What do you think?
Queer Country
Though frequently ignored by the music mainstream, queer and transgender country and Americana artists have made essential contributions as musicians, performers, songwriters, and producers. Queer Country blends ethnographic research with analysis and history to provide the first in-depth study of these artists and their work. Shana Goldin-Perschbacher delves into the careers of well-known lesbian artists like k.d. lang and Amy Ray and examines the unlikely success of singer-songwriter Patrick Haggerty, who found fame forty years after releasing the first out gay country album. She also focuses on later figures like nonbinary transgender musician Rae Spoon and renowned drag queen country artist Trixie Mattel; and on recent breakthrough artists like Orville Peck, Amythyst Kiah, and chart-topping Grammy-winning phenomenon Lil Nas X. Many of these musicians place gender and sexuality front and center even as it complicates their careers. But their ongoing efforts have widened the circle of country/Americana by cultivating new audiences eager to connect with the artists’ expansive music and personal identities.
Detailed and one-of-a-kind, Queer Country reinterprets country and Americana music through the lives and work of artists forced to the margins of the genre's history.
Detailed and one-of-a-kind, Queer Country reinterprets country and Americana music through the lives and work of artists forced to the margins of the genre's history.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2022
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December 20, 2021Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
Okay, so this, uh, rigorously academic book about queer country music performers needs to come with an accompanying Spotify playlist. Just saying.
Anyway, I know nothing about this subject. Literally nothing. My knowledge of country music basically consists of a couple of seasons of Nashville and the fact my dad was into Gordon Lightfoot (who, now I think about it, might be folk?). But I wanted to read this book for two reasons.
Let me start with the first and the simplest, which was simply about addressing my own ignorance. And, y’know, ignorance addressed? Or at least, partially: the book is very dense, because it is an ethnographic study, not a 101. I should also probably take this opportunity to acknowledge that I simply do not have the requisite understanding to review this book in any meaningful way. I mean, it’s not going to stop me *trying* but please be very aware my comments are coming from an incredibly clueless place.
That said, this struck me as meticulously researched and engagingly written, as well as respectful to the diverse identities and gender journeys undertaken by many of its subjects (which range from Patrick Haggerty, kd lang, to Rae Spoon, to Trixie Mattel to Lil Nas X) It centralises the voices of queer and trans performers and explores with precision and sensitivity the complex intersectionalities of politics, self-expression, gender and genre. My take is worth very little here, but I would sincerely recommend this for anyone with an interest in the subject, and for anyone else, who like me, feels their burden of their own cluelessness.
Which … now brings me to the second reason, rather more personal reason for reading this book. Although first let me make clear that the struggles of queer and trans country singers are entirely distinct: I’m not trying to appropriate or co-op anyone else’s story, but I think I was kind of … I think I was looking to understand what drives creators to persist in genres that are hostile to who they are and what they do.
For, y’know, no reason?
One of the aspects of the book that I find both most interesting and most accessible was its on-going discussion of the construction of genre in the context of our understanding of gender:
Of course, I know that country music and romance fiction exist in different contexts and have different histories. But, still, make you think doesn’t it? Especially given how much discourse there’s been this year around whose books “count” as romance, even if the stories themselves meet the central criteria of the genre (focus on a central relationship, optimistic ending with the lovers together). If nothing else, reading Queer Country helped me to better understand my own genre’s resistance to stories from people whose identities may been seen as disruptive to certain readers’ expectations of the world.
This will always be a painful thing, I think. But I am more at peace with it than I have been for what feels like a long time. So. Um. Yeah. I may know sweet FA about queer country music but a book about it was exactly what I needed at the close of 2021.
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
Okay, so this, uh, rigorously academic book about queer country music performers needs to come with an accompanying Spotify playlist. Just saying.
Anyway, I know nothing about this subject. Literally nothing. My knowledge of country music basically consists of a couple of seasons of Nashville and the fact my dad was into Gordon Lightfoot (who, now I think about it, might be folk?). But I wanted to read this book for two reasons.
Let me start with the first and the simplest, which was simply about addressing my own ignorance. And, y’know, ignorance addressed? Or at least, partially: the book is very dense, because it is an ethnographic study, not a 101. I should also probably take this opportunity to acknowledge that I simply do not have the requisite understanding to review this book in any meaningful way. I mean, it’s not going to stop me *trying* but please be very aware my comments are coming from an incredibly clueless place.
