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The Homoerotics of Orientalism

The Homoerotics of Orientalism REVIEW Joseph A. Boone New York: Columbia University Press, 2014 486 pages. ISBN 9780231151115 Reviewed by KIFAH HANNA In The Homoerotics of Orientalism Joseph A. Boone sets out to excavate Anglo-European perceptions and fantasies of Middle Eastern sexuality, with a focus on male homoeroti- cism. In this substantial volume, Boone performs a close reading of an extensive repertoire of literary texts (including travelogues and fiction) and visual material (such as paint- ings, photographs, and postcards) produced by Western Orientalist scholars as well as by Arabs, Turks, and Persians. His meticulous analysis of this rich material provides a better understanding of the different approaches assumed by Western and Middle Eastern scholars, travelers, and writers in matters of sexuality and homophobia. He argues that male homoeroticism haunted the fantasies of many Western men and provoked their fears of Middle Eastern sexuality. This combination of fear and desire, Boone shows throughout the volume, informed what we now call Orientalism. One of the main goals of The Homoerotics of Orientalism is to prompt dialogue between European representations of sexuality and representations found in archives in the Middle East. Boone critiques Michel Foucault and Edward Said, the former for his disinterest in the non-European http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Middle East Women's Studies Duke University Press

The Homoerotics of Orientalism

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Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by the Association for Middle East Women’s Studies
ISSN
1552-5864
eISSN
1558-9579
DOI
10.1215/15525864-6680296
Publisher site
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Abstract

REVIEW Joseph A. Boone New York: Columbia University Press, 2014 486 pages. ISBN 9780231151115 Reviewed by KIFAH HANNA In The Homoerotics of Orientalism Joseph A. Boone sets out to excavate Anglo-European perceptions and fantasies of Middle Eastern sexuality, with a focus on male homoeroti- cism. In this substantial volume, Boone performs a close reading of an extensive repertoire of literary texts (including travelogues and fiction) and visual material (such as paint- ings, photographs, and postcards) produced by Western Orientalist scholars as well as by Arabs, Turks, and Persians. His meticulous analysis of this rich material provides a better understanding of the different approaches assumed by Western and Middle Eastern scholars, travelers, and writers in matters of sexuality and homophobia. He argues that male homoeroticism haunted the fantasies of many Western men and provoked their fears of Middle Eastern sexuality. This combination of fear and desire, Boone shows throughout the volume, informed what we now call Orientalism. One of the main goals of The Homoerotics of Orientalism is to prompt dialogue between European representations of sexuality and representations found in archives in the Middle East. Boone critiques Michel Foucault and Edward Said, the former for his disinterest in the non-European

Journal

Journal of Middle East Women's Studies – Duke University Press

Published: Jul 1, 2018

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