’s husband, Harry, whose parents survived the Holocaust, the idea of a blue-blood debutante ball is abhorrent. Her daughter Veronica, a natural-born rebel, agrees–while Veronica’s identical twin, Virginia, is already shopping for the perfect dress. Then there’s Olympia’s ex, an insufferable snob, who sees the ball as the perfect opportunity for a family feud. And amid all the hubbub, Olympia’s college-age son, Charlie, is facing a turning point in his life–and may need his mother more than ever. But despite it all, Olympia is determined to steer her family through the event until, just days before the cotillion, things begin to unravel with alarming speed.
From a son’s crisis to a daughter’s heartbreak, from a case of the chicken pox to a political debate raging in her household, Olympia is on the verge of surrender. And that is when, in a series of startling choices and changes of heart, family, friends, and even a blue-haired teenager all find a way to turn a night of calamity into an evening of magic. As old wounds are healed, barriers are shattered and new traditions are born, and a debutante ball becomes a catalyst for change, revelation, acceptance, and love.
In a novel that is by turns profound, poignant, moving, and warmly funny, Danielle Steel tells the story of an extraordinary family–finding new ways of letting go, stepping up, and coming out...in the ways that matter most.
Customer Reviews:
Light and predictable - and relaxing.......2007-09-16
Danielle Steel is an excellent writer with a huge production. Perhaps one cannot expect that every one of her books should be five stars unputdownable.
This one is not. There are too many typical Danielle Steel clichés in this book to make you feel you are reading a fresh new piece of work. I felt I had read most of it before and although there ARE family problems to be solved, they hardly seem as earth shattering as the synopsis indicates.
The people in this book are well educated middle upper class, or even "blue blooded". The young people go to Europe in summer and meet the rest of the family who holidays in St. Tropez, Monaco etc. etc.
An invitation for heroine Olympia's twin daughters to a coming out ball is the main issue in the book and becomes a huge family problem. Not the most serious situation for a family to deal with since coming out balls is a rather old fashioned upper class affair; even if the twins are from a previous marriage and father/step father highly disagree about the matter. As do the twins themselves. Neither is choice of ivy leage university and which one of the divorced parents (who can both very well afford it) should pay the tuition, the toughest problem for a family to handle. Apart from the background of the older Jewish members of the family and some of the young people's struggle in finding their place in life and modern society, the family seems privileged and blessed in every way.
What makes the book readable in spite of the nearly non-existing storyline, is Danielle Steel's unique talent as a writer. She has the ability to create entertainment from the "thinnest" material and make the characters come amazingly alive.
I quite enjoyed this book. Far from first class reading, but ok when you simply need to relax with something light and predictable.
Dumber for reading it.......2007-08-17
I have to say that if this was the first Danielle Steel book I had ever read, I would absolutely hate her writing. I just finished this book, and I feel just a little dumber for having read it.
I sat down to read a good romance novel by a good author and was just flat out disappointed. It was just plain boring. Stick to her old classics, and don't waste your money on this.
One of her worst..........2007-07-29
I am a fan of Steel but thought this book was almost written in a rush. It didn't have any of the usual twists and turns.... It seems like in her latest novels where Steel has to write in present modern times that she loses what was so brilliantly hers in her earlier novels - elegance. Another recent one called "The House" had me feeling the same thing. She shouldn't try try and be all "hip" and "cool" and just stick to what she knows...
Yes - DS gets worse with each book ..........2007-07-22
Her writing really has gotten worse with each new book. In fact, it's so bad that I'll only buy the books secondhand, or borrow from a foolish friend that has bought them (LOL ... I have to make sure that the quality is the same, therefore I have to read them!). The plots are okay, but no writing of substance to keep a reader interested.
I would never recommend buying a new Danielle Steel book when there are so many good writers to read. I read this book in less than two hours. DS books in the last few years have become less entertaining than a Harlequin Romance! Spend your money on someone like Norah Roberts/J.D. Robb.
Coming out needs filling out.......2007-07-18
Attorney Olympia Rubinstein is the epitome of the virtuous woman praised in Proverbs. Her home is well kept, she is the perfect daughter in-law, her children want for nothing and bask in her unconditional love, she is endlessly devoted to her husband of thirteen years and her career is balanced perfectly with her home life.
A simple envelope disrupts her peaceful life one day. It is an invitation for her twin daughters from her first marriage to participate in the most exclusive debutant ball in New York City. The invitation quickly causes chaos when everyone expresses a different opinion about the necessity of the upper class tradition. Chauncey is the father of her daughters and has his own agenda that adds pressure that they don't really need. Her oldest son has a confession, a religious debate erupts in her marriage and ethical lines are drawn between the twins.
There appears to be no end to the family drama before Steel corrals everyone into a happy ending.
I admire Steel for taking on a rather difficult question; where do old fashioned ideals fit in modern society? However her story is full of ideas that feel half written. She spent a lot of time narrating without delving deeper into what was going on. Dialogue is minimal and her characters feel forced and read more like classic stereotypes than people. Danielle Steel has written many beloved novels but I can not shake the feeling that she spell checked the first draft of this book and sent it off to be published. Please take note that 'Coming out' is lacking the polish of a finished book.
