Professions of Desire

Professions of Desire includes examples of lesbian and gay literary analysis and thoughtful discussions about what it means to be lesbian, gay, or queer in the literature classroom. The four essays in the first section, "Teaching Positions", examine teaching from a theoretical perspective, analyze the role of the professor in the classroom, and seek to redefine what instructors ask of their students as well as of themselves. In "Canons and Closets", five essays focus on curricular and organizational shifts warranted by lesbian and gay studies. "Sameness and Differences" presents five essays that explore the influence of race, gender, and sexuality on gay and lesbian identity. Finally, the section "Transgressing Subjects" gathers four provocative critical readings of various works, including Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest; the art and sculpture of Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brancusi, and Gustav Klimt; Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's Iola Leroy; and the poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Wait Whitman."This insightful and groundbreaking volume is full of unexpected pleasures and is sure to be a foundational work in gay studies for years to come.... A readable, serious addition to the literature". Choice