That said, this struck me as meticulously researched and engagingly written, as well as respectful to the diverse identities and gender journeys undertaken by many of its subjects (which range from Patrick Haggerty, kd lang, to Rae Spoon, to Trixie Mattel to Lil Nas X) It centralises the voices of queer and trans performers and explores with precision and sensitivity the complex intersectionalities of politics, self-expression, gender and genre. My take is worth very little here, but I would sincerely recommend this for anyone with an interest in the subject, and for anyone else, who like me, feels their burden of their own cluelessness.
Which … now brings me to the second reason, rather more personal reason for reading this book. Although first let me make clear that the struggles of queer and trans country singers are entirely distinct: I’m not trying to appropriate or co-op anyone else’s story, but I think I was kind of … I think I was looking to understand what drives creators to persist in genres that are hostile to who they are and what they do.
For, y’know, no reason?
One of the aspects of the book that I find both most interesting and most accessible was its on-going discussion of the construction of genre in the context of our understanding of gender:
“Genre and gender are both taxonomies based in style, form, function and discourse. These categories seem to predict content and usage. The category of gender presumes a feature of animal and plant life that forms a central facet of the way humans interpret the worth and function of a living thing. And, interestingly, musical genre also assumes a type of person […] Genre implies decisions about marketing music and finding an audience, a choice that has to do with presumptions about different kind of people.”
Of course, I know that country music and romance fiction exist in different contexts and have different histories. But, still, make you think doesn’t it? Especially given how much discourse there’s been this year around whose books “count” as romance, even if the stories themselves meet the central criteria of the genre (focus on a central relationship, optimistic ending with the lovers together). If nothing else, reading Queer Country helped me to better understand my own genre’s resistance to stories from people whose identities may been seen as disruptive to certain readers’ expectations of the world.
This will always be a painful thing, I think. But I am more at peace with it than I have been for what feels like a long time. So. Um. Yeah. I may know sweet FA about queer country music but a book about it was exactly what I needed at the close of 2021.
March 6, 2023
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
Oh my goodness, this book has taken me WAY too long to read...
While I don't know that I would say I enjoyed this, in the way that I would enjoy most books I read, I definitely found it very informative and it gave me a lot to think about.
The overarching theme was about who is allowed to make this music and why, and looking critically at country music and how it's pretty hypocritical. As a younger person I used to listen to country music, so I knew a lot of the themes they were talking about, especially with the bad boy/music of the people sort of image that country music has. And I guess it's that, if you're a white cis-person of moderate income. But country music is actually a lot more mainstream than it likes to think it is, and with that comes all of the BS of the record industry.
Because it's taken me so freaking long to get through, I honestly can't write an overly thorough review, as I truly forget things that I read at the start of the book.
Not at all a simple 101 sort of book, it's quite dense, but also very interesting and definitely worthwhile if this is something that you are interested in.
Oh my goodness, this book has taken me WAY too long to read...
While I don't know that I would say I enjoyed this, in the way that I would enjoy most books I read, I definitely found it very informative and it gave me a lot to think about.
The overarching theme was about who is allowed to make this music and why, and looking critically at country music and how it's pretty hypocritical. As a younger person I used to listen to country music, so I knew a lot of the themes they were talking about, especially with the bad boy/music of the people sort of image that country music has. And I guess it's that, if you're a white cis-person of moderate income. But country music is actually a lot more mainstream than it likes to think it is, and with that comes all of the BS of the record industry.
Because it's taken me so freaking long to get through, I honestly can't write an overly thorough review, as I truly forget things that I read at the start of the book.
Not at all a simple 101 sort of book, it's quite dense, but also very interesting and definitely worthwhile if this is something that you are interested in.
November 17, 2023
As a gay man, and a country music lover, a study on the queer history of the genre gets a Texas sized 10-4 from Your’s Truly!
February 27, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and University of Illinois Press for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I went into this book excited to read about the motif of queer country, especially with queer nonfiction being one my favourite topics to read, but knowing nothing about country. Thus, this text seems like a great place for information and entertainment.
I think there’s a lot to be learned and valued from the very intricate storytelling the author does throughout the text if it lands with the correct audience.
However, while I would recommend it to a scholar, I feel not meeting the exact demographic had me really struggling with this text.
This text was quite dense with academic jargon consistently throughout and reminded me of my some of the texts I’d read in later years of university. Despite, this text being published by a university the ways in which it appears to be marketed and the book blurb had me thinking it would be accessible history of queer country musicians throughout the ages, but the intense analysis took me out of the actual artists stories many times.
In addition, the author self inserts themselves into the text to an extent that made me feel that they were proving why they needed to exist in this space, instead of simply existing.
Overall, I do not think this is a bad book, however I think the language could be changed to reach a broader audience for the brilliant stories within it.