Book Description
Are you queer or questioning? If you are, this book is for you. Do you know someone who might be queer or questioning? If so, this book is for you, too. Or are you someone who just wants to learn more about what it's like to be queer or questioning? This book is a great place to begin. Discovering that you, or someone you love, might be GLBTQ is a revelation. Accepting it is a process. One thing that can help that process is information. This book can't answer all of your questions or counter all of the misinformation, misconceptions, myths, half-truths, and outright lies you might have heard about being GLBTQ, but it's a start.
Customer Reviews:
Great for teens!.......2007-03-16
This is an awesome book. I bought several that I use with a group of high school students. It's very informative and easy to read. Also has step-by-step suggestions for coping with issues such as homophobia, harassment, and coming out. An invaluable resource.
Dealing with Teens? Get this!.......2004-12-06
This book is a must-have for any Library shelf that serves teens. It is written in a style appealing to teens and includes short, one or two page summaries of ways to cope with the many issues teens face when questioning their sexuality. It also provides excellent, current resources for teens, from crisis lines to 'safe' (moderated) chat sites. I especially enjoyed the section dealing with 'coming out' to parents and family. It provided experiences from other teens who have (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and also possible responses parents might have when a teen tells them he/she is gay. In addition, it listed possible, respectful ways to respond to less-than-accepting parents. A fantastic compilation of stories, insights, and resources for teens.
wonderful book.......2004-05-24
i remember being a pre-teen, leafing through many books written for young women that followed an "our bodies ourselves" format. these books were ok, but never what i was really looking for. i didn't want information on how to ask boys to dance or how to apply lipstick- i wondered where the chapters entitled "when you don't feel like the rest or the girls" or "but what if i don't like boys?" were.
what a great help it would have been to have this book! the format is "hip" but not patronizing. while this book affirms the importance of pride and self-respect in queer or questioning young people, it also devotes pages to the concerns and dangers many queer teens face (safe sex, how to begin dating, facing intolerance). transgender issues and stories have their own chapter, as do homophobia and coming out. descriptive paragraphs are broken up by small autobiographical blurbs by young people describing their experiences with the topic at hand, and by smaller essays.
this book is a great place to begin for youth who are GLBTQ, questioning, or who would like to better understand their queer peers and friends.
Book Description
In Bodies That Matter, Judith Butler further develops her distinctive theory of gender by examining the workings of power at the most ``material'' dimensions of sex and sexuality. Deepening the inquiries she began in Gender Trouble, Butler offers an original reformulation of the materiality of bodies, examining how the power of heterosexual hegemony forms the ``matter'' of bodies, sex, and gender. Butler argues that power operates to constrain ``sex'' from the start, delimiting what counts as a viable sex. She offers a clarification of the notion of ``performativity'' introduced in Gender Trouble and explores the meaning of a citational politics. The text includes readings of Plato, Irigaray, Lacan, and Freud on the formation of materiality and bodily boundaries; ``Paris is Burning,'' Nella Larsen's ``Passing,'' and short stories by Willa Cather; along with a reconsideration of ``performativity'' and politics in feminist, queer, and radical democratic theory.
Customer Reviews:
A poststrcuturalist deconstruction of Freud.......2006-11-12
My initial reaction to reading Bodies that Matter by Judith Butler is that she writes from a very unique perspective and theoretical standpoint: post-structuralism. While she maybe considered one of the foremost theorists on gender and feminism, I find her writings extremely difficult to follow. She presents key concepts readily but in a langue that is indicative of the post-structuralist perspective, convoluted and overly wordy. More often than not I found myself loosing focus and having to reread numerous passages just to maintain basic understanding.
If language, as Butler suggests, is confined by the language used (Butler 91: 1993) then Butler is caged. Her critical deconstruction of Freud, which is the main focus of the text, is enlightening but far too complex within the language used for the critique. The concepts of Freudian psychology are not that difficult to understand when presented in a fashion that lends itself to understanding. Many of his theories are paramount to understanding basic anthropological concepts, not to mention human psychology.
Lacanian response.......2004-08-10
When I first read this book, I was pleased to see that Butler was returning to the problem of "gender performativity" she raised in *Gender Trouble.* I do believe that she was misunderstood as having claimed in *Gender Trouble* that the performativity constitutive of gender implies an infinite "plasticity" or freedom from the constraints of gender. Yet after reading *Bodies,* I felt that she evaded the question with which she opened the book: in what way can the "materiality" of anatomical sex be construed as a "discursive limit" to ideological constructions of gender without being understood as existing outside of discourse? I believe that Butler is ultimately indecisive about the status of the materiality of sex as either a pre- or extra-discursive "hard kernel of the Real" or (just like gender) another aspect of discourse. This is what leads to her very wrong-headed "critique" of the concept of "objet petit a" in the work of Slavoj Zizek and Jacques Lacan, very complex work which she oversimplifies and accuses of "reifying" or "essentializing" sex. Any serious student of Lacan knows that the a-object of fantasy is anything but "essential." It phantasmatically "dresses up" (to use Lacan's words in Seminar 14) a primordial psychic "hole," an *absence* or pure negativity where a "grounding" for discourse ought to be but is *lacking.* It's a shame that a book such as this which begins with a rigorous intellectual question degenerates into a sort of psychoanalytic dilettantism.
