Identity Poetics: Race, Class, and the Lesbian-Feminist Roots of Queer Theory (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780231110334)

"Queer theory," asserts Linda Garber, "alternately buries and vilifies lesbian feminism, missing its valuable insights and ignoring its rich contributions." Rejecting the either/or choice between lesbianism and queer theory, she favors an inclusive approach that defies current factionalism. In an eloquent challenge to the privileging of queer theory in the academy, Garber calls for recognition of the historical--and intellectually significant--role of lesbian poets as theorists of lesbian identity and activism.

The connections, Garber shows, are most clearly seen when looking at the pivotal work of working-class lesbians/lesbians of color whose articulations of multiple, simultaneous identity positions and activist politics both belong to lesbian feminism and presage queer theory. Identity Poetics includes a critical overview of recent historical writing about the women's and lesbian-feminist movements of the 1970s; discussions of the works of Judy Grahn, Pat Parker, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Gloria Anzald俉; and, finally, a chapter on the rise and hegemony of queer theory within lesbigay studies.

Author: Linda Garber
ISBN-10: 0231110332
ISBN-13: 9780231110334
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Language: English
Published: 10/17/2001
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.04w x 0.57d

Review Citation(s):
Lambda Book Report 05/01/2002 pg. 28
Choice 06/01/2002 pg. 1887