Wayne Koestenbaum

Wayne Koestenbaum catalogs and ruminates over humiliation in its many forms. His own, public figures, literary figures, anonymous people in airports, restrooms, on stage, in locker rooms, on the street. (YouTube is his self-humiliation media of choice.)

Bodily fluids and excretions get their due along with utterances and actions, both innocent and evil. This thought-provoking book actually made me queasy at times. But not humiliated. Okay, maybe a little.

As an opera lover I found this to be a delightful book aimed directly at all of us who love opera. Unique in his presentation and passionate in his approach to the subject, Wayne Koestenbaum illuminates the queer and queerer aspects of Opera in a way that is both intriguing and fascinating. Using opera as metaphor for gay life the divas of the past take on a melancholy patina that is affecting in its ability to communicate an earlier age of gay culture. The divide marked by Stonewall and the show more ravages of AIDS lends the book a haunting aura in spite of the morsels of operatic trivia that otherwise are still scandalously funny. The high point of the book for many will undoubtedly be the obligatory paean to the revolution known as "The Callas Cult".

"Luchino Visconti, in a photograph, kisses Callas's cheek, which makeup foundation has made unnaturally pale; Leonard Bernstein exclaims, "Callas? She was pure electricity." Visconti and Bernstein loved Callas not because they were gay but because she was a genius;" (p 136)

There are more details than could have been imagined about opera, from divas to opera queens, including musical trivia galore for those interested in the lives of Callas or Ponselle or Patti. The almost fifty pages devoted to "A Pocket Guide to Queer Moments in Opera" may be alternatively revealing or nostalgic depending on the readers' personal experiences. The result is a unique combination of reflections on camp, glamour, spectacle, privacy, identity, coming-out and more. For those who want to go beyond the basics of the music and drama of opera, who want to delve into the world of gay culture and the desires built upon the lore of Opera divadom, this is the that book takes them behind the scrim and into 'never land'. show less

Wayne Koestensaum employs wordplay and a vast knowledge of culture to examine facets of today's social tapestry. I can’t honestly say I liked this book, but the weird thing is, I want to read it again at a much later date. Reading Koestenbaum’s works has a way to making you want to become a better writer. And for that, it’s worth the price of admission.

http://lifelongdewey.wordpress.com/2012/10/07/814-cleavage-by-wayne-koestenbaum/

Koestenbaum veers wildly from incredible insight on Warhol's life, work, and career to tedious intellectual wankery -- often two or three times in the course of a page. Sometimes it's fascinating, and sometimes you can do nothing but roll your eyes.

Definitely worth reading, but I'd highly recommend reading Bockris' Warhol bio first. That one supplies the facts; this one emphasizes theory (and Koestenbaum's personal reaction to Warhol). Don't turn to this first as a comprehensive (or even show more brief but complete) Warhol bio. show less