Butch/Femme: Inside Lesbian Gender (Lesbian & Gay Studies)

Rating:
Summary: Taking Butch/Femme one step further...
Review: A much-needed book analyzing the layers of butch/femme from an academic gaze. The essays included are of a uniform good quality. What makes this anthology unique are the radically new points of view it presents on various periods in lesbian history, as well as criticism on representations of butch and femme in the other books which have been published. Much detailing on the romanticization and idealization of butch/femme in certain anthologies, which is the first criticism I've ever seen of them.

Rating:
Summary: An academic word salad
Review: This title DOES explore butch-femme in a necessary manner. Indeed, any thoughtful examination of this lesbian sub-culture is a necessary one. The information contained within has some value for all of us who identify with the butch-femme lifestyle (or dynamic, as it is oft-described). However, I'm afraid that it is written in such an academic tone that it will be useful to only a precious few. Individuals researching lesbian-related topics may be able to cite this work as a reference for a class report or project. Aside from that, the people who may really benefit from an exploration of (lesbian)butch and femme gender expression will likely not have the time and energy to explore this book fully.

I've a few friends and acquaintances who have attempted this work and have been forced to set it aside. Among that group are published authors, book critics, and individuals who are self-identified butches and femmes. (We've discussed the idea that perhaps the academic perspective/presentation may lend more credibility to those discussing the subject of butch-femme issues. )No stranger to the halls of higher eduation, I usually enjoy works that can't be classified as 'easy reading' but this one is too much like work!

I found the photography contrived, and terribly self-conscious. It took very little thought at all to "get" the photos. In that sense, they seemed out of place among the copy.

So many of us who identify with the butch-femme lifestyle are hungry for literature we can relate to, easily. I can't help but wonder if this work couldn't be rewritten (without being 'dumbed down') so that those of us who rushed to own it could actually get a bit more return on our investment.