~2.5 stars rounded up~
I went into this book excited to read about the motif of queer country, especially with queer nonfiction being one my favourite topics to read, but knowing nothing about country. Thus, this text seems like a great place for information and entertainment.
I think there’s a lot to be learned and valued from the very intricate storytelling the author does throughout the text if it lands with the correct audience.
However, while I would recommend it to a scholar, I feel not meeting the exact demographic had me really struggling with this text.
This text was quite dense with academic jargon consistently throughout and reminded me of my some of the texts I’d read in later years of university. Despite, this text being published by a university the ways in which it appears to be marketed and the book blurb had me thinking it would be accessible history of queer country musicians throughout the ages, but the intense analysis took me out of the actual artists stories many times.
In addition, the author self inserts themselves into the text to an extent that made me feel that they were proving why they needed to exist in this space, instead of simply existing.
Overall, I do not think this is a bad book, however I think the language could be changed to reach a broader audience for the brilliant stories within it.
~2.5 stars rounded up~
April 2, 2022
A good overview of the topic! The writing was very accessible and while the writer did often focus on what was happening within the last few years in country music, there was also attention paid to far earlier days of country as well as artists in the 80s and 90s. I'd recommend this one to anyone looking to expand their knowledge about queer music, country music, or just music in general as this particular topic has not been extensively covered.
November 22, 2022
When I read the title and requested the book, I don't think I was ready for the long musical journey it took me on.
I did know it was non-fiction, but my perception was that it was more towards being queer in a country instead of you know, queer country music. But I did enjoy the vast knowledge of the music.
I did know it was non-fiction, but my perception was that it was more towards being queer in a country instead of you know, queer country music. But I did enjoy the vast knowledge of the music.
December 14, 2021
A fantastic examination of the queer roots and contemporary manifestations in American country and folk music.
The author demonstrates a clear love and respect for the genre and medium, as well as a willingness to let the artists and their stories speak for themselves. Spanning the length and breadth of the genre's history, as well as unpicking the often complex political and cultural tensions which haunt the music, this book is a feat of intervention into the study of Queer Country music.
Just a note: I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley, and so would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. It will be available from University of Illinois Press in March 2022.
The author demonstrates a clear love and respect for the genre and medium, as well as a willingness to let the artists and their stories speak for themselves. Spanning the length and breadth of the genre's history, as well as unpicking the often complex political and cultural tensions which haunt the music, this book is a feat of intervention into the study of Queer Country music.
Just a note: I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley, and so would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. It will be available from University of Illinois Press in March 2022.
March 7, 2022
Full review on melinas.blog
To set the mood for this book, I set up a playlist of artists mentioned in it to listen to while reading. Even though I've heard of k.d. lang, I've never put on her music until now. And then something odd happened. Almost every song sounded familiar. Especially Constant Craving sounded like I'd heard it thousands of times and I experienced a strange auditory déjà vu. I relayed this to my parents to which they replied: "Oh yeah, we used to listen to k.d. lang all the time when you were a baby!" It's a great song so I'm glad it hung out in the recesses of my brain for 30 years but still, what an odd feeling! But I digress.
Queer Country is about exactly that - the history and reception and current state of country music as performed by queer artists. Beware, though, this is an academic piece of writing. Shana Goldin-Perschbacher meticulously researched this topic and laid it out in no simple terms. Having said that, if you're in any way, shape or form interested in music, musical history, country music, or you're a queer person who just likes music, I can heartily recommend this book.
Starting with the now-iconic Lavender Country in the 70s, SGP explores how and why country music has appealed to queer people. Because country has always been a vessel for telling the stories of ordinary people and outsiders - the working class, cowboys, sassy women, alcoholics or outlaws - it only made sense for the group of people who are gender- and sexually-nonnormative to seek refuge in this genre of music as well.
By playing "three chords and the truth", musicians like Lavender Country, Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile and k.d. lang were given the opportunity to sing about their lives and experiences as queer people through a blend of humour and sincerity and a pinch of rebellion. Unfortunately, this also meant unfair treatment by the industry and, for some, even obscurity.
SGP also argues that queer country can be less seen as a subgenre of music and more as a socioaesthetic phenomenon. It's no wonder then that some of these musicians experienced what was named genre trouble. This term is the musical take on Judith Butler's term gender trouble which suggests that gender is just a performance. For queer country musicians, it has been virtually impossible to *make it* in country and crossing the boundaries of genre was necessary for the sake of success, growth, financial gain, but also personal safety. This is why many of these musicians aren't considered strictly country - they play folk or Southern Gothic or even pop versions of country music.