Major work from a major thinker that doesn't quite convince.......2003-10-12
The best thing about Judith Butler is that she is always willing to think through the consequences of her earlier writings. This book was a response to the criticism that emerged out of the groundbreaking conclusion to GENDER TROUBLE that argued for an understanding of gender as performative. Critics took Butler to task for arguing that gender is something that is simply an act of performative volition - one can "be" whatever one wants to be - irrespective of the materiality of the body. Here, Butler turns the tables (in a neat deconstructive move) by showing how this criticism presupposes the a priori existence of "bodies" and "matter" separate from discourse. Yet, after a brilliant introduction, the book becomes weighted down by its own psychoanalytic presuppositions and its tediously dense prose style. There is often no reason for Butler's writing to be as incomprehensible as it is, especially given the giant claims she's making about the nature of gender (other than to "perform" her writing's own indebtedness to Lacanian psychoanalysis and Althusserian critique).
Moreover, her work has been rightly faulted (partiucularly by Martha Nussbaum) by holding out an ideal of "subversion" that is something (in the terms of how she frames it) that ultimately DOES have very little to do with the ways sexual inequality is experienced outside of a somewhat narrow bourgeois American academic purview. But, finally, given the indisputable pervasiveness of Butler's ideas within the academy and without it (particularly in the ways in which sexuality is viewed today), the work is clearly a seminal text nonetheless.
colossal hybris.......2003-02-20
This book drove me almost entirely insane. The essay if you can call it that on the film Paris is Burning is simply incendiary to any person with a trace element of logic in their scalp. This essay argues that Venus Extravaganza was murdered for having been a transvestite. In the film itself it says she/he is killed -- but what the NYPD cannot solve Butler solves in the twinkling of a phrase -- she claims he/she is erased for playing with the sexual line. Not for burning a customer, or for simply being in a dangerous business. Whores are wiped out all day and night for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ever hear of the Green River Killer? Still Butler knows the motive. She just invents anything she wants, and calls it truth. She actually infers that anybody has the right to invent their own reality, and everybody else has to honor this reality. Only an extremely stupid person who has never had to work for a living could keep such a dumb idea down without puking. Do you mean if I think I'm a millionaire and walk into a bank, they will give me a million dollars? Do you mean if I have cellulite all over my legs and breasts that I can be a top model, I just have to really believe it? Do you mean that if I think I'm a genius, then others will agree? Feminist academics who've never worked, but who love to dramatize their own victimization, will love this book. Everybody else will simply puke from laughing so hard.
what?.......2003-01-25
I would have to agree with the reader that said this book was completely incomprehensible!
Book Description
A groundbreaking examination of the psychology of homosexuality, why it leads to shame over one's identity and how to overcome it
The gay male world today is characterized by seductive beauty, artful creativity, flamboyant sexuality, and, encouragingly, unprecedented acceptability in society. Yet despite the progress of the recent past, gay men still find themselves asking, "Are we really better off?"
The inevitable byproduct of growing up gay in a straight world continues to be the internalization of shame, a shame gay men may strive to obscure with a faade of beauty, creativity, or material success. Drawing on contemporary psychological research, the author's own journey to be free of anger and of shame, as well as the stories of many of his friends and clients, The Velvet Rage outlines the three distinct stages to emotional well-being for gay men. Offering profoundly beneficial strategies to stop the insidious cycle of avoidance and self-defeating behavior, The Velvet Rage is an empowering book that will influence the public discourse on gay culture, and positively change the lives of gay men who read it.
Customer Reviews:
Another self-help book this is not!.......2007-09-20
From the first day I came out 6 years ago to today, I've been all too familiar with the LGBT self-help books displayed prominently on bookstore shelves. For 6 years, I've been disappointed with what I have found. I find them to be repetitive, lacking nuance, and not very insightful. So, I've found myself going about my life left only to my own personal insights and experiences. Until now.
The Velvet Rage has given word to the countless abstract notions and ideas of my sexuality that have been floating around in my head for years. The book is insightful, manageable and interesting. I see deep parallels between myself and the words on the pages of this work. I truly suggest it for those looking for a deeper understanding of themselves and in filling the emptiness they may still feel as a gay man. I already feel I am on my way to a more fulfilled, peaceful and authentically happy life! And, no one even paid me to write this review!
Read the book twice.......2007-09-05
I've read it cover-to-cover and I've started to read it again simply because I was taken aback by how much I actually related to the experiences of the author and the patients he's treated over the years.
I cried in certain parts and has made me think as to how I could have handled things differently in my past and present with the people I love. I also realized "what was I even thinking??".....that thought rang right through me.
