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Righting My World
Essays from the Past Half-Century
Dennis Altman
‘A stunning and passionate reflection of a political life.’ Marieke Hardy
‘This new book by Dennis Altman explains why he has been a hero most of my life. From university days to AIDS conferences, protests, the arts, national and international politics. Even occasional glimpses of sport, sex and pop culture. America has Gore Vidal. Australia presents – with a drum roll – the still extraordinary Dennis Altman.’ The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG, former Justice of the High Court of Australia
‘I loved this magnificent, honest collection of Dennis Altman’s writing about discovering his identity and trying to hang onto his humanity in a world where “one is simultaneously an insider and an outsider”. His gay, Jewish life curiously parallels my own; had I met him when I was a green girl, I would surely have “gone straight” for Dennis! His wise, naughty, troubled insistence on being part of the world and making it better is more relevant than ever.’ Miriam Margolyes, actress and author of The Little Book of Miriam
‘Reading Dennis Altman’s marvellous collection reminded me of the excitement I felt when I first encountered his work in the early 1980s. Whether Altman is tackling the snares of co-optation and tribalism or the challenges of global sex and American hegemony, he manages to be both provocative and thoughtful. How wonderful to have a half-century of his work collected here!’ Alice Echols, Professor of History and Barbra Streisand Chair of Contemporary Gender Studies at the University of Southern California
‘Righting My World is a reminder of Dennis Altman’s astonishing range and achievement over the last 60 years – a crash course in queer cultures, lives, politics and emotion, delivered with characteristic acumen, urgency and wit. It is an absorbing, rollercoaster read, and left me, amidst the desperation of our current times, with some renewed hope for the future.’ Matt Cook, Professor and Jonathan Cooper Chair of the History of Sexuality, Mansfield College
A collection of writings over the past half-century from the acclaimed professor of politics and gay rights activist.
From the inauguration of Richard Nixon to Trump’s America, from Gay Liberation to the AIDS crisis and beyond, Dennis Altman has been both a participant in the changing times and an acute observer. The publication of Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation in 1971 heralded his arrival as an exciting new voice in the movement for gay rights and in Australian writing. And alongside his longer works, Altman has honed his craft and vision in literary journals, the queer press, academic forums and daily newspapers.
This collection captures the sense of Australia and the wider world as it was and as it is, charting the course of a conversation about civil rights and cultural change, while at the same time highlighting the persistence of prejudice and the value of art. Interspersed with personal essays reflecting on Altman’s cultural heritage, grief and ageing, Righting My World is a powerful and illuminating chronicle.
Dennis Altman
Dennis Altman AM is the author of numerous books, including Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation, which has been described as the first serious analysis to emerge from the gay liberation movement. He is a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow and Professorial Fellow...
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