A good overview of the topic! The writing was very accessible and while the writer did often focus on what was happening within the last few years in country music, there was also attention paid to far earlier days of country as well as artists in the 80s and 90s. I'd recommend this one to anyone looking to expand their knowledge about queer music, country music, or just music in general as this particular topic has not been extensively covered.

When I was a kid growing up in Philadelphia, listening to country was my own rebellion. It's funny, of course, now that I live in a rural area where everyone listened to country growing up because they roll their eyes over it. But anyway... this book was INCREDIBLE and VALIDATING as a queer millennial.

Really engaging history on lgbtq musicians in country history. It is a academic text, and I will admit to being comfortable with reading that style of literature, but I do think that the author did a good job on making sure that the text was written in as much as an accessible language as possible.

In the book Goldin-Perschbacher states that

Queer Country shares that capacity for creating a radical shared space amid continued misunderstanding and exclusion, summoning useful, inspiring elements of a long history of music while creatively changing or omitting others, navigating the inner tensions between authenticity and invention with both the urgent need to be understood as human and share humour with kin, engaging its central themes to tell their own stories of self and belonging

This is something the text achieves writing a strong analysis of the queer country and surrounding genres, told with love, care, and respect. This is something that Goldin-Perschbacher has clearly highly researched and intimately studied. It would be impossible for her to write about every queer country artist but she covers a wide scope and has consulted with many of them in writing this book. A book for country lovers who want to learn something more about their history. (Also I need to make a playlist for the acts covered in this I need to hear their songs !)

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC. As a queer identified fan of mainstream country music, I was excited to delve into this book by Shana Goldin-Perschbacher. As she notes in the introduction and elsewhere, the appeal of country music broadly is the storytelling, addressing issues and everyday concerns of working class and middle class people. Because the industry markets the music to a more conservative base population, it can be surprising to hear that queer listeners consume, enjoy, and seek out country music, much less write and perform it. Despite being both queer and trans (a distinction the author hammers on repeatedly in the book though I didn’t grasp it even after she explained), country music remains the music I most often have on in the car, most closely identify with emotionally, and most often purchase whether through downloads or concert tickets. It’s the music that connects me to my father and the places I grew up and it grounds me here in the bay area where there is so much wealth that even my solidly middle class salary feels like the precipice of poverty. The country music connection is emotional and I looked forward to reading about other fans in the LGBTQI+ world who felt a similar connection to country music. That's not quite what I found.

Goldin-Perschbacher delivered Queer Country with a scholarly voice. This initially disappointed because I soon realized that that warm connection to other queer country music afficionados was not going to be my reading experience. While she expresses her personal appreciation of the music, and indeed seemed to find more connection to it the longer she engaged with her subjects, Queer Country never escapes the formality of a scholarly structure: clear thesis with an abundance of research and literature referenced to support the author's assertions. The tone is always unbiased and always unemotional. While I am sure Goldin-Perschbacher is a warm person, and indeed clearly gained the confidence of the handful of queer and trans musicians actively performing and producing country music – many of whom appeared to provide several interviews – no “personality” came through the scholar’s voice. Instead there was a persistent feeling of author as observer and queer country musicians as the observed, the studied. However well intentioned, it was disconcerting that the primary feeling I came away with as a queer person and a trans person was that of being studied.

The best part of the book was the introduction to some music and musicians I was not familiar with. My playlist grew as I read further in the book, particularly with musicians slotted into Roots and Americana genres which I haven’t typically been as drawn to. The challenges of breaking into mainstream country are enormous for any artist and this book did well articulating the higher hurdles faced by queer musicians. It was particularly interesting to hear that barriers are mostly enforced by the industry suits and not so much by (straight, cis-gendered) country artists. Sadly, these artists are beholden to the suits for their own opportunities, especially at the start of their career. The industry reinforces its exclusivity in this manner, ensuring that it maintains its appeal to a politically conservative, white fan base by excluding artists of color, queer musicians and limiting female voices.

