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i'm from driftwood: True Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Stores from All Over the World
163 pages
First published January 1, 2010
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 17, 2012
With I'm From Driftwood, Nathan Manske collects 50-plus Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer Stories From All Over The World. It's an admirable effort, with some really interesting stories to enjoy, but I have to be honest in that I found it rather heavily weighed on the 'gay' side, with few 'transgender' stories, and even fewer 'bisexual' stories, and somewhat uneven in terms of quality.
I know, life stories are just that - life stories, and not literature - and Manske is limited by those stories the community care to share. In terms of demographics, he may very well represent an accurate cross-section here, but I simply would have liked to see more balance. That's probably a personal complaint, coming as it does from one of the under-represented demographics, but it's a complaint all the same.
Some of the stories here were quite fascinating, containing moments of humour, sorrow, and anger. If there's a common them to them, it's this - while words and actions do indeed have power, even a quiet form of acceptance can be stronger than the most vocal rejection. There were a few stories in which I could see myself, moments and confrontations I too have shared, but for the most part I felt like a sympathetic ally, standing outside the story.
I don't mean for this to sound like a negative review, because this is an important collection, and I think it's wonderful that so many people have shared their stories with the i'm from driftwood project. It does reflect the individuality within our shared circumstances, and there's an authenticity to the words that you wouldn't otherwise find in a memoir that lifts, borrows, and edits the tale to fit a larger theme.
As published on Bending the Bookshelf
I know, life stories are just that - life stories, and not literature - and Manske is limited by those stories the community care to share. In terms of demographics, he may very well represent an accurate cross-section here, but I simply would have liked to see more balance. That's probably a personal complaint, coming as it does from one of the under-represented demographics, but it's a complaint all the same.
Some of the stories here were quite fascinating, containing moments of humour, sorrow, and anger. If there's a common them to them, it's this - while words and actions do indeed have power, even a quiet form of acceptance can be stronger than the most vocal rejection. There were a few stories in which I could see myself, moments and confrontations I too have shared, but for the most part I felt like a sympathetic ally, standing outside the story.
I don't mean for this to sound like a negative review, because this is an important collection, and I think it's wonderful that so many people have shared their stories with the i'm from driftwood project. It does reflect the individuality within our shared circumstances, and there's an authenticity to the words that you wouldn't otherwise find in a memoir that lifts, borrows, and edits the tale to fit a larger theme.
As published on Bending the Bookshelf
June 27, 2012
This collection is filled with short, poignant stories about the LGBT experience. My favs were the childhood ones featuring parents that were more supportive than Kurt's father on GLEE. One mother bought her newly out gay son LEAVES OF GRASS!
There are also fun stories about first crushes, stories that show how someone you never even speak with or touch can change your life forever.
One of the saddest stories was written by a woman from Dubuque, Iowa, who had only one person she could be honest with--her brother. As a native Iowan who takes a lot of pride in our state's marriage equality, this story made me realize that there is still a lot of work to be done.
The book is a great one for reading groups. My own started with an icebreaker: I'm from... Then we each shared a bit of our own coming out stories.
My one complaint about DRIFTWOOD is that gay men were way over-represented. Maybe only a fourth of the stories were written by women. As I recall, there was only one story by a bisexual (a really strong piece written by a woman). There were a few trans stories, but they were all written by MTFs.
Still, the collection is a great read, and the web site that the pieces are drawn from is doing important work.
There are also fun stories about first crushes, stories that show how someone you never even speak with or touch can change your life forever.
One of the saddest stories was written by a woman from Dubuque, Iowa, who had only one person she could be honest with--her brother. As a native Iowan who takes a lot of pride in our state's marriage equality, this story made me realize that there is still a lot of work to be done.
The book is a great one for reading groups. My own started with an icebreaker: I'm from... Then we each shared a bit of our own coming out stories.
My one complaint about DRIFTWOOD is that gay men were way over-represented. Maybe only a fourth of the stories were written by women. As I recall, there was only one story by a bisexual (a really strong piece written by a woman). There were a few trans stories, but they were all written by MTFs.
Still, the collection is a great read, and the web site that the pieces are drawn from is doing important work.
March 20, 2013
This is something that anyone should read. It is a great book with stories that will both sadden and inspire you. d
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews