My American History: Lesbian and Gay Life During the Reagan/Bush Years by Sarah Schulman

My American History: Lesbian and Gay Life During the Reagan/Bush Years Reviews

• 
  Macartney

  Eerie at the dawn of the Trump era to look back at Schulman at the dawn of the Clinton era compiling work from the dawn of the Reagan era. The more things change, the more they stay the same. A neat compilation of Schulman's newspaper and small press non-fiction work on the women's movement and AIDS activism throughout the 1980s, with "contemporary" commentary from her in the early 90s. Captures the immediate destruction and the slow devastation of right-wing policies that sadly continue to this day. Also captures Schulman's evolution and maturation as a writer, thinker and activist. If one thing has remained constant for her, it's her devotion to truth. She's paid a price for that conviction, but reading this lets us reap the rewards. The snippets at the end on the formation and guiding principles of the Lesbian Avengers is worth the price of admission alone. Their manual is priceless for anyone working to change the world through direct action. This book really should be back in print with a new introduction. A must-read for any activist today fighting against the same right-wing policies of destruction and devastation.
• 
  Madison Grace

  It took me awhile to read this book, since I was reading many other books at the same time, and the essay-format makes it hard to read through quickly, but I’m so glad that I read it. It’s chock-full of history that I, and I would guess most Americans, have never been taught, and it paints a distinct picture of an era that isn’t different enough from our modern era (though we have blessedly made some progress). Many of the people and events she references have very scant information online, making this a primary source for a great deal of 1980’s and early 1990’s LGBT+ history. Who knows what may have happened to these stories without Sarah Schulman including them here. I bought a used copy of this book mainly for the purpose of research for my own writing, and even if I didn’t have that motivation, it was an enlightening read. I enjoy Schulman’s writing and I hope to read through her bibliography in the future.
• 
  Lesley

  I would say this is five-star as source material for the historical era it's describing, but as something to read straight through, a lot is essays/talks produced for particular moments/audiences. Sometimes therefore a little repetitive. Nonetheless important.
• 
  christine✨

  If you want to see my thoughts on this book, check out
  this post, where I talked about what I learned.
• 
  Amy

  As a former Lesbian Avenger, I was LONG OVERDUE to read this one. I was not disappointed. It's an odd mix of interviews, news articles, responses to current events, longer-form journalism, etc. No matter the type of piece, the writing is clear, sharp, and passionate.
  
  I know in the "alternate history" category (you know, all that stuff left out of high school textbooks) you have lots to choose from ... Sarah Schulman stands alone in documenting politics and social movements of the 1980s from a lesbian feminist perspective. I can't think of any other historian doing this work from this angle. For that alone, this book is a must-read.
  
  Read as #21 of Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: read a book from the bottom of your to-read list
• 
  Paula

  Una colección muy inspiradora y educativa, especialmente para tener algunas nociones sobre la historia del activismo en Estados Unidos. Me quedo con esta idea tan importante de que un acto político puede ser pacífico y poderoso a la vez. El pesimismo de las nuevas generaciones y la renuncia a cambiar el mundo no significan que uno no pueda incorporar pequeños actos de resistencia en su día a día. Incluso si uno prefiere ser "discreto" respecto a su homosexualidad en ciertos círculos, o si prefiere no vivir peleándose con todo el mundo, pienso que hay que buscar maneras de ser fiel a las propias convicciones, de evitar a toda costa la neutralidad, y Schulman siempre me ayuda a recordar eso. Mi favorita es la anécdota de los globos; se la he platicado a mi novia varias veces.
• 
  Hubert

  This compilation of writings from a grass-roots Lesbian activist in the late 70s / early 80s reveals an inner world of contemporary thought that you won't find in school, or for that matter, in the NY Times. Also follow
  Schulman's novels and her story of how the producers of Rent stole her novel!
• 
  Corinne Blackmer

  read