Is there one LGBT-themed book — either fiction or nonfiction — that is required reading for all queer folk?
I actually wouldn’t want to say what was required or not; gay literature evolves with the times, and books that I once thought essential now seem dated. We actually want to try at Unabridged to get away from the idea that we all have to read the same book (or watch the same TV show or go to the same movie). Having said that, one book that has stood the test of time for me is James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room. The first LGBT novels I ever read were Rita Mae brown’s Rubyfruit Jungle and Andrew Holleran’s Dancer from the Dance, both still in print. How about an LGBT-themed book for non-queer folk? My current favorite (again, not necessarily essential for everyone) is a new novel by Rabih Alameddine called The Hakawati; it happens to be written by a gay man, has a gay character and some gay themes, but I would recommend it as an amazing, magical Arabian nights for this century, a sprawling novel of Lebanon and traditional storytelling. Are there any particular books that turned you on to rea
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- Is there one LGBT-themed book -- either fiction or nonfiction -- that is required reading for all queer folk?
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