Synopses & Reviews
and#8220;Heterosexuality,and#8221; assumed to denote a universal sexual and cultural norm, has been largely exempt from critical scrutiny. In this boldly original work, Jonathan Ned Katz challenges the common notion that the distinction between heterosexuality and homosexuality has been a timeless one.and#160; Building on the history of medical terminology, he reveals that as late as 1923, the term and#8220;heterosexualityand#8221; referred to a "morbid sexual passion," and that its current usage emerged to legitimate men and women having sex for pleasure. Drawing on the works of Sigmund Freud, James Baldwin, Betty Friedan, and Michel Foucault, The Invention of Heterosexuality considers the effects of heterosexualityand#8217;s recently forged primacy on both scientific literature and popular culture.
and#160;and#8220;Lively and provocative.and#8221;and#8212;Carol Tavris, New York Times Book Review
and#160;and#8220;A valuable primer . . . misses no significant twists in sexual politics.and#8221;and#8212;Gary Indiana, Village Voice Literary Supplement
and#160;and#8220;One of the most importantand#8212;if not outright subversiveand#8212;works to emerge from gay and lesbian studies in years.and#8221;and#8212;Mark Thompson, The Advocate
Review
and#160;and#8220;Superb and iconoclastic critique of the history of heterosexuality.and#8221;
Review
"A pioneer in gay history now breaks new ground in uncovering the origins of heterosexuality. Not for the faint-hearted, this book is funny, compassionate, and seemingly all-knowing.
Review
"A necessary, important, and brilliant work."(Samuel R. Delaney)
Review
"A necessary, important, and brilliant work."
Review
"A necessary, important, and brilliant work." -- Edmund White
About the Author
and#160;Jonathan Ned Katz is the author of many books, including Gay American History and Love Stories: Sex Between Men Before Homosexuality, the latter published by the University of Chicago Press.
Table of Contents
Prefaceand#160;
1 The Geneology of a Sex Concept
and#160;and#160; From Homosexual History to Heterosexual History
2 The Debut of the Heterosexual
and#160;and#160; Richard von Krafft-Ebing and the Mind Doctors
3 Before Heterosexuality
and#160;and#160; Looking Backward
4and#160;Making the Heterosexual Mystique
and#160;and#160; Sigmund Freud's Seminal Conceptions
5 The Heterosexual Comes Out
and#160;and#160; From Doctor Discourse to the Mass Media
6and#160;Questioning the Heterosexual Mystique
and#160;and#160; Some Liberal Feminist and Radical Feminist Verdicts
7 The Lesbian Menace Strikes Back
and#160;and#160; Some Lavender Feminist Critiques
8 Toward a New Pleasure System
and#160;and#160; Looking Forward
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Afterword by Lisa Duggan
Acknowledgements
Notes
Bibliography
Index