“Shakespeare’s Queer Children” argues that Shakespeare is not the exclusive possession of any one social group or cultural formation, but has provided an enabling and empowering resource which has allowed “other” radical voices to be heard, often in the face of forces which would consign them to insignificance, marginalization or oppression. The book stages a series of detailed, closely contextualized readings of significant texts and moments in the cultural history of Shakespeare, including the trials of Oscar Wilde, Angela Carter’s “Wise Children”, the debate over “political correctness” and the literary curriculum, and Derek Jarman’s films. Chedgzoy argues that if Shakespeare is not of an age but for all time, it is surely not because his works transcend or obliterate historical and cultural differences, but because they offer a space where conflicting desires - aesthetic, social and erotic - can be enacted, explored and transformed.
Submitted by theshakespearegirlnovel. Thank you!
Not sure if you’ve posted about this book yet, but Richard Burt’s Unspeakable ShaXXXspeares (Palgrave Macmillan, 1998, revised edt. 1999) is a damn good book on queer Shakespeare, with a focus on film/TV adaptations and pop culture. Well worth checking out.
Submitted by shakespearean—thank you!
I know at least a couple of you (including you, the person who reblogged something on this sort of topic within the last 24 hours that is actually what reminded me I wanted to do this post, and also you, the person who started a tumblr specifically about this) may be able to help me answer at least one of the following questions, all of which concern…
The questions are as follows:
- How awesome does this look?
- Have you read it?
- If you answered ‘yes’ to question 2: is it as awesome as it looks?
- If you answered ‘yes’ to question 2: how advanced does my grasp of queer theory have to be before I can get any benefit out of it?
- If you answered ‘yes’ to question 2: how advanced does my grasp of Shakespeare have to be before I can get any benefit out of it?
- If you answered ‘no’ to question 2: doesn’t this look awesome?
- Is it too much that the title of this post is a pun on the title of a book that’s already another pun?
Thank you very much for your assistance with these inquiries.
Too good not to reblog. Plus, maybe some of you could help him out.
Have y’all seen this? Just bought it today. My favorite essay so far is Heather Love’s on Macbeth but I’m a fan of the title for the reading of Midsummer Night’s Dream… Shakespeare’s Ass Play.
[A book cover. The top half is taken up by paintings of Shakespeare with brightly coloured makeup, stars, and other patterns on his face. The bottom half is black and includes the title, “Shakesqueer,” with the subtitle “A Queer Companion to the Complete Works of Shakespeare.” The editor is Madhavi Menon.]
(Submitted by maybesomedaydoctorj.)