Its made me think an aweful lot about me, my behavior, how I see people, trust and those around me now and those that will be in the near future. I realize that I have a lot to learn, but I have always stated it back then and even now that when you don't listen to your gut, that's when you get screwed royally. When you do however, in the end you know what you are doing is right. But in this case I'm learning that doing and saying anything was it all worth it? The price I paid cost me dearly.
I just have to figure out how to ACT not REACT and I'm learning how to do that.
I'm in the process of "letting go" of years of sheer pain and heading towards the road of healing. It's going to take me a while but I know I'll find it. This book along with the struggles I've had over the past 3 years has really been helpful.
I've shared this book with one other person whom I consider my best friend and care deeply about after a good friend of mine that I've known over 10 years suggested I read it. I think EVERY person out there needs to read this book INCLUDING gay men.
We NEED to understand each other and heal ourselves before we find each other.
A Contemporary Must Read for Anyone.......2007-07-27
The Velvet Rage was recommended to me by Davis Mallory of MTV's Real World: Denver, and I have to say this book is a must read. Author Alan Downs of Santa Fe, New Mexico, puts primary components of the homosexual lifestyle into perspective for a myriad of readers. The book is divided into three stages based on shame, rage, and contentment with a life lived by so many males. Downs, a clinical psychologist, provides detailed personal faux pas and timeless reflections of arguably truthful testimony from some of his own clientèle. His introduction will grab any reader immediately as he opts to describe the contemporary gay lifestyle as being "a culture of [our] own." He ends The Velvet Rage with his longest chapter delineating 10 profound life lessons applicable to gay men who are cycling shame continuously. Gay males will find this book invigoratingly refreshing while the heterosexual counterparts will grasp abundant information and practical knowledge for personal growth and development in understanding the homosexual male characterization that Downs has offered. Quite frankly, The Velvet Rage should be used as a resource for educational and entertainment purposes, but hopefully, all readers will gain a more positive outlook on life after reading Downs' book.
Something for Everyone...Sort Of.......2007-07-16
As a gay white man, I found a lot in the book that I could say "yeah, that's right". about. At the same time, The absence of the mention of the experience of women, people of color or of pratically anyone else who was not also a white middle class or wealthy gay male was missing from the text.
I still think that this is a book to read...and re-read. Most of what the author talks about are universal issues...with a gay slant. It can be read by anyone who has grown up in in a straight WHITE man's world, including many (most?) straight white men.
Yes, my growing up experience has been difficult - and there are a plethora of books out there that focus on growing up female, non-white, poor, overweight, etc, etc. I'd say give this book a good read, and "fill in the blanks" whenever the references to gay men don't apply to you. It is well written and has many good anecdotes, suggestions and insights - enough to make me want to look up and see what else the author has written.
Insightful Reading.......2007-06-27
I really enjoyed reading this book, once I was done I had both my parents read it as well. They said it helped them a great deal to understand me a lot better, not only now, but why they couldn't always "reach me" when I was younger.
Average customer rating:
- keep reading
- At last! Quality gay fiction for teens!
- Let It All Out!!
- Not bad but i wouldn't recommend it
- There Are No Surprises Here
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Rainbow High
Alex Sanchez
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0689854781 |
Book Description
Jason Carrillo, the best-looking athlete in school, has had his eyes on the prize from day one: a scholarship for college.
But then his eyes turn to love -- and Kyle.
Kyle Meeks, swim team star and all-around good guy, is finally in the relationship he wanted. Being in love feels so good, in fact, that he can't imagine giving it up to go to Princeton.
Something he's worked for his entire life.
Nelson Glassman, outgoing and defiant, might be HIV positive. Jeremy, the boy he loves, is HIV positive. Although Nelson fears testing positive, if he is infected Jeremy might stop protecting him and pushing him away.
They can be together.
High shool's almost over. Graduation is ahead. Life's a bowl of cherries, right? Right...
Customer Reviews:
keep reading.......2007-09-11
This book started off slow really. Then it got really good in the end. I was happy I kept reading it because the ending was so good. Jason comes out to his team and the school loves him for it while Kyle's life in school is the total opposite from his boyfriends. Nelson is thankfully over Kyle and he has a boyfriend. But as we all know, life isn't perfect now that you have a boyfriend. It was really good just not as good as the first book.
At last! Quality gay fiction for teens!.......2007-04-06
Finally, a story about gay teens, while told with honesty and realism, where no one dies. Author Sanchez has a great feel for teen language and motivation. He is also spot-on with the parental and other adult characterizations. The plot teaches without being pedantic and without ceasing to entertain. There's also a couple of scenes that steam lightly with the mildest, yet warm eroticism, but it's certainly not gratuituous in the least and written tastefully and without prurience. As a former young adult librarian, I've so often needed gay fiction to recommend to struggling teens for a bit of bibliotherapy. Until Sanchez, there's been a definite dearth of such literature. Looking forward to reading his other books and highly recommend this one. The eye candy covers are fun, but the content is far more than fluffy hotties looking bored.
