One-Handed Histories »

Explore the titillating world of gay male video pornography in One-Handed Histories: The Eroto-Politics of Gay Male Video Pornography. Author John Burger has compiled years of research on gay male films and videos and covers such interesting topics as:

• gay male porn history and theory
  
• pre-AIDS and post-AIDS awareness
  
• the portrayal of safe sex in videos
  
• popular memory
  
• gay history
  
• porn video production

  Burger contends that gay male video pornography (GMVP) is “a warehouse of our cultural heritage and memory, as well as an important site for the production and modification of this heritage and memory.” He looks at gay porn from social and historical perspectives, using popular memory as the starting point.

  As a form of popular memory, gay porn allows for numerous revisions and re-writings of American history, which has somewhat excluded gay men. One-Handed Histories assists the reader in placing GMVP in its correct social and historical setting and thus removes much of its stigma as obscene or useless.

  Gay scholars and even gay porn consumers will enjoy the alternative readings of these films; readings which might instill an interest and pride in gay male history. General gay male readers will discover in One-Handed Histories gay male sexual trends from the late 60s on and how this gay male history is documented by pornography.

Booknews

Argues that gay porn allows the rewriting and revising of American history that otherwise has generally excluded gay men. Provides both scholars and fans with alternative interpretations for videos since the 1960s including the impact of AIDS and safe- sex. Not illustrated. Paper edition (852-6), $11.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)