[ilds] Bisexuality and Beyond

[William Godshalk]

Well, if Durrell was gay, he really did a good job convincing those who were
with him that he was straight. At Penn State he came on strong to the
undergrad chics -- holding their hands, kissing them. Of course, when I was
not around, I know not what he did.

Bill

On Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Marc Piel <marcpiel at interdesign.fr> wrote:

> Surely it has been advanced that we ALL have a bit
> of homosexuality in us? ALL!
> B.R.
> Marc
>
> Le 21/03/11 22:42, Bruce Redwine a écrit :
> > David,
> >
> > Sex will definitely sell books and get people talking, as we're doing
> > now. LGD was following in the wake of Mailer's "The Time of Her Time"
> > and Nabokov's Lolita. I take Durrell at his word about an "investigation
> > of modern bisexuality," however. I think he thought he was doing
> > something important, if not new. I would also emphasize the word
> > "modern" in his program, i.e., in the sense of updating what had once
> > been acceptable and commonplace. Had Martial made such a claim to his
> > Latin audience, the Romans would have surely laughed at his triteness.
> >
> > I'm beginning to think Durrell was, at some level, a suppressed
> homosexual.
> >
> >
> > Bruce
> >
> >
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> > On Mar 21, 2011, at 12:56 PM, "Denise Tart & David Green"
> > <dtart at bigpond.net.au <mailto:dtart at bigpond.net.au>> wrote:
> >
> >> Durrell sometimes engages in this activity, prankish or not, which may
> >> make him unacceptable to some in the gay community.
> >> Bruce, and others,
> >> Considering his intention to write 'upper class porn' LGD's
> >> 'exploration of modern love' and consequent embrace of the five sexes,
> >> as it were, was clearly intended to shock, or at least be
> >> controversial. at the time of writing, given the prevailing morality
> >> of the time (late 50s), the quartet could have been banned. certainly
> >> it was considered risque in my country. Actually I dont think the
> >> censors got it so it went through to the keeper (or backstop as you
> >> Americans might say) and a craze for Justine bloomed amongst the smart
> >> set.
> >> As to Durrell's own sexuality, despite the sometimes charge of
> >> misogyny (which may stem from suppressed homosexuality), he comes
> >> across biographically speaking as very much the hard drinking hetero.
> >> in his own texts, especially the more personal narratives, there is a
> >> clear affection for certain male characters but I detect nothing of
> >> the homo eroticism that one finds say, in Robert Dessaix who is as
> >> camp as a row of frilly tents, to coin a phrase, and doesn't mind you
> >> knowing it.
> >> David
> >>
> >> *From:* Bruce Redwine <mailto:bredwine1968 at earthlink.net>
> >> *Sent:* Tuesday, March 22, 2011 5:20 AM
> >> *To:* <mailto:ilds at lists.uvic.ca>ilds at lists.uvic.ca
> >> <mailto:ilds at lists.uvic.ca>
> >> *Cc:* Bruce Redwine <mailto:bredwine1968 at earthlink.net>
> >> *Subject:* Re: [ilds] Bisexuality and Beyond
> >>
> >> Anne,
> >>
> >> I tend to disagree with Joseph Boone about Durrell having negative
> >> views towards Lesbians. The quip below I would treat as one
> >> character's off-color humor and not as the view of M. Durrell himself,
> >> obviously. The full characterization of Livia, however, is another
> >> matter, and since I haven't gone beyond /Monsieur /(a novel I've read
> >> twice and still can't hold in memory), I can't comment. Maybe someone
> >> else can and elaborate.
> >>
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> >
> >
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-- 
W. L. Godshalk                 *
Department of English *           *      *
University of Cincinnati    *     stellar disorder *
OH 45221-0069     *               *          *
godshawl at ucmail.uc.edu
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