Book Review - The Politics and Poetics of Camp

The Politics and Poetics of Camp is a radical reappraisal of the discourse of camp. The contributors to this volume examine both activist strategies of camp performance--such as those employed by ACTUP--and theoretical debates on the meaning of camp as a signifying practice. They also question whether camp is a frivolous, apolitical style or a powerful cultural critique and expression of queer identity.

The essays investigate camp from its early formations in the 17th and 18th-century homosexual subculture of London to its present manifestations in queer theatre and literature. They also take a fascinating look at the complex relationship between queer discourse and pop culture's decidedly ``un-queer'' appropriations of this style on film.