Camp: The Lie That Tells the Truth

by Philip Core, George Melly (Foreword)

Camp style, in behaviour, clothing, artistic output or emotions, has never been properly explored or defined. Jean Cocteau, as camp a figure as Paris has ever produced, said in Vanity Fair in 1922, 'I am a lie that tells the truth.' This paradox is the basis of Philip Core's personal definitions of camp, seen from the inside. His savagely witty depicts of more than two centuries of camp find it embodied in personalities and places, objects and artefacts. He has written a Who's Who and a What's What of camp, a deceptively descriptive and factual lexicon, allowing the reader to build up a kaleidoscopic picture of camp through the ages. It is complemented with 150 rare and stunning photographs and a vivacious foreword by England's foremost authority on surrealism, eccentric behaviour and hats - jazz singer George Melly.

Genres: LGBT, Nonfiction, Reference, Sociology, Art, Queer

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Mick Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

an a to z book on all things camp,must have Been a American publication no mention of carry on films amongst other things.didnt learn anything new just the authors perspective on things.

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I don't know that I learned anything from this book I didn't already know (genetics, probably), but it sure is great to have all this compiled in one spot when you need a brisk reminder that there was once and potentially could be again more to life than this wretched beige Starbucks & Gap purgatory that the 21st Century's so far turning out to be.