Strange Relations explores the crisis in mid-century masculinity and the lives and works of four bisexual writers who fought to express and embody alternate possibilities. Ralf Webb offers a powerful and moving argument for a transformative new masculinity, grounded in fluidity, love, and intimacy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 25 July 2024
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Remarkable... entertaining... deft... moving... refreshing Daily Telegraph A richly rewarding account of a resonant cultural moment Guardian Textured literary portraits of the masculine mind and body Raymond Antrobus,author of The Perseverance In October 1960,James Baldwin and John Cheever spoke on a panel together at San Francisco State College. The troubled state of American society was under discussion,which Baldwin incisively diagnosed as a "failure of the masculine sensibility." Strange Relations explores this crisis in mid-century masculinity and the lives and works of four bisexual writers who fought to express and embody alternate possibilities. Building on Walt Whitman's philosophy of the love between men, Ralf Webb considers the ways in which Tennessee Williams and Carson McCullers, as well as Cheever and Baldwin, resisted in their art, as well as in their relationships, the damaging expectations of contemporary gender and sexuality. With a curious, intelligent, and sensitive gaze, Ralf Webb sheds new light on each writer. Together, these artists offer a powerful and moving argument for a transformative new masculinity, grounded in fluidity, love, and intimacy. Webb's writing is of a quality rarely seen, and his book returns you to the world slightly changed, equipped with another angle of vision on the quiddity of man. Diarmuid Hester, author of Nothing Ever Just Disappears Impeccably well researched and hugely enjoyable Nicole Flattery, author of Nothing Special Wise, hopeful, and exquisitely written Will Tosh, author of Straight Acting

Remarkable... entertaining... deft... moving... refreshing

Daily Telegraph

A richly rewarding account of a resonant cultural moment

Guardian

Textured literary portraits of the masculine mind and body

Raymond Antrobus, author of The Perseverance

In October 1960, James Baldwin and John Cheever spoke on a panel together at San Francisco State College. The troubled state of American society was under discussion, which Baldwin incisively diagnosed as a "failure of the masculine sensibility." Strange Relations explores this crisis in mid-century masculinity and the lives and works of four bisexual writers who fought to express and embody alternate possibilities. Building on Walt Whitman's philosophy of the love between men, Ralf Webb considers the ways in which Tennessee Williams and Carson McCullers, as well as Cheever and Baldwin, resisted in their art, as well as in their relationships, the damaging expectations of contemporary gender and sexuality. With a curious, intelligent, and sensitive gaze, Ralf Webb sheds new light on each writer. Together, these artists offer a powerful and moving argument for a transformative new masculinity, grounded in fluidity, love, and intimacy.

Webb's writing is of a quality rarely seen, and his book returns you to the world slightly changed, equipped with another angle of vision on the quiddity of man.

Diarmuid Hester, author of Nothing Ever Just Disappears

Impeccably well researched and hugely enjoyable

Nicole Flattery, author of Nothing Special

Wise, hopeful, and exquisitely written

Will Tosh, author of Straight Acting

Weight: 458g
Dimension: 223 x 145 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399713214