Let It All Out!!.......2006-12-07
Rainbow High is a very inspirational book. Especially for the Lesbians, Bisexuals, Gays and Queers. An inspiration because alot of homosexuals are very uncomfortable with the way they look and how they would fit in with the world, and why won't the world except them for who they are. Sanchez shows all of the difficulties and hardships homosexuals endure in the "normal" community, including high school. He also expresses how other people react to their homosexuality, including there very own relatives.
I love this book because it inspires me personally.Alot of people dont except me for being bisexual and its hard. But as long as i stand up for myself and not let anyone control what I want to do and be in life, i'll have alot of respect after words.
Not bad but i wouldn't recommend it.......2006-01-08
Primarily and most improtantly, homophobia wasn't not the true reason behind shaping my ture opinion about this book which i coudn't bear reading till the end. Although Alex Sanchez does a great job in revealing an introspection of the three protagonists Nelson, Jason, and Kyle including their feelings about their homosexuality and their caring about the view from which society would regard them. Instead of bringing forth the disliked subject of homophobia in American society, Sanchez unreasonably talks sublty about this important issues by narrating the story of Jason's coming out. It is surprrising and hardly believable to accept the courtesy by which Jason's schoolmates regarded his coming out and that their role-model is homosexual. In actual life, it's rarely if never oucurring that a large amount of people would easily accept among them someone who according to religion and common rule, is somehow different. In addition to the unusal attitude of the town people, Jason't being interviewed and acclaimed by many for having the courage of coming out is an extreme prasing of being homosexual. Again, i am not a homophobe and i can prove this by expressing how much i liked Rainbow Boys in talking about a negative thing (homophobia) in American history and in it's valuale message to encourage youth in general and homosexuals in particular to accept their fauts and face society.
There Are No Surprises Here.......2005-09-12
Nelson, Kyle and Jason whom we met in RAINBOW BOYS are back again, pretty much as we knew them. Well, Nelson has gone from dying his hair lemon-lime to "flame-blue," an appropriate color since he is certainly the flamer of these three. He is the outrageous one who never had a chance of being in anybody's closet, even if he had wanted to. Kyle is still the shy one on the swim team who can "pass" if left alone. Jason, of course, is the high school jock equally attractive to both young men and women.
There are no surprises here. We pretty much know where Mr. Sanchez is going with his plot. Will Nelson break up with his new boyfriend Jason because he is HIV positive? Will Kyle go to Princeton rather than to a lesser university even though it means he will be separated from Jason? Will Jason come out to the other members of the basketball team? If he does, will he lose his college scholarship? Will they all attend the senior prom?
What this novel does extremely well is provide a story that gay teenagers can read and know that they are not alone, particularly those who live in out-of-the-way towns and attend small high schools. It is comforting to learn that RAINBOW BOYS was an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.
As in the previous novel, there is information about all kinds of organizations and help for gay teenagers at the end of this novel.
Book Description
When I Knew is a collection of smart, hilarious, and often poignant stories about that revelation for all gay men and women: when they first knew. In this gorgeously illustrated, cleverly designed, and colorful book, acclaimed fashion and celeb-rity photographer
Robert Trachtenberg brings humor and style to the EUREKA! moments of more than eighty contributors, including B. D. Wong, Arthur Laurents, Simon Doonan, Stephen Fry, Marc Shaiman, Michael Musto, and more. Also mixed in are tales about when parents knew and when everyone else knew, as well as laugh-out-loud coming-out stories.
Readers will fall in love with these anecdotes, from the seven-year-old who looked under the television set to sneak a peek under Tarzan's loincloth, to the inquisitive grandmother who asked her grandson, "You don't like a girl to get married? You prefer a boy?", to the courageous field trip participant who passed up the universal favorite burger-and-fry combo in favor of the fruit plate with cottage cheese.
Filled with original art by
New Yorker illustrator Tom Bachtell, historical images, and personal photographs from the contributors,
When I Knew is a vibrant and witty celebration of that sometimes glorious, sometimes painful, but always captivating moment when everything suddenly makes sense.
Customer Reviews:
Just like new.......2007-07-30
The book is not what I expected as it is more a quips and quotes book, but it is still interesting in some of the short explanations. My daughter is a lesbian and I was hoping to find some insight into reasonings around being gay, hormonal or environmental or emotional???
What a wonderful book.......2007-07-09
I'm quite sure I saw this book's author on the Oprah Show. I immediately browsed Amazon to find it because I wanted to give it to my son as one of his Christmas presents in 2006. My son is a 21 year old gay man and "came out of the closet" when he was about 16. Although I made it very clear to him that he is my son and I love him - and that his sexual preferences did not matter to me, I felt that he might have thought that I was somehow ashamed of or even bewildered by him. When he opened this book for on Christmas day, the look on his face and the way he hugged me and thanked me was exactly what I was hoping for. I'm very glad I bought the book...and I'm very glad that I read the book. It is insightful, informative and sometimes humorous. A very good read.
Poor Quality.......2007-05-14
I loved the book however the it began falling apart soon after arrival.
A little something.......2007-01-11
Not entirely what I expected, but I thought that it was a good book. Great stories about people's knowing. The short tales that the people gave were welcoming and allowed us, the reader, into their life for a split second.
