Co-facilitator for years of a Queer Torah Study at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, in San Francisco, and author of numerous books, including Angel Answers and Revelations for a New Millennium, as well as a regular columnist for the gay men’s journal White Crane, Andrew Ramer presents contemporary midrashim, or interpretative tales, on texts from the Old Testament, the “Golden Age” of Spain, and other strands of Jewish tradition.
While the sources in Queering the Text are Jewish, the narratives will appeal to anyone familiar with the Bible and other stories. Each entry begins with a quote from the Bible or source, followed by the narrative. Addressing homosexuality in the Bible and the religious aspects of homosexuality in Judaism, as well as providing gay interpretations of the Old Testament (among other sources), Ramer intends to show a new reading, with a queer-seeking eye, of the texts to bring out what he asserts is already there.
While the title indicates a Jewish slant, this is not always easy to find, which makes the book appropriate for a wider range of audience. Moreover, the interpretations are not always glaringly homosexual, which provides opportunity for discussion that might appeal to those who are not necessarily homosexual-friendly. The prose brings gay Jews, and others in the texts, to life, portraying vivid and complex characters.
Seekers of specifically or blatantly gay materials might be disappointed, but the tasteful nature of this book lends itself well to reading with others who might not be as approving of such a topic otherwise. Queering the Text is not for light reading, but rather for serious thought, and knowledge of the source will help in understanding the narrative provided.
Useful as a secondary source in study of biblical, medieval, and modern Jewish stories, this work would have, nonetheless, been enhanced by its sources being indexed or labeled in the table of contents. Additionally, the book is somewhat biased in that it focuses only on male homosexuality, yet this might be due to the larger occurrences of this in the sources than an intended lack of coverage.
Recommended for public and academic libraries.
Reviewed by, [s.n.]
