There's a Disco Ball Between Us: A Theory of Black Gay Life

Jafari S. Allen's book explores the emergence of Black gay habits of mind from radical Black lesbian activism and writing during the 1980s, tracing the genealogies of Black gay politics and cultures in visual art, poetry, film, Black feminist theory, historiography, and activism. He calls on Black studies to pursue scholarship, art, and policy derived from the lived experience and fantasies of Black people.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 440 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

Jafari S. Allen's captivating book, "There's a Disco Ball Between Us," delves into a comprehensive and vibrant ethnographic and intellectual exploration of what he refers to as "Black gay habits of mind." Through a conversational and poetic style, Allen uncovers the origins of this sensibility, tracing its emergence from radical Black lesbian activism and writing during the vibrant 1980s. Spanning across various temporalities and locations, Allen draws upon extensive research and fieldwork conducted in diverse global cities such as Nairobi, London, Paris, Toronto, Miami, and Trinidad and Tobago. Within these sites and archives, Allen meticulously traces the genealogies of Black gay politics and cultures, unraveling their presence in the visual art, poetry, film, Black feminist theory, historiography, and activism of renowned thinkers and artists like Audre Lorde, Marsha P. Johnson, Essex Hemphill, Colin Robinson, Marlon Riggs, Pat Parker, and Joseph Beam. Throughout his journey, Allen retells Black queer history while cultivating a Black gay method of thinking and writing. By doing so, he addresses the pressing contemporary challenges for social justice while urging Black studies to embrace scholarship, art, and policy that are rooted in the lived experiences and imaginative visions of Black people across the world.

Weight: 598g
Dimension: 153 x 231 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478014591