While much of the book talks about the obstacles that queer country musicians have had to face for the past 50 years, the book ends on a somewhat positive note. Country is not dead, and queer country is possibly going through a Renaissance, led by musicians like the openly-gay masked cowboy Orville Peck, drag queen Trixie Mattel, and young black musician Lil Nas X who made a viral song while completely skirting the arduous process of actually getting signed to a label and having a promotional team.
Although country is not dead, it still has a ways to go before its status as the genre of bigotry changes. But thanks to queer artists and to new generations of people who are less and less accepting of the arbitrary societal rules of heteronormativity, things may change sooner rather than later.
Queer Country comes out on March 22. Huge thank you to NetGalley, University of Illinois Press and Shana Goldin-Perschbacher for the advanced reader copy.
To set the mood for this book, I set up a playlist of artists mentioned in it to listen to while reading. Even though I've heard of k.d. lang, I've never put on her music until now. And then something odd happened. Almost every song sounded familiar. Especially Constant Craving sounded like I'd heard it thousands of times and I experienced a strange auditory déjà vu. I relayed this to my parents to which they replied: "Oh yeah, we used to listen to k.d. lang all the time when you were a baby!" It's a great song so I'm glad it hung out in the recesses of my brain for 30 years but still, what an odd feeling! But I digress.
Queer Country is about exactly that - the history and reception and current state of country music as performed by queer artists. Beware, though, this is an academic piece of writing. Shana Goldin-Perschbacher meticulously researched this topic and laid it out in no simple terms. Having said that, if you're in any way, shape or form interested in music, musical history, country music, or you're a queer person who just likes music, I can heartily recommend this book.
Starting with the now-iconic Lavender Country in the 70s, SGP explores how and why country music has appealed to queer people. Because country has always been a vessel for telling the stories of ordinary people and outsiders - the working class, cowboys, sassy women, alcoholics or outlaws - it only made sense for the group of people who are gender- and sexually-nonnormative to seek refuge in this genre of music as well.
By playing "three chords and the truth", musicians like Lavender Country, Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile and k.d. lang were given the opportunity to sing about their lives and experiences as queer people through a blend of humour and sincerity and a pinch of rebellion. Unfortunately, this also meant unfair treatment by the industry and, for some, even obscurity.
SGP also argues that queer country can be less seen as a subgenre of music and more as a socioaesthetic phenomenon. It's no wonder then that some of these musicians experienced what was named genre trouble. This term is the musical take on Judith Butler's term gender trouble which suggests that gender is just a performance. For queer country musicians, it has been virtually impossible to *make it* in country and crossing the boundaries of genre was necessary for the sake of success, growth, financial gain, but also personal safety. This is why many of these musicians aren't considered strictly country - they play folk or Southern Gothic or even pop versions of country music.
While much of the book talks about the obstacles that queer country musicians have had to face for the past 50 years, the book ends on a somewhat positive note. Country is not dead, and queer country is possibly going through a Renaissance, led by musicians like the openly-gay masked cowboy Orville Peck, drag queen Trixie Mattel, and young black musician Lil Nas X who made a viral song while completely skirting the arduous process of actually getting signed to a label and having a promotional team.
Although country is not dead, it still has a ways to go before its status as the genre of bigotry changes. But thanks to queer artists and to new generations of people who are less and less accepting of the arbitrary societal rules of heteronormativity, things may change sooner rather than later.
Queer Country comes out on March 22. Huge thank you to NetGalley, University of Illinois Press and Shana Goldin-Perschbacher for the advanced reader copy.
