Rodger Streitmatter

I want to like this book more than I do. The profiled couples are interesting. The writing style, on the other hand, is very plain, almost perfunctory, with some repetitiveness in the descriptions and largely lacking in complex sentences. I've read about three of the fifteen couples, but don't think I'll finish the book before the digital ARC expires.

Honestly, I'm wondering if maybe I'm just not cut out for biographies. (The section on Whitman and Doyle makes me interested in reading Whitman's poetry, though. So I guess I've gotten something out of it?)… (more)

In Outlaw Marriages author Rodger Streitmatter chronicles the hidden relationships, both tender and turbulent, of fifteen same-sex couples in recent history. What I appreciated most about this book was the sheer amount of information that was new to me; I'd had no idea about the backgrounds of many of these fascinating women and men. Many a time I interrupted my reading in the middle of a chapter, inspired to find out more (e.g., listen to Fanfare for the Common Man, search for images of Johns' flag paintings, find Baldwin's books at the library). On the other hand, I also found the writing somewhat irritating. The chapters were laid out rather unimaginatively -- formulaic and dry. The author also came across as self-congratulatory at having coined the term "outlaw marriage," forcing it into the text at every conceivable opportunity.… (more)

The writing is functional. No more, no less. The fifteen stories are brief but interesting. It included several couples that I had no idea that at least one of them was gay. It includes mainly famous couples from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century. Some couples remained "married" for decades and often only friends and family knew; not the public. Most were quite successful and often the so called quiet partner was the energy to success. I can't say you have to run out and read this book but it was a curiosity and I am curious. Since I could borrow it from the NYPL e-library it was a trial that cost me nothing.… (more)