Lovetown
January 17, 2010 3:42 AM Subscribe
Queens of Poland Long review/essay at the DRB on Michał Witkowski's Lubiewo (forthcoming in English translation as Lovetown; extract here), a book about gay life in Poland both in the days of communism and the subsequent Third Republic.
The Whelk: I imagine so, given that the post says 'forthcoming in English translation as Lovetown'.
It does sound fascinating though. Thanks, A.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:04 AM on January 17, 2010
It does sound fascinating though. Thanks, A.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:04 AM on January 17, 2010
Yeah, I don't hit preview before I post either.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:05 AM on January 17, 2010
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:05 AM on January 17, 2010
It is!Although "a block of man, simple, unsophisticated, uneducated and with no feelings." is such a big sore point with me. Fetishizing hypermasculinity is just as warping and artificial as hyper-femininity and passivity, it's all just Drag and I know it shouldn't bug me so much (and, indeed, just saying this would make me another politically-minded guppie) but when one absurd bonsai of personality is accepted as desirable and normal and another is seen as perverse and disruptive - well I get all ITCHY.
which is a long way to say when I read "masculine ONLY!!!" in personal ads I wanna throw something but I might as well be King Canute and who am I to police others but man, doesn't anyone else think Big Man Drag is hilarious?
Okay, derail over. This was a great find Abiezer. My only mental image of Poland was half Russian Fairytales and half WW2. I'm gonna go pre-order the book now.
posted by The Whelk at 4:13 AM on January 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
which is a long way to say when I read "masculine ONLY!!!" in personal ads I wanna throw something but I might as well be King Canute and who am I to police others but man, doesn't anyone else think Big Man Drag is hilarious?
Okay, derail over. This was a great find Abiezer. My only mental image of Poland was half Russian Fairytales and half WW2. I'm gonna go pre-order the book now.
posted by The Whelk at 4:13 AM on January 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
Not a derail at all, The Whelk (was also having a grin that you even used the word 'forthcoming' asking about the translation). The DRB's a consistently good read and I recommend everyone bookmarks it.
I was also interested by that whole phenomenon of what seems to be a pretty overtly homophobic public culture in Poland and the way that Witkowski's book has been lionised. Know precious little about the country to make much of a comment beyond that though.
posted by Abiezer at 4:19 AM on January 17, 2010
I was also interested by that whole phenomenon of what seems to be a pretty overtly homophobic public culture in Poland and the way that Witkowski's book has been lionised. Know precious little about the country to make much of a comment beyond that though.
posted by Abiezer at 4:19 AM on January 17, 2010
I was actually hoping for something about Jadwiga, Bona Sforza, etc.
posted by millardsarpy at 1:24 PM on January 17, 2010
posted by millardsarpy at 1:24 PM on January 17, 2010
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posted by The Whelk at 4:02 AM on January 17, 2010 [1 favorite]