larrikindyke's review against another edition
5.0
Public sex is based and it's imperative that we do it as a community to increase interclass contact and to fight gentrification.
0hn0myt0rah's review against another edition
4.0
Great critique of gentrification and great moving images of the gentrified spaces
literatureaesthetic's review against another edition
1.0
read for uni || my fav part of this is when the dude was like, "porn is sexist, but it gives men a safe space and a sense of belonging, and that is far more important"
yeah..... no.
EDIT : all the overemotional men who genuinely triggered by this review.... stay mad lmao
yeah..... no.
EDIT : all the overemotional men who genuinely triggered by this review.... stay mad lmao
alexampersand's review against another edition
3.5
The first half of the book (Times Square Blue) I really loved; it was pretty shocking with how open it was at times, but Samuel Delaney's writing really shine through, and the relationships between all of the various people felt so real and human.
The second half (Times Square Red) I struggled with a little more. It's been a while since I read academic literature, but I also felt like at times the form felt a little confused - it would bounce around between complex sociological and psychological concepts, and then talk about very plain-language anecdotes or metaphor. And occasionally the ideas would bounce around on tangents in a way that I sometimes found hard to follow. So I'm not sure how much my criticism is a criticism of the writing itself, and how much was me simply struggling with the form.
But it was interesting to read something that at times taught me things, and at times made me question things I think or believe. I really enjoyed his take that the people relying entirely on casual sex at the theatres weren't "avoiding" relationships, but that they were forming relationships of a different sort. Although I don't think I agree that by shutting down porn cinemas we are regressing to a "pre-Stonewall" era of equality...
The second half (Times Square Red) I struggled with a little more. It's been a while since I read academic literature, but I also felt like at times the form felt a little confused - it would bounce around between complex sociological and psychological concepts, and then talk about very plain-language anecdotes or metaphor. And occasionally the ideas would bounce around on tangents in a way that I sometimes found hard to follow. So I'm not sure how much my criticism is a criticism of the writing itself, and how much was me simply struggling with the form.
But it was interesting to read something that at times taught me things, and at times made me question things I think or believe. I really enjoyed his take that the people relying entirely on casual sex at the theatres weren't "avoiding" relationships, but that they were forming relationships of a different sort. Although I don't think I agree that by shutting down porn cinemas we are regressing to a "pre-Stonewall" era of equality...
historyofjess's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This was a book I'm glad I read (for the queer book club I'm a part of) but that was really hard for me to get through. Most of that has to do with the structure of the book. It's basically two long essays (plus a decent length introduction, since it's the 20th anniversary edition of the book). I've struggled with similarly structured books, just because I like the comfort of chapters as breakpoints that lengthy essays do not provide. The first essay is the longest and, while it's split into many sections, it's can feel like a very stream of consciousness re-telling of the author's (a Black gay man) experiences frequenting the gay sex scene in adult movie theaters in TImes Square. The content is very graphically sexual, which some folks in our book club talked about having to adjust to because of their puritanical upbringing, I didn't have as much of that experience, but there was a little. Mostly it's fascinating because Delany is just naturally very interested in people and their stories and experiences and he wants to introduce you to the many folks he met during this time, which is a really compelling thing. The second essay is shorter than the first, but still long and it's a more academic discussion of the value of "contact" relationships (something his TImes Square encounters fall under) and how they differ from networking encounters, particularly in how they allow us to communicate and relate across class divides. There's also, though both, a lot about gentrification as it relates to the re-making of Times Square, though, with the second essay published in 1998, Delany still could not conceive of what Times Square looks like now.
q_bert13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Two complimentary essays that work together to introduce themes of queer theory while exploring the personal lives of queer men in New York during a major time of gentrification. Observations mainly surround the dwindling numbers of New York porn houses (as the author recalls personal memories of those he met visiting there) Text at times gets very pornographic (understandable though with the subject matter) and is a great insight towards queer lives of the 'past'.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Drug use, Mental illness, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
Minor: Racism, Sexism, Death, Outing, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
myrrhley's review against another edition
5.0
Whilst I think that some of Delaney's assertions are lacking interrogation, with a small few completely falling apart at the seams, my rating should speak to the overall quality of this book. An incredible read.
lifesaverscandyofficial's review against another edition
great! fascinating! so playful and educational all at once. so many new thoughts on porn and "public decency" and what allows for gayness in relation to what makes gayness (and if the latter can exist without the former). highly rec!