Interesting coffee table book.......2007-01-10
This was a great book filled with small quotes and short reality checks from various personalities. I liked it, but I thought it would be more of a compilation of stories and experiences. So, I think it is a good conversation starter or coffee table book in the appropriate living room.
Book Description
Candid, compassionate, authoritative—a rich source of insights, information, and practical guidance… "The first major work on the topic." —Gay Community News "A much needed comprehensive study of what happens to husbands, wives, and children during the coming-out crisis.".; —The Reverend Jane E. Vennard, founder Task Force for Spouses of Gays and Lesbians "The new enlarged edition adds important factors, especially children's reactions to a parent's coming out. Well-researched and insightful." —Fritz Klein, M.D., author of The Bisexual Option "Anybody practicing in this area would be well advised to read this book." —Professor Arthur S. Leonard, New York Law School In two million marriages, one spouse is gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Having a spouse or parent disclose his or her same-sex attraction is a shattering experience fraught with pain, confusion, anger, and a profound loss of self-esteem. Amity Pierce Buxton spotlights this exploding phenomenon and reports constructive coping strategies that spouses and children have used to resolve problems of sexual damage, family breakdown, deception, and homophobia. Illustrated throughout by riveting personal narratives, this expanded edition of The Other Side of the Closet traces the family's journey from initial trauma to eventual transformation. This invaluable source of information for spouses, families, and professionals is based on Dr. Buxton's eight years of research, including interviews with 1,000 straight spouses and children, her own personal experience, and her counseling work with spouses of gay, lesbian, and bisexual partners.
Customer Reviews:
The Other Side of the Closet.......2007-07-31
This booked helped my so much. I started reading it within a month of finding out about my gay husband. I never know there would be so many of us in the same situation. This was a subject that I knew nothing about. Reading the book and learning of the phases that we all go though, helped me to understand my feelings. Reading that everyone has periods of these same feelings, made me feel that I was not alone. Anyone who has to face this crisis MUST read this book. You have to see that you will move on with time, this book shows you the steps you will take along the way.
This book saved my sanity.......2007-05-03
My ex and I were married for 15 years. He never came out. Still insists he's not gay and that I am crazy and vindictive. But I knew he was gay at the end of our marriage. For several years I thought I was the only person this happened to. After reading this book, I found that there are so many circumstances in which these marriages happen, and it was like reading my own story in some places. I learned that this wasn't just a fluke, and it wasn't just me - there are patterns here that I recognized.
I also learned that the whole drama of coming out or staying in the closet is not just up to the homosexual when a straight spouse and family are also involved.
I have been coming out of his closet for a long time. This book was the start. The straight spouse network also really helped me, and continues to help me. The resources in this book are invaluable for anyone who is just starting to deal with this, and for those of us who have been dealing with these family situations for a while.
Doom for married bisexuals.......2006-10-01
I came out to my husband five years before he read this book. He didn't believe I was bisexual, but the more often I tried to talk to him about the issue, the further he would shut down. Eventually, he read this book and decided that our marriage was doomed, despite that we had been together for close to twelve years at the time. Our marriage would have been possible to salvage if he'd not read this, bought the propaganda that being married to a bisexual was a disaster, and actually attempted to communicate about the issues both of us were having.
If you're bi and your spouse reads this, expect to be served divorce papers.
Life saving reading.......2006-09-17
No one ever expects to hear the words I heard my husband of 11 years say when he sat me down last January and told me he was gay. We had been together for nearly 16 years and have two young children. I was devistated. I went through (and am still going through) extreme emotional rollercoaster girations that left me dizzy. I felt every emotion nearly everyday. I didn't know which way was up. I didn't know what to do, who to talk to, who to trust. Trust was the first thing I started challenging in my day to day life. Friends, family, coworkers... any one I met I wondered if they too were lying to me. It was a destructive mind set that I eventually, through the help of counseling, got over. Like the book mentions, there is a moment when the strait spouse feels they've been pushed into the closet. Hiding what they know from everyone, pretending things are normal. Having been there, I can attest that that was a very scary time and this book did help me get through that and helped me rescue myself from the closet. 8 months later, I'm in my own house, feeling the freedom to have my own routine, getting on with my life, and we're divorsed but still friends. Most importantly, we're both happier now that we have been for several years. The kids have come first through this whole ordeal and we have managed to keep them on track that there is no shame in who their father is. We still do things as a family, after all, we got divorced from each other not the kids. we even do things as a big happy family with my ex and his partner. The kids seem to have adjusted pretty well so far, but I know the road is long and we've just started the journey.
If anyone is just starting this journey or is having difficulty with a similar situation, I strongly urge you to get this book AND seek counseling. This book helped both of us understand what the other was going through. It will help you. And you will heal over time. Good Luck.
I'm disappointed.......2006-08-11
As a friend, I know that Jennifer left a LOT out of her book. Like, the fact that their marriage broke up before her husband came out of the closet. She never mentions the Mormon Church, yet they were very active in it; her husband decided to leave the Church, and that was when they separated. While they were separated, they BOTH started dating. Then, her ex admitted that he was dating a man.
