Reader's Guide to Lesbian and Gay Studies

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.óRichard J. Violette, Special Libraries Cataloguing, Victoria, BC Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.