If you need some inspiration for LGBT History Month, then look no further than Thom Nickels who has just published Out in History, a lovely collection of essays and mini-biographies of prominent gay people from the past.

Nickels is, as some eagle-eyed readers will know, a writer based in Philadelphia. His works have included so far collections of poetry, journalism and prose such as The Cliffs of Aries, Manayunk and Tropic of Libra. His writing can also be found in Philadelphia’s Weekly Press and The Gay and Lesbian Worldwide Review.

With Out in History the author has gathered together some 70-odd profiles of prominent gay people. Rarely more than a few pages long, these mini-biographies are pithy, readable and very moreish. I defy anyone to read just one and then put the book down.

The essays feature an amazing variety of people, some well known, some less so, including: Michelangelo, Christopher Marlowe, Bessie Smith, James Baldwin, Thomas Eakins, Joe Dellesandro, Marianne Moore, Adrienne Rich, Hart Crane, Cary Grant, Napoleon, James Merrill, Joe Orton, Djuna Barnes, Anna Freud, Lawrence of Arabia, George Sand, Jean Cocteau, Andre Gide, Aleister Crowley, James Dean, Ned Rorem, Gore Vidal, Phillip Johnson and Sal Mineo. There are loads more, but you probably get the picture.

One of the book’s strengths is the fact that some of Nickels’ subjects are still alive. I really like the idea that queer society has historical figures that are still here to tell their own tales, it shows that such people are not dry figures locked in history but alive and with stories to tell. Oral history and testimonies are, of course, the lifeblood of queer history, a history that is often hidden or obscured. So it’s gratifying to read these profiles and witness the coming alive of history within them.

Another aspect of this book that I liked is the fact that it speaks as well to the novice queer history lover as it does the more experienced. Out in History is a book that would appeal to students, teachers, or anyone interested in learning more about the past.

Despite these praises I also have some quibbles. The book presents a white, western view of queer history - although to its credit it does include a few non-Americans in the list. However, the focus is overwhelmingly sited in the US and that’s a bit disappointing.

The other thing is that I wonder what the worth of a book like this might be now that mini biographies and lists of prominent gay people are easily accessible online. I don’t know if I would turn to a similar book if I was trying to find out about a historical figure, I’d probably Google them instead.

Oh well, Out in History remains a pleasurable read, the kind of thing that you keep knocking around when you want to fill idle moments with big ideas.
 
Out In History by Thom Nickels
Published by: Starbooks Press / Florida Literary Foundation
ISBN: 1891855581
Price: £11.99

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Gay History Features:

Top Ten: Modern Queers
Top Ten: Historical Queers
Paul Patrick
Vox Pop: Queer Dates
Gay Dates
Queer Scandals
Homo History
Fact File: Queer Museums
Vox Pop: Gay History

Find out more at www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk.