The Queer Book Club: November 2011

"There's nowt so queer as folk".

Old Yorkshire saying.

Welcome to The Queer Book Club

First off, let me thank you for visiting the blog.

It's a brand new blog prompted by my own interests. I think there must be a few people out there who are interested in reading and writing queer literature, so I thought I'd take the idea of a book and writing club online.

Anyone born with a different sexual orientation or gender identity has to seek out inspiration, ideas and look for help to define themselves, especially when first realising their identity doesn't exactly fit the mainstream. We want to read about other people's experiences and lives and loves and reading helps us come together.

In my time I've read a fair few books - fiction, history, biography, social sciences - but there's a lot more out there to discover. One of the many pleasures of life is sharing and talking about the great books you've read and inspirational stories. So I decided to take the journey online and see if I could find a few people to share it with.

I hope you find something on here that interests you.

Ian

On the use of 'queer'

Some people might think it 'strange and unusual' that this is a 'queer' blog, rather than using one of the many variants of the LGBT family of identities. 'Queer' has long been an insult to people of different sexual orientations, or people who don't conform to the usual gender identities.

My own sexual and gender politics were formed in the late 80s and early 90s, the heady days of ACT UP and Queer Nation. 'Queer' was reclaimed as a banner under which people could be included. Then came the TV series 'Queer As Folk' which was most definitely did NOT accept 'queer' as a negative.

For me, the concept of 'queer' was that being 'strange or unusual' was something to be proud of, and that it didn't mean you were any less special or valued a person.

The idea of using 'queer' as an overarching concept also felt like a useful approach to what I want this blog to be - inclusive. As art inevitably reflects life, identity is often fluid. Literature explores, interprets and challenges concepts of humanity.

So while I'm sure readers of this blog will identify as many things other than 'queer', I hope you'll feel welcome here.

The Queer Book Club

30 November 2011

The opening line ...

Browsing the Shelves