Reviews for Rest Stops for Teachers

The average rating for Rest Stops for Teachers based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-07-06 00:00:00 Mark Davis oh my goodness this book is great. one of the best books i've read on gay stuff in many years. varingly and broadly accessible to a wide readership, a mixup of gay "theorists" (i hesitate to call them that because none of the essay authors seem to call themselves "theorists" in an academic sense....they are visionaries, artists, casual writers, authors, friends, lovers, etc.) that traces the roots of homos who wondered about the broader "reason" or purpose of homosexuality back to the 1920's and 30's (in terms of writers) and across cultures and times. i discovered so many new words for and ways of thinking about queerness! "adhesive" sexuality, "Uranian/Urning," "isophyl" among others. the work of this book digs up the revolutionary-yet-entrenched ideas about sexuality that we have and throws them back with the force of history in the interest of liberating us all, not just particular kinds of desires. i have to say, it helps me think about the place of "straight"/"hetero" folx in the queer movement too. also amazing that some folx have been making certain predictions and manifesto-claims since way long before i was born--the need for culturemaking (and how?), questions of the importance/uselessness of "identity politix," what the broader implications of sexuality are. and although the authors' stated focus is on gay male sexuality, authors do an excellent job of broadening their readings and interest to apply to broadly people who are gender-nonconforming, folks whose choice of sexual partner is "nonnormative," folx who feel a sense of difference, and people who apply their lives to social and ideological work other than reproduction (while validating that work too.) a real valuable read for radicals, queer separatists and queers and their allies, to all those claiming to be culture/paradigm-shifters, particularly those of any kind of spiritual or religious leanings, those seeking ancestors or precedent, but also everyone. i'm looking forward to sharing malcolm boyd's essay with my mum. mains', a biochemist's, essay on leathermen as "urban aboriginals," while maybe making some hasty parallels with indigenous ritual practices, is phenomenal. i expected to be much more bored by the work on walt whitman--but i found myself glued to the page. carpenter and the essay on drag queens were really important additions to my knowledge about my queer and creative ancestors. so grateful for this book. and i have to admit, i had to leave the book behind before i even got to part III on the radical faeries & myth-making! can't wait to pick it up again. i love that the essays are so short and readable that i read half the book in 36 hours. do it!

Review # 2 was written on 2012-07-25 00:00:00 William Wilson Beautiful! Deepened my understanding of the collective spirit of gay men unlike any other book I have found before...as well as introducing me to some other great authors...