Halberstam

As a theory geek, Judith Halberstam's body of work generally gets me excited.

However, the last book, about queerness and time, and the latest, The Queer Art of Failure, which questions seriousness and 'success' from a queer theory POV, really stand out amidst a crowd of books that are, well, so-o-o serious and ambitious in various ways.  Barbara Christian's earlier critique of the thrust towards 'high' theory comes to mind, one of those must-reads for feminist and social theory.

I have only browsed this so far, but I read a few reviews of The Queer Art of Failure that made me get off my butt to find this and stop taking out library books so I can actually get to it without feeling I have to read books that are due first.  Though Graham Joyce's latest novel is in at my local branch.  It's hard to resist...  But I will, and should be blabbing about Halberstam's book soon. 

I got some more writing done this weekend, finally starting the novel rewrite I've been dancing around getting to and doing needed but nevertheless delay-tactic research for.

Lots of dangling participles there, eh.  That's what my writing life has felt like in 2011.  With the queer habit of not producing enough as a community by and for 'us' (and finishing, and getting it out there, and yes, there are many exceptions, yet, so little when one looks for something new to read, watch, etc.) in mind, I am trying to push through all the laziness, after-work brain deadness, and fear of, well, failure, as well as hesitation about the difficult subject matter (AIDS in the 80s and 90s, queer and left activism, drugs, sex, and the pros and cons of old school queer community).  One step at a time, as they say...