Outlaw Marriages
The Hidden Histories of Fifteen Extraordinary Same-Sex Couples
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3.9 • 11 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Celebrate LGBTQIA+ history with the untold stories of 15 prominent same-sex couples who defied cultural norms and made significant contributions to the arts, social change, and more.
For more than a century before gay marriage became a hot-button political issue, same-sex unions flourished in America. Pairs of men and pairs of women joined together in committed unions, standing by each other “for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health” for periods of 30 or 40—sometimes as many as 50—years. In short, they loved and supported each other every bit as much as any husband and wife.
In Outlaw Marriages, cultural historian Rodger Streitmatter reveals how some of these unions didn’t merely improve the quality of life for the 2 people involved but also enriched the American culture. Among the high-profile couples are:
• Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams and Mary Rozet Smith
• Literary icon Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas
• Author James Baldwin and Lucien Happersberger
• Artists Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg
• Legendary poet Walt Whitman and Peter Doyle
• Classic Hollywood star Greta Garbo and Mercedes de Acosta
While no partnership is the same—some were tumultuous, while others were more supportive and long-lasting—all changed the course of American history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cultural historian and American University professor Streitmatter (Mightier Than the Sword) absorbingly details the public and private lives of notable same-sex couples, deftly examining affairs, betrayals, and disappointments, as well as the enabling power that the right marriage, recognized or not, provides. Many of the pairs comprised a famous and not-so-famous member: Walt Whitman's much younger partner and muse, Peter Doyle, sold streetcar tickets and worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad, while Greta Garbo's upper-crust partner, Mercedes de Acosta, taught the star, who came from a poor family, rules of etiquette and style. The thoroughly researched, lovingly rendered joint histories including Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Tennessee Williams and Frank Merlo, Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns share a common thread that is less about gender than partnership-as-catalyst. Toklas championed Stein's writing and became her literary agent; Rauschenberg encouraged Johns to act on the content of a bizarre dream and paint the American flag; Merlo "single-handedly stabilized Tennessee Williams's life and career." When James Baldwin seemed "on the verge of a nervous breakdown," his partner, artist Lucien Happersberger, whisked him off to a Swiss village where he could focus on his work. The volume will have particular appeal to readers of gender studies, but these stories ultimately prove that true partnership is gender blind.
Customer Reviews
iTrolls? Seriously?
I see trolls are allowed to write reviews now. This book tells the truth whether the republicants like it or not. Get over it...
All false ! Lies !
This book is. Not the truth is full of crap .