His entry begins:Having recently finished a major research project, I spent the last few years reading only books and articles directly connected to that research. Now that the project is behind me, I have some time to read books that interest me, even if they have nothing to do with my work. In spite of this freedom, I find myself continuing to read in areas closely related to my research, but also starting to explore some new areas.About Turning the Page, from the publisher:
Sisters in the Life: A History of Out African American Lesbian Media-Making, edited by Yvonne Welbon and Alexandra Juhasz, is a collection of essays, interviews, and conversations about a group of women who have been largely overlooked or ignored by most scholars and critics. In an industry that has traditionally favored straight white men, lesbian women of color have faced significant hurdles in their attempts to make it as media producers. Sisters in the Life illuminates the...[read on]
Surprisingly, Hollywood is still clumsily grappling with its representation of sexual minorities, and LGBTQ filmmakers struggle to find a place in the mainstream movie industry. However, organizations outside the mainstream are making a difference, helping to produce and distribute authentic stories that are both by and for LGBTQ people.Learn more about Turning the Page at the Rutgers University Press website.
Turning the Page introduces readers to three nonprofit organizations that, in very different ways, have each positively transformed the queer media landscape. David R.Coon takes readers inside In the Life Media, whose groundbreaking documentaries on the LGBTQ experience aired for over twenty years on public television stations nationwide. Coon reveals the successes of POWER UP, a nonprofit production company dedicated to mentoring filmmakers who can turn queer stories into fully realized features and short films. Finally, he turns to Three Dollar Bill Cinema, an organization whose film festivals help queer media find an audience and whose filmmaking camps for LGBTQ youth are nurturing the next generation of queer cinema.
Combining a close analysis of specific films and video programs with extensive interviews of industry professionals, Turning the Page demonstrates how queer storytelling in visual media has the potential to empower individuals, strengthen communities, and motivate social justice activism.
Writers Read: David R. Coon.
--Marshal Zeringue
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