June 21, 2022
I was excited to read this book, not only am I a proud mother of a daughter who is a lesbian but also a musician. Having read this book I kept waiting to get to the part with Natalie from the Dixie chicks I really loved her music and I both said that her comments in France I didn’t think it took away from her talent, but sadly she was left to the footnotes. No that’s not to say this wasn’t a good book it was but the thing that struck me as ironic is that on one hand the author says people from the ally community identify with country music and then on the other hand she says they’re not represented in country music . Now they have a lot and I mean a lot of great LGBTQ people in folk music which is similar to country and why someone would be so insistent to be a part of a group that clearly wants to be left The way they are is beyond me. I mean the whole definition of country music is homegrown love your mama love your dog drive your truck drink beer and watch the women dance on A tractor and you want to be a part of this community… Why? If I wasn’t heterosexual the last group I would want to be a part of it is country music and I love country music. To me this is almost like boy George getting upset because the proud boys won’t let him be a member. Because again why would you want to? Also don’t people have the right to assembly? I mean it’s in the constitution you could hang out with those you want to and you won’t be forced to hang out with people you don’t. I understand everyone wants a voice and everyone deserves one and kudos to all these great LGBTQ people who are coming forward taking crap from idiots who think being that way is all about sex and has nothing to do with love and wanting to feel connected to someone, but come on country? That is so steeped in tradition and it’s mainly Republican… The LGBTQ or the most imaginative talented group of people… Make your own brand of music. This was a great book and I now have a whole new playlist on Spotify because of it and I think if they want to be a part of country music then I will totally support that, but I don’t at all understand it. I was given this book by net Galley and the publisher and I’m leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own. #QueerCountry, #LGBTQPlus, #NetGalleyShelf
June 27, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
If a nonfiction book can make you cry then you know you have hit the jackpot! This book spoke to my little southern, queer soul and I am so grateful to the author for exploring this slice of history. As someone who grew up in the south listening to pretty much only country music until I became a teenager, when I tried to distance myself from country music and its associated culture as I discovered my identity was not always welcome, before coming back to loving country music only once I finally moved away from the south completely- this book hit home sooooo hard for me.
The main thing to take away from this book is that queer people have a place in country music, and we have always been there and belong there even if we have not been publicly visible in that space for various reasons in the past. Discovering queer country artists that have dealt with this and that sing about it was such a healing experience for me. I had literally never heard queer country music before, and now I have loads of new artists to listen to and such a sustained hope for the future. Music recommendations were a hugeeee takeaway from this book!
Most of this book is quite academic, and the author traces the history of queerness in country music from the first underground, specifically gay country album (Lavender Country) in the 1970s, to the turn of the century when more artists were beginning to publicly come out, to modern-day queer country superstars like Lil Nas X and country artist/drag queen Trixie Mattel. Issues with record labels and individual artists' struggles with their public image in an often homophobic industry are also well documented. The author also intentionally studies the role of Black and trans artists in country music's history, not just white cis gay artists.
One of the main points brought up in this book is the issue of "genre trouble" often coinciding with queer country artists, because they struggle to be classified as "country music," due to the stereotypes of this industry as being for a more conservative audience. Many queer country artists have thus stepped into other genres as well that might be more traditionally accepting. I really liked the author's explorations of all different types of country-associated music by the queer artists in this book.
Overall this was an incredibly healing experience for me to read this book, and I not only gained a truckload of new music recommendations, but I feel like country music is once again a space I can belong in and enjoy, and there are not enough words to express how much that means to me!
If a nonfiction book can make you cry then you know you have hit the jackpot! This book spoke to my little southern, queer soul and I am so grateful to the author for exploring this slice of history. As someone who grew up in the south listening to pretty much only country music until I became a teenager, when I tried to distance myself from country music and its associated culture as I discovered my identity was not always welcome, before coming back to loving country music only once I finally moved away from the south completely- this book hit home sooooo hard for me.
The main thing to take away from this book is that queer people have a place in country music, and we have always been there and belong there even if we have not been publicly visible in that space for various reasons in the past. Discovering queer country artists that have dealt with this and that sing about it was such a healing experience for me. I had literally never heard queer country music before, and now I have loads of new artists to listen to and such a sustained hope for the future. Music recommendations were a hugeeee takeaway from this book!
Most of this book is quite academic, and the author traces the history of queerness in country music from the first underground, specifically gay country album (Lavender Country) in the 1970s, to the turn of the century when more artists were beginning to publicly come out, to modern-day queer country superstars like Lil Nas X and country artist/drag queen Trixie Mattel. Issues with record labels and individual artists' struggles with their public image in an often homophobic industry are also well documented. The author also intentionally studies the role of Black and trans artists in country music's history, not just white cis gay artists.
One of the main points brought up in this book is the issue of "genre trouble" often coinciding with queer country artists, because they struggle to be classified as "country music," due to the stereotypes of this industry as being for a more conservative audience. Many queer country artists have thus stepped into other genres as well that might be more traditionally accepting. I really liked the author's explorations of all different types of country-associated music by the queer artists in this book.
Overall this was an incredibly healing experience for me to read this book, and I not only gained a truckload of new music recommendations, but I feel like country music is once again a space I can belong in and enjoy, and there are not enough words to express how much that means to me!
June 21, 2022
I have been waiting for my favorite genre of music— Queer Country— to get the rigorous academic treatment, and Shana Goldin-Preschbacher absolutely delivered. There are a lot of explainers and primers on this genre out there, but Goldin-Preschbacher goes in for the ethnography, the history, and the beautiful ways that these two seemingly at-odds communities intersect and interact in the most natural ways.
