Margaret Mead Made Me Gay: Personal Essays, Public Ideas

Series Q

by Esther Newton

Margaret Mead Made Me Gay is the intellectual autobiography of cultural anthropologist Esther Newton, a pioneer in gay and lesbian studies. Chronicling the development of her ideas from the excitement of early feminism in the 1960s to friendly critiques of queer theory in the 1990s, this collection covers a range of topics such as why we need more precise sexual vocabularies, why there have been fewer women doing drag than men, and how academia can make itself more hospitable to queers. It brings together such classics as “The Mythic Mannish Lesbian” and “Dick(less) Tracy and the Homecoming Queen” with entirely new work such as “ Gay Anti-Church.”
Newton’s provocative essays detail a queer academic career while offering a behind-the-scenes view of academic homophobia. In four sections that correspond to major periods and interests in her life—”Drag and Camp,” “Lesbian-Feminism,” “Butch,” and “Queer Anthropology”—the volume reflects her successful struggle to create a body of work that uses cultural anthropology to better understand gender oppression, early feminism, theatricality and performance, and the sexual and erotic dimensions of fieldwork. Combining personal, theoretical, and ethnographic perspectives, Margaret Mead Made Me Gay also includes photographs from Newton’s personal and professional life.
With wise and revealing discussions of the complex relations between experience and philosophy, the personal and the political, and identities and practices, Margaret Mead Made Me Gay is important for anyone interested in the birth and growth of gay and lesbian studies.

Genres: Queer, Anthropology, Essays, LGBT, Nonfiction, History, Lesbian

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Esther Newton is currently Term Professor of Women's Studies at the University of Michigan, and Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Kempner Distinguished Professor at Purchase College, SUNY. She is the author of Margaret Mead Made Me Gay: Personal Essays, Public Ideas, published by Duke University Press, Mother Camp: Female Impersonators in America, coauthor of Womenfriends: A Soap Opera, and coeditor of Amazon Expedition: A Lesbian Feminist Anthology.

Reviews

[Sophy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting set of essays, perhaps somewhat dated now though some of them.

Newton writes quite academically so it takes a fair bit of focus to get through the text.

I found a fair bit of repetition here too, particularly emerging themes and topics.

An enjoyable read up to a point but felt a bit like reading for college/uni as opposed to leisurely.

One I'm not going to be returning to in the future so off it goes for donation to the community book exchange.

[Mónica Baixauli Casañ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decir que está desfasado, sería injusto. Es lo que es. Escritos que van desde los años 60 a los 90. Quien tuviera la suerte de leerlo en el momento, seguro que iluminó su camino. Aún así tiene ciertos pasajes que me han resultado interesantes. Su análisis sobre The Well of Loneliness sigue teniendo vigencia. Ahora me ha creado la necesidad de acercarme a Margaret Mead.

To say that it is outdated would be unfair. It is what it is. Writings ranging from the 60s to the 90s. Whoever was lucky enough to read it at the time, surely it lit their way. Even so, it has certain passages that have been interesting to me. His analysis of The Well of Loneliness is still valid. Now it has created the need for me to approach Margaret Mead.

[ND · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive and inspiring, even the ones that are many decades old...

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book of essays on ethnography within the gblt communities. Extra points for having the most hilarious title I've seen in years.

[Katie]

if only because i say "--- made me gay" about pretty much everything, and so appreciate the satisfaction this statement can bring.