Reading and Writing Italian Homosexuality: A Case of Possible Difference

Derek Duncan's study is the first book in English to examine constructions of male homosexuality in Italian literature. In clear and elegant prose, Duncan analyzes texts ranging from the 1890s through the 1990s. He brings canonical authors like D'Annunzio and Pasolini together with under-appreciated writers like Comisso, and also looks at less conventionally literary genres. Duncan takes on the thorny theoretical issues surrounding questions of gay identity and also provides a sound historical context for his discussion of how Italian narrative sheds light on Italian homosexuality.