Beginning with a linguistic analysis of the words ‘gender’ and ‘genre,’ the author leaves no assumptions uncovered and no fertile ground for discourse untilled. Country music’s history as the music of the marginalized is actually what made me come to love country in the recent years. Learning that it isn’t all love songs of white men to pickup trucks drew me in. While obviously spending time writing about LGBTQ+ artists, the author also made sure to center the stories and work of Black musicians and artists as well, treating all with the scholarly writing that many other topics have been getting for years.
While the tone is academic, and therefore not the warm and anecdotal book that I hope does come out some day soon about LGBTQ+ country music, I felt that this treatment solidified the genre in the musical canon. By being a piece of academic text, Queer Country has a history and a lineage that is indisputable and there is a method of analysis that can be used for other forms of art.
I’ve turned back to Queer Country many times since initially picking it up a few months ago, both because I wanted to take the time to read through it thoughtfully, but more often than not because I wanted new music to listen to, and if nothing else this book has inspired me to create a whole new playlist of music to explore.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.
Beginning with a linguistic analysis of the words ‘gender’ and ‘genre,’ the author leaves no assumptions uncovered and no fertile ground for discourse untilled. Country music’s history as the music of the marginalized is actually what made me come to love country in the recent years. Learning that it isn’t all love songs of white men to pickup trucks drew me in. While obviously spending time writing about LGBTQ+ artists, the author also made sure to center the stories and work of Black musicians and artists as well, treating all with the scholarly writing that many other topics have been getting for years.
While the tone is academic, and therefore not the warm and anecdotal book that I hope does come out some day soon about LGBTQ+ country music, I felt that this treatment solidified the genre in the musical canon. By being a piece of academic text, Queer Country has a history and a lineage that is indisputable and there is a method of analysis that can be used for other forms of art.
I’ve turned back to Queer Country many times since initially picking it up a few months ago, both because I wanted to take the time to read through it thoughtfully, but more often than not because I wanted new music to listen to, and if nothing else this book has inspired me to create a whole new playlist of music to explore.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.
July 25, 2022
This book is likely going to be the nearest and dearest to my heart non-fiction book I read this year. Goldin-Perschbacher does a beautiful job of describing the current state of country music and how queer identities and community have found their beautiful niche within the genre. As a queer person who generally quite enjoys country and folk music (and has a lot of issues with the misogyny, racism, homophobia, and jingoism that has become more of a mainstream within the genre) reading this book was like a breath of fresh air and a warm hug. It looked me dead in the eye and said, you belong in this community, there are others like you, and we love you.
Overall, it was an excellent analysis of current popular queer country icons and queer country music's history using a variety of sources from the music itself, interviews, and scholarly resources. The book itself is an invaluable source, but I am also excited to delve into the huge bibliography and other sources in the back of the book as well!
I cannot recommend this book enough to those who love country music, want to explore queer music history, and queer identity and community.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the University of Illinois Press for the e-ARC. I loved this book so much I ended up buying myself a physical copy.
Overall, it was an excellent analysis of current popular queer country icons and queer country music's history using a variety of sources from the music itself, interviews, and scholarly resources. The book itself is an invaluable source, but I am also excited to delve into the huge bibliography and other sources in the back of the book as well!
I cannot recommend this book enough to those who love country music, want to explore queer music history, and queer identity and community.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the University of Illinois Press for the e-ARC. I loved this book so much I ended up buying myself a physical copy.
March 19, 2022
Big smooch to NetGalley and the team behind this book for access to it !!!
In the final line of the book Goldin-Perschbacher states that
Queer Country shares that capacity for creating a radical shared space amid continued misunderstanding and exclusion, summoning useful, inspiring elements of a long history of music while creatively changing or omitting others, navigating the inner tensions between authenticity and invention with both the urgent need to be understood as human and share humour with kin, engaging its central themes to tell their own stories of self and belonging
This is something the text achieves writing a strong analysis of the queer country and surrounding genres, told with love, care, and respect. This is something that Goldin-Perschbacher has clearly highly researched and intimately studied. It would be impossible for her to write about every queer country artist but she covers a wide scope and has consulted with many of them in writing this book. A book for country lovers who want to learn something more about their history. (Also I need to make a playlist for the acts covered in this I need to hear their songs !)
