Reader's Guide to Lesbian and Gay Studies

The Reader's Guide to Lesbian and Gay Studies surveys the field in some 470 entries on individuals (Adrienne Rich); arts and cultural studies (Dance); ethics, religion, and philosophical issues (Monastic Traditions); historical figures, periods, and ideas (Germany between the World Wars); language, literature, and communication (British Drama); law and politics (Child Custody); medicine and biological sciences (Health and Illness); and psychology, social sciences, and education (Kinsey Report).

A guide to existing academic literature on issues, persons, periods, and topics important in lesbian and gay studies. With a focus on book-length studies in English, entries offer a very brief introduction and a more detailed overview of the secondary literature, including the relative merits of each source under consideration. While the overall arrangement of entries is alphabetical, other means of access include a booklist, general indexes, cross references, and a thematic list (African American culture, AIDS, art and artists, Asian studies, biological sciences, lesbian and gay culture, education, family, gender studies, history, law, literature, media studies, medicine, music, performing arts, politics, psychology, philosophy and ethics, and others). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

As an academic discipline, lesbian and gay studies is still in its infancy. A distinct body of scholarly literature on lesbian/gay/ queer-related topics has emerged, however, especially in the last 20 years, and it is surprising that a reference of this comprehensiveness has not appeared sooner. Editor Murphy (medical humanities, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago; Gay Science: The Ethics of Sexual Orientation Research) has assembled over 400 entries by 223 contributors. Covering articles and books (mainly in English), they reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the subject, ranging from regional studies to literary criticism to such subcultural phenomena as the bear culture and the Radical Faeries. Each entry includes a list of works, an introduction to the topic, and a brief summary and analysis of the literature. Also included are booklist and general indexes and a thematic list grouping topical entries into broad subject areas. While one might quibble that a single volume can only skim the surface of such a complex, diverse discipline, this is still a remarkable and groundbreaking work. An essential purchase for human sexuality and gay and lesbian study collections, it belongs in most academic and public libraries. Richard J. Violette, Special Libraries Cataloguing, Victoria, BC Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.