Welcome to Litsy!

It‘s possible this is the book that proves I never quite learned to read straight nonfiction without a narrative thread running through it. I went into this very interested, and at times I found myself captivated by the piece of history being revealed, but then I‘d struggle to focus, or find myself wondering about the author, or about bias in the writing.

Think someone is trying to make up for the desiccated mouse I found on my meditation cushion when I woke up? I can‘t very well wake such a cute snuggle kitty just because I can‘t reach the book I wanted to read. Good thing I have a new audiobook all cued up to start.

An excellent recapturing of a section of NY queer history that is largely forgotten or glossed over. While some stories, particularly those of white men who were artists or authors, are more known, Ryan does a good job capturing some stories of lesser known figures where possible. ⬇️

It‘s one of those “the movers still haven‘t delivered our stuff after almost a month, cats woke us up at 5:00 am, it‘s hot, I‘m grumpy” kind of days. I‘ve got an afternoon coffee and a really great book so I‘m appreciative of that at least. This book has made me think a lot about my interest in becoming an archivist. Records of all kinds can be crucial in gaining nuanced understanding of history, especially in underrepresented groups. ⬇️

Starting the tagged this morning:
“Researching Brooklyn‘s queer history is a bit like playing a game of Whac-A-Mole: just when I think I know where it‘s going to pop up, it fakes me out. A queer moment in time flourishes briefly, glows brightly, fades, and is forgotten. The further back you go, it seems, the briefer the shine…Some days, it feels as if I‘m trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle without knowing what the final picture will look like.”

An informative look at queer life in Brooklyn from Whitman to the 1960s. It was interesting to learn how queerness was seen through the years and how that affected the scene in Brooklyn. I hadn‘t ever though about homosexuality and transgenderism being categorized differently in Victorian times. Ryan mainly examines the lives of entertainers, authors, and military members, giving as complete examples as possible of gay, lesbian, and trans folks.

I loved this book and so did my students. They thought it was amazing. One of them, though, who works in a tiny town‘s grain elevator, found his copy in his work‘s trash can. His boss had thrown it away and said to keep that “communist bullshit in the trash.” What an ass. WBWQ is funny, moving, touching, and full of fun info on Brooklyn‘s queer history. It‘s a really approachable non-fic read and my students tell me the audio is fantastic.

Here are my top five nonfiction books I read this year (of 28). When Brooklyn was Queer was #1- the others are in no particular order.

The tagged book is one that I recently read (and loved) on my kindle, but had to have as a hardcover, too. I‘m using it for LGBTQ World History in the spring, so I want to highlight it up. The Stone Wall Reader is another I‘ll use for that class‘ prep and came in just in time for #pridemonth.

Doing a little afternoon reading with my new library candle from Etsy. ♥️

“A sign on the front door read ‘men are admitted, but not welcome.‘” 😂 love it.

“I look forward to having a future where we also have a past, and I look forward to creating it with you .”

Happy Pride Month! Rough Draft has a great selection of LGBTQ books to celebrate — including fiction, memoir, history, and kid lit. 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍🌈

#worldpride #pridemonth #celebratepride #bookstore #roughdraftny #booktable

PS @Litsy is there any way to add a bookstore without creating a new LibraryThing account?

Your June literary horoscopes are here! ♊🔮♋ To see which books we recommend for your zodiac, tap the link: https://www.strandbooks.com/strand-blog#/entry/entry225-june-...

Loved this #history of a borough where, even when we didn‘t know it, queer folks made lives and communities. My only regret was that it ended before Stonewall (which was, of course, in Manhattan) & didn‘t get into queer life in Brooklyn today. But great info and fascinating characters populate this history, which tells of poets, sex workers, carny “freaks,” Coney Island, both World Wars ... and Robert Moses. Brooklyn! 💪🏽🏳️‍🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 & 5⭐️.

The full quote: “Although they may seem only slightly related, fears about ‘race mixing‘ and queer people were intimately connected, flip sides of the same eugenic coin.”

Uhhh has anything changed?

#weekendreads
📚Still very much enjoying Hugh Ryan‘s WHEN BROOKLYN WAS QUEER - it‘s super fascinating about how our modern understanding of sexuality came about - and also Isabel Wilkerson‘s towering THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS. (& some short stories, & a science book or two).
📚📚 I don‘t have a fave, but I like 🤔
📚📚📚 Not counting the ones in this post, 🦉😍😂

“Scratch that straight surface, however, and Brooklyn‘s queer history comes pouring out, full of poets, sailors, undercover cops dressed as sailors, brothels, sideshows, communes, rough trade, Nazi spies , trans men, dancers, machinists, pathbreakers, mythmakers, and more.” 😍🏳️‍🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🏳️‍🌈 #history

Funny story: I preordered this book last May on Kobo. Then the university bookstore that I had connected to Kobo stopped selling books (only sportswear and textbooks now 😡) and I tried to change the bookstore designation on Kobo, but THEY WOULD NOT DO IT, so I had to get another Kobo account to connect to Powell‘s, w/ another email address, & they transferred my 📚. When this one dropped, I KNEW I had bought it on Kobo but I COULD NOT FIND IT. ⬇️

Ryan doesn't fall into the trap of just saying 'but they weren't gay back then'. We are given a better outline of why our modern terminology isn't sufficient. 'Gay' identities are centred, but also considers instances of trans identities and how these were blurred by concepts of inversion and the like - through military and naval life and their interactions with class and geography, the queer writer/poet/artists and entertainers of the periods.

REQUIRED QUEER READING! ✨Today‘s #staffpick is When Brooklyn Was Queer by Hugh Ryan, from main floor manager Billy M.
🌈🌈🌈⠀
“A refreshing read. Unlike other queer histories, Ryan does not focus solely on the gay white male experience. We're shown stories that span the sexuality spectrum; proving that feelings, actions, & identities existed long before we could name them & in some cases were more widely accepted (or ignored) than they are today.“

GOT MY #BOOKMAIL TODAY and so so so excited! #LGBTQIA #brooklyn #history 🏳️‍🌈😍❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💖💖💖