A Little Gay History: Desire and Diversity Across the World

by R. Parkinson

Overview

When was the first chat line between men established? Who was the first "lesbian"? Were ancient Greek men who had sex with each other necessarily "gay," and what did Shakespeare think about crossdressing?

A Little Gay History answers these questions and more through close readings of art objects from the British Museum's far-ranging collection. Consulting ancient Egyptian papyri, the Roman Warren Cup's erotic figures, David Hockney's vivid prints, and dozens of other artifacts, R. B. Parkinson draws attention to a diverse range of same-sex experiences and situates them within specific historical and cultural contexts. The first of its kind, A Little Gay History builds a complex and creative portrait of love's many guises.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231166638
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	09/03/2013
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	307,618
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

R. B. Parkinson, a curator of ancient Egyptian culture at the British Museum, is internationally recognized as a specialist in ancient Egyptian poetry. His other publications include Voices from Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Middle Kingdom Writings; The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems, 1940–1640 B.C.; and Poetry and Culture in Middle Kingdom Egypt: A Dark Side to Perfection.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: 'A Great Unrecorded History'
Glimpses of a History
Epilogue: (Re-)Writing Histories
Further Resources
Suggested General Reading
Sources for Quotations
Image Credits

What People are Saying About This

Robert Aldrich

This is a very attractive book – felicitously written with an impeccable and subtle understanding of the history and a clear eye for the artworks. There is much that is new and original here, and even the well-known 'suspects' are discussed with insight, thoughtfulness and wit.

Michael Bronski

A Little Gay History succeeds in a whirlwind tour of the history of representation of same-sex desire through a wide-ranging series of snap-shots of art and literature from ancient Persia to the Roman Empire to Medieval Europe to modern day Britain. It is both entertaining and enlightening.

Editorial Reviews

Through meticulous research and compassionate narration, British Museum curator Parkinson (Voices from Ancient Egypt) brings to light a collection of art objects from the British Museum’s collection that illustrate same-sex desire, many of which had previously been censored or concealed from historians. These 40 objects come from various civilizations and eras, some being clear-cut examples of same-sex love, such as Grecian urns decorated with homoerotic scenes, the poetry of Sappho, and the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s well-documented affair with the young Antinous. Other pieces are more ambiguous: artistic renderings that suggest love between Samurai warriors; an Ancient Egyptian tomb that may have been made for a same-sex couple; and Shakespearean sonnets that allude to “bisexual” relationships. The book also includes brief, captivating profiles of gay and lesbian artists, including the sculptors Hedwig Marquardt and Augusta Kaiser, and novelist Virginia Woolf. The long history of intolerance is interwoven through the artwork as well, and while facts surrounding the persecution and execution of “sodomites” are unsettling, the book is not overtly political. Parkinson successfully shows that same-sex love and desire are an integral part of human history: “On a long view, no one occupies the centre. It belongs to all of us.” 80 color photos. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

[The book] draws on 40 objects, ranging from ancient Egyptian papyri to images by modern artists, including David Hockney.

The Bookseller

[The book] explores artistic portrayals of what it means to be gay and the difficulties in finding records of same-sex desire.

BBC News

Moving and fascinating.

The Sunday Times - Simon Russell Beale

Illuminating... Parkinson's book reminds us there is nothing new about homosexuality.

The Times (London)

[A Little Gay History] scans the Museum's collections for objects that show the complexity of desire in world cultures. From Indian gods to Emperor Hadrian, it proves that, if you swear by ancient tradition in matters of love and sex, you'll end up in the queerest spots.

The Independent

★ 09/01/2013
This little gay history is a little terrific book. In just over 120 pages, it serves as an introduction to gay history through the ages. Parkinson (Voices from Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Middle Kingdom Writings) takes readers on a tour of LGBT-related objects found in the collections of the British Museum, where he is curator of ancient Egyptian culture. The scope of his selections is global and covers all epochs of civilization. The introduction, titled "A Great Unrecorded History" (a quotation from E.M. Forster), frames the issues and theories of LGBT history and is followed by the core of the book, a chronologically arranged set of "Glimpses of a History," each "glimpse" accompanied by a color plate of the object that Parkinson discusses in a page or two of text. These glimpses, ranging from a c.9000 BCE figure from Palestine to a "Drag Queen Deck" of Japanese playing cards from 1997, allow Parkinson to explore the subject of homosexual desire throughout history; he discusses artistic movements, ordinary material culture, facades of conventional life, warrior traditions, legal persecutions, and definitions of the sacred. VERDICT Though the audience may be the general interested reader, there are notes and references that will enable further research. Highly recommended.—David Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., Philadelphia

Library Journal