A good read and an interesting read but some work to deliver this in less of a scholarly voice would have been welcome by this reader.

I grew up a farm kid in a very rural part of North Carolina. While my parents listened to some music outside of country music, the majority of what we had on the radio at any given time was country music. Country music has always held a place in my heart, but as I grew into my identity as a queer person, finding music in the genre that helped me feel seen and connected deeply with me became more and more difficult.

This book reconnected me with the genre as a whole. It is a thorough, well-researched, loving exploration of queerness within country music. While the book is very academic in its language and presentation, I found it had a lot of charm. And a whole lot of references to some DAMN good music.

A must read for queers who love Country. I am so thankful this book exists. Historically Country music can be commonly associated with more leftist viewpoints and heterosexuality. "I'm surprised more gay people don't feel connected to country music...The thing I connected with Country music when I was a kid is it's about isolation, heartbreak, and disappointment. That's the gay experience for everyone at some point." It is so important that there is queer representation in Country music and this book exemplifies that. I was so excited to see some of my favourite queer country artists included in this book. Orville Peck, Trixie Mattel, Lil Nas X. I'm a big Peck fan so the cover photo definitely drew me in. This book is a well rounded and inclusive study on the history of queerness within Country music. The text can read a bit dense but overall I think it was a really insightful read.

To set the mood for this book, I set up a playlist of artists mentioned in it to listen to while reading. Even though I've heard of k.d. lang, I've never put on her music until now. And then something odd happened. Almost every song sounded familiar. Especially Constant Craving sounded like I'd heard it thousands of times and I experienced a strange auditory déjà vu. I relayed this to my parents to which they replied: "Oh yeah, we used to listen to k.d. lang all the time when you were a baby!" It's a great song so I'm glad it hung out in the recesses of my brain for 30 years but still, what an odd feeling! But I digress.

Queer Country is about exactly that - the history and reception and current state of country music as performed by queer artists. Beware, though, this is an academic piece of writing. Shana Goldin-Perschbacher meticulously researched this topic and laid it out in no simple terms. Having said that, if you're in any way, shape or form interested in music, musical history, country music, or you're a queer person who just likes music, I can heartily recommend this book.

Starting with the now-iconic Lavender Country in the 70s, SGP explores how and why country music has appealed to queer people. Because country has always been a vessel for telling the stories of ordinary people and outsiders - the working class, cowboys, sassy women, alcoholics or outlaws - it only made sense for the group of people who are gender- and sexually-nonnormative to seek refuge in this genre of music as well.

By playing "three chords and the truth", musicians like Lavender Country, Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile and k.d. lang were given the opportunity to sing about their lives and experiences as queer people through a blend of humour and sincerity and a pinch of rebellion. Unfortunately, this also meant unfair treatment by the industry and, for some, even obscurity.

SGP also argues that queer country can be less seen as a subgenre of music and more as a socioaesthetic phenomenon. It's no wonder then that some of these musicians experienced what was named genre trouble. This term is the musical take on Judith Butler's term gender trouble which suggests that gender is just a performance. For queer country musicians, it has been virtually impossible to *make it* in country and crossing the boundaries of genre was necessary for the sake of success, growth, financial gain, but also personal safety. This is why many of these musicians aren't considered strictly country - they play folk or Southern Gothic or even pop versions of country music.

While much of the book talks about the obstacles that queer country musicians have had to face for the past 50 years, the book ends on a somewhat positive note. Country is not dead, and queer country is possibly going through a Renaissance, led by musicians like the openly-gay masked cowboy Orville Peck, drag queen Trixie Mattel, and young black musician Lil Nas X who made a viral song while completely skirting the arduous process of actually getting signed to a label and having a promotional team.

Although country is not dead, it still has a ways to go before its status as the genre of bigotry changes. But thanks to queer artists and to new generations of people who are less and less accepting of the arbitrary societal rules of heteronormativity, things may change sooner rather than later.