In the final line of the book Goldin-Perschbacher states that
Queer Country shares that capacity for creating a radical shared space amid continued misunderstanding and exclusion, summoning useful, inspiring elements of a long history of music while creatively changing or omitting others, navigating the inner tensions between authenticity and invention with both the urgent need to be understood as human and share humour with kin, engaging its central themes to tell their own stories of self and belonging
This is something the text achieves writing a strong analysis of the queer country and surrounding genres, told with love, care, and respect. This is something that Goldin-Perschbacher has clearly highly researched and intimately studied. It would be impossible for her to write about every queer country artist but she covers a wide scope and has consulted with many of them in writing this book. A book for country lovers who want to learn something more about their history. (Also I need to make a playlist for the acts covered in this I need to hear their songs !)
March 28, 2022
4.5 stars, rounded up!
I really enjoyed this book. It's funny... as a kid growing up in Philadelphia, country music was my little rebellion. My dad is from rural Michigan, where I live now, and he only ever listened to classic rock and baseball talk shows in the car. Yet one of his programmed stations on that FM radio was the local country station, which he'd put on when we had longer distances to go, before he bought me my first CD player. It all started when I received a country karaoke CD and began squeaking along to "Achy Breaky Heart" and "Friends in Low Places." From there, I fell in love with the music. As a teenager, I then rebelled against my younger self to join the popular opinion among my peers that country music was "lame," a view that many friends now have who grew up in rural areas and want to reject the music of their parents (much like my father).
I really enjoyed this book. It's funny... as a kid growing up in Philadelphia, country music was my little rebellion. My dad is from rural Michigan, where I live now, and he only ever listened to classic rock and baseball talk shows in the car. Yet one of his programmed stations on that FM radio was the local country station, which he'd put on when we had longer distances to go, before he bought me my first CD player. It all started when I received a country karaoke CD and began squeaking along to "Achy Breaky Heart" and "Friends in Low Places." From there, I fell in love with the music. As a teenager, I then rebelled against my younger self to join the popular opinion among my peers that country music was "lame," a view that many friends now have who grew up in rural areas and want to reject the music of their parents (much like my father).
February 12, 2024
My apologies to Shana Goldin-Perschbacher, University of Illinois Press, and #NetGalley for taking so long to finish reading and finally review this book. When I finally picked it up again, I couldn’t figure out why I’d stopped reading!
This book is a smart examination of the intersections of gender, sexuality, authenticity, and identity as they play out in contemporary country music, based on interviews with several queer performers and attendance at their shows. I’ve already recommended it to friends, and if I were still teaching, it would be incorporated into my Gender, Pop Culture, and Representation course. And of course, I’ve been looking up and listening to all the artists interviewed and analyzed.
It is written with academic style and structure, which some readers may find challenging or unduly dense. But if this topic interests you, you’ll be fine.
This book is a smart examination of the intersections of gender, sexuality, authenticity, and identity as they play out in contemporary country music, based on interviews with several queer performers and attendance at their shows. I’ve already recommended it to friends, and if I were still teaching, it would be incorporated into my Gender, Pop Culture, and Representation course. And of course, I’ve been looking up and listening to all the artists interviewed and analyzed.
It is written with academic style and structure, which some readers may find challenging or unduly dense. But if this topic interests you, you’ll be fine.
February 7, 2022
This is an incredible book! But I also need to preface my review by saying it is also a very academic book. I wasn't fully prepared for that so it's something to keep in mind when going in. That said if you're a country music fan I feel this book is essential reading. I had a huge country music phase in my late teens/early 20s but as the genre shifted to be more of "bro-country," I stopped listening to it. I never had any idea how much queer country music history there was and this book was so enlightening but also has made me view country as a genre.
I just wish this book came with a link to a playlist because there are so many new artists I want to check out and it would have been fun to have a playlist on while reading it.
I just wish this book came with a link to a playlist because there are so many new artists I want to check out and it would have been fun to have a playlist on while reading it.
March 14, 2022
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I grew up a farm kid in a very rural part of North Carolina. While my parents listened to some music outside of country music, the majority of what we had on the radio at any given time was country music. Country music has always held a place in my heart, but as I grew into my identity as a queer person, finding music in the genre that helped me feel seen and connected deeply with me became more and more difficult.
This book reconnected me with the genre as a whole. It is a thorough, well-researched, loving exploration of queerness within country music. While the book is very academic in its language and presentation, I found it had a lot of charm. And a whole lot of references to some DAMN good music.
I grew up a farm kid in a very rural part of North Carolina. While my parents listened to some music outside of country music, the majority of what we had on the radio at any given time was country music. Country music has always held a place in my heart, but as I grew into my identity as a queer person, finding music in the genre that helped me feel seen and connected deeply with me became more and more difficult.