I'm very disappointed, Jenni, in a book that calls itself "brutally honest". What else did you leave out?!!!
Book Description
David Leavitt's extraordinary first novel, now reissued in paperback, is a seminal work about family, sexual identity, home, and loss.
Set in the 1980s against the backdrop of a swiftly gentrifying Manhattan, The Lost Language of Cranes tells the story of twenty-five-year-old Philip, who realizes he must come out to his parents after falling in love for the first time with a man. Philip's parents are facing their own crisis: pressure from developers and the loss of their longtime home. But the real threat to this family is Philip's father's own struggle with his latent homosexuality, realized only in his Sunday afternoon visits to gay porn theaters. Philip's admission to his parents and his father's hidden life provoke changes that forever alter the landscape of their worlds.
Customer Reviews:
Coming Out Too Short.......2005-12-07
Fair warning: I'm going to reference the end, or rather lack of ending in this review.
Leavitt is noted for his short stories, so it isn't much of a surprise that "The Lost Language of Cranes" is a short story padded into a novel that in sort of an ironic twist winds up being too short, ending before any of the issues put forth are resolved.
The gist of the story is that Owen and Rose have been married for 27 years, but now they're facing a crisis. Their Manhattan apartment is going co-op forcing them to either buy or move, a predicament I think few outside of New York City really understand. At the same time, Owen has been disappearing for long stretches of some days, especially Sundays. We soon learn he's going to certain X-rated theaters for a little homosexual hanky-panky. Owen is homosexual--always has been--but is trying to keep it from Rose and his son Philip. Although it turns out Philip is also gay, but has been keeping it from Mom and Dad. He gets involved in a serious relationship with Eliot, adopted son of a writer Philip admired. Before long, Philip is "coming out" to his parents, which inadvertantly causes Owen to come out. Mayhem ensues.
When I mentioned this book is padded, in particular is the sidebar story of Eliot's roommate Jerene. She came out to her adopted parents years ago and they soon disowned her. Since then she's been working on a never-ending dissertation until she decides to say the heck with it and work first as a bouncer at a lesbian club and then as a counselor on a gay helpline, which Owen later calls. While her life may serve as comparison or contrast to Philip and Owen, it doesn't contribute a whole lot to the story of Philip, Owen, and Rose.
Most of the writing is good, but some of the dialogue is clumsy. My belief is if anyone in a book or movie says, "I feel..." without being in the presence of a therapist, it's a red flag for poor dialogue. It's not natural for people to say, "I feel like..." in my experience. At other times the characters spouted dialogue that seemed too melodramatic. But with a first novel you can't expect absolute perfection.
Now what really annoyed me about the book is the lack of a decent ending. The book ends with Philip and Owen being outed, but everything is up in the air. We don't know what's going to happen between Owen and Rose; will they stay together? Eliot breaks up with Philip, who soon is spending a lot of time with his friend Brad; are they going to become serious? Not even the issue of the apartment, mentioned so prominently throughout the book is resolved. What good is an ending that doesn't end anything? It feels arbitrary to me. Maybe with a little less padding there would have been more space to focus on more important issues.
Except for some insights into the gay nightlife scene of 1980s New York City, I didn't think this book told me a lot I didn't already know. Mostly I thought it was a bland novel, but a worthy first effort.
Remarkable Novel.......2004-05-12
I read this book for a class, and enjoyed it much more than I ever expected, especially in retrospect. I think it takes a little time to really get into, especially because Leavitt jumps back and forth between the three main characters and storylines, but once you get into the rhythm of the story, you are drawn in. Leavitt does a great character study of Owen, Rose, and Philip, and by the end of the novel, I felt like I knew them. Leavitt has an accessible wrting style, but the book itself is very literary and complex. For a first novel, especially, I think it's exceptional.
The Rich Language of Cranes.......2002-10-12
Author David Leavit writes a brillant novel that I had a hard time putting down. While Phillip is confronting his changing relationship with his lover, Elliot, his father Owen is finally, confronting his homosexuality. Highly recommended. Each character is richly developed and textured, they feel like real people that you know. While the film is good, it uses London as a backdrop rather than the book's all-to-real-modern-urban life set in New York and in the transistion looses something.
One word "amazing".......2002-06-27
Read this book while its still available! Its language is so simple yet it touches you with a ferocity thats unthinkable!
I could relate to every charecter and that was the most freaky part!
The charecters in this book are rich and full of life. The plot is very engaging and what more can one say about a book thats so beautiful it makes you weep with joy!
Bravo Leavitt and the rest of you read it!
Good first novel.......2002-06-03
While not as good as his short stories, and awkward and somewhat amateurish in a few places, this is a good, strong first novel. Ideally I would give this one a 3.5, but since that's not an option, I'll err on the side of generosity. This novel explores coming out, family dynamics, and the selfish yuppie attitudes of the 80s.
Average customer rating:
- Bravo
- Loved It
- Rainbow Boys
- A must read!
