Kings and Queens: Queers at the Prom

By: Boyer, David

Like so many closeted gay teenagers who faced this high school rite of passage, David Boyer asked a girl to his senior prom. More than a dozen years later, now openly gay Boyer began collecting stories of this enduring ritual from queers who survived it. These stories form the basis of Kings and Queens: Queers at the Dance. The book is divided into two major sections: Before Stonewall begins around the time of the Depression and ends at the 1969 uprising. These stories suggest what it was like to come of age before the gay rights movement really began, before the word gay assumed its current meaning. After Stonewall charts queers' progression from closet to mainstream. Not intended as a definitive retelling of gay history, Kings and Queens illustrates how growing up gay has -- and has not -- changed over the years. It is a bumpy but irresistible ride through a history that has been unspoken for too long.

• Format: Spiral-bound
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932360247
• ISBN13: 9781932360240
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Soft Skull Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.2" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 15 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 10 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great, "creative" nonfiction

I've read David Boyer's pieces off and on in the New York Times over the past years and always found them very clever. Smart, slice-of-life pieces about the city that end up saying something more about society, the world etc. But he really shines here. The stories here are all very much true, as told to Boyer by over twenty interviewees. But it's also a very "creative" piece of writing. Boyer includes old style guides from magazines, lots of photos, and other miscellany to bring the story of proms to life. HIghly recommended.

Great!

A great primer for contemporary gay history via Americana. This book is a lovely balance of the frivilious and serious. It's perfectly political without being preachy and it's totally fun. After wiping away tears of embarassment (those outfits!), you walk away empowered that somehow you survived the ordeal youself - whatever your sexuality or popularity in high school.

An excellent concept

This is a fantastic book. Its design and concept are extraordinary. I'm a little disappointed with the content, though. The first person accounts of each contributor's prom is a perfect place to begin, but I was hoping that Boyers would go somewhere with the information. The introduction seems to merely skim the surface of prom's history and a little bit of gay history, rather than go into the real implications of what purpose prom serves in American society (on the back cover, it's a "rite of passage"--more on that, maybe?), and how that affects queers nationwide. I guess I was hoping that he'd make some claims. But obviously this is not the type of book he wanted to create. Maybe the next one....?

EXTRAORDINARY

Such an interesting read and such a gorgeous book. All in all, so fresh and so well done. This will become a must-have.