This book reconnected me with the genre as a whole. It is a thorough, well-researched, loving exploration of queerness within country music. While the book is very academic in its language and presentation, I found it had a lot of charm. And a whole lot of references to some DAMN good music.
August 22, 2023
When you think of Queer musical artists, Country isn't the first genre you think of, which is what made me grab this book. I grew up in a small town where country and homophobia/transphobia were big. Country isn't something I would've considered LGBTQIA+ friendly, especially back then. This wasn't a light read, but it was a very enlightening one. Goldin-Perschbacher does an amazing job of diving in-depth with various artists, while staying respectful of each. The tone is very much what you'd expect from an academic paper, but still manages to stay engaging throughout. If you're curious about queer country artists, or learning more about them and their relationship to the genre and industry, then you'll want to pick this up.
April 23, 2023
A really detailed and well researched study into the parts of country music that are often dismissed or overlooked. I appreciated a lot the details in the notes and bibliography that gave me a lot of things to explore even further
The autjor is clear about placing her own identity and interest in context, not feigning an impartiality nor getting too close, but allowing her experiences to inform and enlighten the text.
A must read for all those interested in Country music, in queer musical history, and in the wider concepts of how queer lives and experiences enrich and entwine in many aspects of lives.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC*
The autjor is clear about placing her own identity and interest in context, not feigning an impartiality nor getting too close, but allowing her experiences to inform and enlighten the text.
A must read for all those interested in Country music, in queer musical history, and in the wider concepts of how queer lives and experiences enrich and entwine in many aspects of lives.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC*
September 26, 2022
This novel was very theory intensive at first but also had such well researched artists and interviews. I really got to know some of these artists I had never heard of before. Really great book to learn about more queer artists and the relationship of queer people, racism and country music. Race, homophobia and the patriarchy were tied together for most of the issues seen in this genre that is sort of known for ostracization. You can tell the author is very passionate about this novel/subject and I appreciated all of the amazing details throughout the novel.
February 17, 2022
This is an excellent contribution to the academic literature on queerness and music. Goldin-Perschbacher interrogates how and why country music is labeled as it is, how queerness and otherness work in the context of queer music, and, especially, how queer women are driving country music to a progressive place. There's a good bit of repetition, but since most of the material appeared in articles prior to being included in the book, that's not really unexpected. Highly recommended.
April 23, 2022
As a gay woman myself, I whole-heartedly agree with Orville Peck's opinion quoted inside this book, which is: "I'm surprised more gay people don't feel connected to country music."
This book went into the relatively short history of SUPER OUT queer country. It was an interesting read that should for sure be accompanied by a long track list.
I've always been a fan of country music so it was nice to read something written on the topic by a fellow queer author.
This book went into the relatively short history of SUPER OUT queer country. It was an interesting read that should for sure be accompanied by a long track list.
I've always been a fan of country music so it was nice to read something written on the topic by a fellow queer author.
April 2, 2022
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.
Going into this I wasn’t sure how academic Queer Country would be, but it was a very smooth read than was academic in a way that I understood. The inclusion of photos was a nice touch that helped me get a bit more familiar with the artists. I really appreciated the focus on trans identified artists and not just the LGB artists.
Going into this I wasn’t sure how academic Queer Country would be, but it was a very smooth read than was academic in a way that I understood. The inclusion of photos was a nice touch that helped me get a bit more familiar with the artists. I really appreciated the focus on trans identified artists and not just the LGB artists.
May 25, 2022
This is an interesting book examining an often overlooked part of the country music scene, that is, music created by queer artists.
This is an invaluable resource for those interested in country music and in the history and the future of queer artists.
This is an invaluable resource for those interested in country music and in the history and the future of queer artists.
June 7, 2022
I thought the theme was fantastic and the writing was super engaging. I feel like I learned a lot I didn't previously know. However, I do wish there were more paragraph breaks because I was often overwhelmed by sheer amounts of text at once.
June 1, 2023
a mostly academic study of queer country music. i read strictly for pleasure, an the further i got into this study, the less i was enjoying it. kinda killed it for me. this could be a great text for a classroom situation.
May 30, 2024
Uses country music to make some familiar points about queerness/authenticity as well as genre/gender.
But ultimately kinda dry and like a lot of academic texts, demands some prior knowledge of queer theory.
Great cover, tho!
24 pride read #2
But ultimately kinda dry and like a lot of academic texts, demands some prior knowledge of queer theory.
Great cover, tho!
24 pride read #2
December 23, 2022
learned so much cool stuff i never knew about
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