Queer Country comes out on March 22. Huge thank you to NetGalley, University of Illinois Press and Shana Goldin-Perschbacher for the advanced reader copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Illinois Press for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I went into this book excited to read about the motif of queer country, especially with queer nonfiction being one my favourite topics to read, but knowing nothing about country. Thus, this text seems like a great place for information and entertainment.

I think there’s a lot to be learned and valued from the very intricate storytelling the author does throughout the text if it lands with the correct audience.

However, while I would recommend it to a scholar, I feel not meeting the exact demographic had me really struggling with this text.

This text was quite dense with academic jargon consistently throughout and reminded me of my some of the texts I’d read in later years of university. Despite, this text being published by a university the ways in which it appears to be marketed and the book blurb had me thinking it would be accessible history of queer country musicians throughout the ages, but the intense analysis took me out of the actual artists stories many times.

In addition, the author self inserts themselves into the text to an extent that made me feel that they were proving why they needed to exist in this space, instead of simply existing.

Overall, I do not think this is a bad book, however I think the language could be changed to reach a broader audience for the brilliant stories within it.

This is an excellent contribution to the academic literature on queerness and music. Goldin-Perschbacher interrogates how and why country music is labeled as it is, how queerness and otherness work in the context of queer music, and, especially, how queer women are driving country music to a progressive place. There's a good bit of repetition, but since most of the material appeared in articles prior to being included in the book, that's not really unexpected. Highly recommended.

This is an incredible book! But I also need to preface my review by saying it is also a very academic book. I wasn't fully prepared for that so it's something to keep in mind when going in. That said if you're a country music fan I feel this book is essential reading. I had a huge country music phase in my late teens/early 20s but as the genre shifted to be more of "bro-country," I stopped listening to it. I never had any idea how much queer country music history there was and this book was so enlightening but also has made me view country as a genre.

I just wish this book came with a link to a playlist because there are so many new artists I want to check out and it would have been fun to have a playlist on while reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. I loved, loved, loved this book and here’s why.

For context:

As someone who grew up queer in the Deep South and who now lives elsewhere, I have always chaffed at the way many of my peers treat country music and their wholesale rejection of it. The number of times I’ve heard, “I’ll listen to anything but country,” is innumerable. Because so many of the major country stars are republicans, the genre is quite frequently ignored and criticized by white, liberal, coastal elites who, quite frankly, don’t know what they’re talking about..

As I said, I grew up queer in the Deep South but not only that, I grew up in a household which listened to “Old Country,” as my father used to call it. Old Country is flush with extremely talented, anti-establishment, leftist, working class, and diverse singers that often get drowned out in the contemporary music industry which prioritizes wealthy, white, cishet performers.

Book Review:

So when I saw this book on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. And I was not disappointed! This book is a triumph and an testament to the diversity and inclusivity of the country music genre. A quote attributed to Orville Peck sums up my feelings quite well, “…oh this music is for well-adjusted, straight white men of whatever. And I actually disagree. I think that it’s meant for people who feel like freaks,” (pg. 184).

Peck is absolutely correct, and the author does an amazing job of illustrating the history of and reasons why country music originated in marginalized communities and has continued to be so important to them. This book was wonderfully inclusive and provided in depth explanations and analyses of queer and trans country singers and their music.

One concern I had going into this book was that the author might fail to acknowledge the role Black people had and continue to have in the creation and continuation of the genre. So often, Black artists are intentionally ignored in narratives about country music. Thankfully that was not at all the case in this book. The author centers the role of Black artists and spends a lot of time discussing Black and Black Queer country artists. Chapter 4 explores appropriation and (mis)representation in the genre which is something too frequently ignored in country music scholarship.

I particularly enjoyed Chapter 5, which discusses three country artists: Trixie Mattel, Orville Peck, and Lil Nas X. I am a huge fan of the later two and so I quite enjoyed reading a more academic analysis of their work. And it definitely convinced me to listen to Mattel’s.

