Is there a Gay Canon, both fiction and non-fiction?

[closeupready]

And if so, which books would be on it? Since college, I haven't kept up on much of what's going on as far as academic studies or even literature - I see a lot of fluff when I look at the gay and lesbian sections of bookstores and it's possible that the gay "Canon" (if there is such a thing) hasn't changed much since then, but just curious what anybody else thinks or is reading now. Thanks.

[xchrom]

1. the gay canon would be those authors

who also occupy major staus in the straight canon.

i.e. whitman, wolf, etc.

it probably takes a generation before someone's work begins to elevate to canon status -- so you have to read everything -- and weed out the trash -- i.e. i like irish author jamie o'neil right now and i will watching to see what happens to his work.

[intheflow]

2. I think "Rubyfruit Jungle" belongs in a gay canon.

Maybe "The Laramie Project," too.

For non-fiction, how about Jeff Lutes booklet A False Focus on My Family?

[bammertheblue]

3. Thanks for the link

I'd never read that before, and I just downloaded it and read it and it blew my mind. Aside from all the studies that show Focus on the Family is completely full of shit (which I knew, obviously), it's amazing to me that the author is so forgiving to all the idiots like Dobson. I don't think I could do that- when I hear about people who are so bigoted like that I just want to scream at them.

[kweerwolf]

4. The actually is a book called "The Gay Canon"

It's subtitled "Books Every Gay Man Should Read" so it doesn't exactly sound lesbian-inclusive.

Here's the link to the book on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385492286/qid=1135288514/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-7080085-7028159?n=507846&s=books&v=glance