- A Must-Read!
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Rainbow Boys
Alex Sanchez
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
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ASIN: 0689857705 |
Book Description
Jason Carrillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend, but he can't stop dreaming about sex...with other guys.
Kyle Meeks doesn't look gay, but he is. And he hopes he never has to tell anyone -- especially his parents.
Nelson Glassman is "out" to the entire world, but he can't tell the boy he loves that he wants to be more than just friends.
Three teenage boys, coming of age and out of the closet. In a revealing debut novel that percolates with passion and wit, Alex Sanchez follows these very different high-school seniors as their struggles with sexuality and intolerance draw them into a triangle of love, betrayal, and ultimately, friendship.
Customer Reviews:
Bravo.......2007-08-29
From the first to last page I was hooked on this book. It was so good that I am thrilled that the stories continue. Alex you have a new fan!
Loved It.......2007-08-01
I probably do not fit this books demographic!
I'm a 22 year old straight female.
But I LOVED this book, and the other two that follow it. I rarely read at all, but I couldn't put it down, I read it non stop until it was finished.
I felt like the characters were my close friends. The great part about this book and the other two is that it gets right to the action. None of that boring prose about trees and leaves blowing in the wind. Every page is interesting, and it feels like an original story, unlike all the hetero fiction that is out there for teens to read. Did I mention again that I'm straight?
Nelson, Jason and Kyle are remarkable - particularly Nelson, he comes out with some great lines and is a fantastic character.
To be honest, this book rather made me WISH I knew these kids. And that I was a guy. And gay. (Nelson owns my heart)
Kudos to Alex! Excellent book!
Rainbow Boys.......2007-05-09
I loved the book. It could really help young boys who are sturggling with their sexuality. The story line keeps you involved and the context of the story is very appropriate. The book is page turner because it moves at a fast pace and the story line is interesting, your always wondering whats going to happen next. Not only is the context of what is going on with the boys helpful to young adults, but also the family dynamics presented in this book can also have many children relating to these boys struggles.
A must read!.......2007-05-04
This realistic contemporary literature novel covers many social and emotional issues faced by high school students. The problems and solutions were realistic and practical. Fear of rejection, sense of belonging, and the need to fit in were just a few of the underlying themes that were presented throughout the novel. It is difficult for all high school students to understand who they are and everyone fights with trying to fit in, having the right clothing or hairstyle, listening to the right music, saying the right things. But for high school minorities, these challenges are only more obvious as they face so many different difficulties. The characters were well developed and ever changing, allowing the reader to feel as though they really know Nelson, Kyle, and Jason first hand. Sanchez does a great job of producing well-rounded characters with realistic problems. He leads the reader to want to continue reading, waiting to see what will happen to the boys next. The book ends rather abruptly, with many issues yet to be resolved. However, this is Sanchez's way of making you read the sequels, Rainbow High and Rainbow Road. As a reader, I definitely want to go and read the next two books that follow the characters through the remainder of high school and on to their lives after graduation. As frustrating as it was to have the book end without answering all the questions, it is a good author who leaves you wanting more and can get a reader so excited that they can't wait for the next story. A true eye opener of a book, dealing with many adolescent issues. However, not appropriate to be used as a whole class novel even in late high school. There are some very graphic scenes and language that is quite controversial. I think it is a great book that teachers, social workers, and parents should be aware of and it should be available to students on an individual basis. Students who might be part of a gay-straight alliance or who personally seek help and understanding of their own confusions will learn a lot and be able to connect to Sanchez's work.
A Must-Read!.......2007-04-04
First, I am very picky when it comes to books that I select to read. As a special education teacher and doctoral candidate, there just is little time for "fun reading"
When a former student came out to me, I took her to the local GLCC (I am also on its board of trustees). I took her to our library section to see if there was anything she would be interested in. Anything that might make her feel the "normality" of being Gay that I struggled with for so many years. At one time, I was even on the verge of suicide.
Alex Sanchez's books had been recommended to me. I think I even purchased a few -- but they got lost somewhere in my book avalanche. I DO NOT regret brining this book home. It is well written. It shifts from character to character delicately telling their stories. Mr. Sanchez could not have chosen three better characters for his plot. You have the very open Nelson, the "I'm gay but I don't want everyone to know it, yet" Kyle....and my favorite, the jock....Jason. Each has separate struggles. But they help each other through the process.
I wish this book had been written all those years ago when I was afraid and alone. I am ordering the series....and anything else that Mr. Sanchez writes!
As the sponsor of a Gay Straight Alliance, I think this is a great addition to any collection.*
* I do have to admit that they use the "F" word a few times more than I am used to .. but I alo teach high school! But, I realize that that is the way kids talk...and if it helps someone...Hurray!
Books:
- The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
- The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
- The Power of One (Young Reader's Edition)
- The Scottish Golf Book
- The Secret (Unabridged, 4-CD Set)
- The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize it and How to Respond
- Vocal Selections from City of Angels (Essential Shows Film TV Folios)
- Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks
- White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)
- William Goldman: Four Screenplays with Essays
Books Index
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