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My then-boyfriend, pitying me for being too young for the original run, bought me the published play and with it a key to understanding the century of my birth. Barbara Bieck, Special Collections LibrarianĪngels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes | Tony Kushner & The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America | Isaac Butler and Dan Koisīy the time I saw a production of Tony Kushner’s game-changing epic, many of its phrases-poignant, political, perfect-had long entered my vocabulary. Ryan relays these histories with compassion and insightfulness, and brings to light important figures in queer history who should be celebrated. This is a history of queer people and queer spaces many from both categories have been forgotten to time, until now. Tracing Brooklyn’s queer culture from the era of Walt Whitman up to Robert Moses’ NYC, Ryan makes sure to incorporate stories from a range of people in the LGBTQ spectrum, from all walks of life, giving equal weight to stories both romantic and tragic. Inclusivity is the name of the game where I’m concerned when it comes to writing about queer history, and Hugh Ryan delivers over and over again. Patrick Rayner, Acquisitions Assistant/Circulation Assistant It is also a fun and thrilling read that will change your mind about the city you love and what it was like a century ago. At the time of its publication, reviews of Chauncey’s book called it “brilliant” and “monumental” and it remains so. He takes us to places where gay life flourished in the early 20th century-cafeterias, bars, and bathhouses-to rent parties in Harlem, and drag balls in Greenwich Village attended by thousands and covered in the press.
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Rather, Chauncey shows us that there was a vibrant and visible gay culture in New York City until the 1930s, when changing social mores pushed the gay world underground. Published on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, George Chauncey’s Gay New York reveals that urban gay life prior to 1969 wasn’t always hiding in the closet. Gay New York: Gender Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World 1890 – 1940 | George Chauncey To celebrate, staff members recommend favorite books in our collection-new and old-on gay culture, life, and history in New York City. June is LGBTQ Pride Month, and 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the pivotal Stonewall uprising in Greenwich Village.