Homoeroticism in Classical Arabic Literature

by J.W. Wright (Editor)

Without speculating on the sexual orientation of authors or discussing the treatment of sexual minorities, eight essays analyze homoerotic images and themes in early 'Abbasid poetry, courtly letters, political satire, shadow plays, and dreambooks from the eighth to the 14th centuries and from Persia to Andalusia. They use a number of critical approaches to delve into the sublime meaning of the texts and explore their connections to political conventions, social mores, and subversive theology. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Genres: Islam, Gay, LGBT

239 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 1997

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Reviews

[Natalie]

Very academically written, which makes the content hard to focus on. This is not a beginner book, and there are arguments in the Classical Arabic literary studies field that the authors take for granted that the audience is aware of.

That being said, this was a very fascinating look into classical Arab perspective on same-sex attraction. It was certainly not hidden, and was not coded into the writing. Very blatant euphemisms were used. The problem I have with this title is it implies that the texts which include older men lusting/having sex with prepubescent boys (95% of them) is labeled “homoeroticism”. They use the term pederasty multiple times, clearly pointing out that this sexual attraction didn’t have to do with whether they were male or female - rather it was just an attraction to youth that was taken for granted.

Overall this made me wish I had a better understanding of Arabic poetry.