Other things I loved:
-the photography!!
-The discussion of not only lesbian, gay and bisexual artists but also trans and non binary artists!
-How well researched this obviously was, there were pages of citations at the end and many quotes/scholars/artists mentioned throughout the text.

In summary, this was wonderful and I can’t wait to have a physical copy in my hands! I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially fellow Queer listeners of country music!

I really enjoyed this book. It’s short and sweet and packed with information. I learned about a bunch of new country artists and songs to add into my playlist (I’ve been listening to Fancy by Bobbie Gentry on repeat since I finished the book).

I was so obsessed with this book that when the person I was with put on a movie I wasn’t enjoying, I straight up pulled my book out and read it until the movie was over. Let me tell you, it was much better than the movie.

Queer country artists are dominating the Americana Awards and the people’s favor for the first time ever, with Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road at the forefront of the public’s knowledge of queer country music. Joy Oladokun is releasing new music every time I turn around.

Anyone who enjoys history, music, and queer stories will enjoy this book. I can’t recommend it enough.

An absolutely fascinating deep dive into the historical crossover of queer identity and country music. As a country lesbian, I loved this - it was so interesting to trace the history of musicians aligned with my identities and interests and see how their expressions of queerness changed throughout modernity. Loved loved loved, much easier to read than most nonfiction books, which I typically consume via audio. It's long, but it's worth it!

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

Okay, so this, uh, rigorously academic book about queer country music performers needs to come with an accompanying Spotify playlist. Just saying.

Anyway, I know nothing about this subject. Literally nothing. My knowledge of country music basically consists of a couple of seasons of Nashville and the fact my dad was into Gordon Lightfoot (who, now I think about it, might be folk?). But I wanted to read this book for two reasons.

Let me start with the first and the simplest, which was simply about addressing my own ignorance. And, y’know, ignorance addressed? Or at least, partially: the book is very dense, because it is an ethnographic study, not a 101. I should also probably take this opportunity to acknowledge that I simply do not have the requisite understanding to review this book in any meaningful way. I mean, it’s not going to stop me *trying* but please be very aware my comments are coming from an incredibly clueless place.

That said, this struck me as meticulously researched and engagingly written, as well as respectful to the diverse identities and gender journeys undertaken by many of its subjects (which range from Patrick Haggerty, kd lang, to Rae Spoon, to Trixie Mattel to Lil Nas X) It centralises the voices of queer and trans performers and explores with precision and sensitivity the complex intersectionalities of politics, self-expression, gender and genre. My take is worth very little here, but I would sincerely recommend this for anyone with an interest in the subject, and for anyone else, who like me, feels their burden of their own cluelessness.

Which … now brings me to the second reason, rather more personal reason for reading this book. Although first let me make clear that the struggles of queer and trans country singers are entirely distinct: I’m not trying to appropriate or co-op anyone else’s story, but I think I was kind of … I think I was looking to understand what drives creators to persist in genres that are hostile to who they are and what they do.

For, y’know, no reason?

One of the aspects of the book that I find both most interesting and most accessible was its on-going discussion of the construction of genre in the context of our understanding of gender:

“Genre and gender are both taxonomies based in style, form, function and discourse. These categories seem to predict content and usage. The category of gender presumes a feature of animal and plant life that forms a central facet of the way humans interpret the worth and function of a living thing. And, interestingly, musical genre also assumes a type of person […] Genre implies decisions about marketing music and finding an audience, a choice that has to do with presumptions about different kind of people.”

Of course, I know that country music and romance fiction exist in different contexts and have different histories. But, still, make you think doesn’t it? Especially given how much discourse there’s been this year around whose books “count” as romance, even if the stories themselves meet the central criteria of the genre (focus on a central relationship, optimistic ending with the lovers together). If nothing else, reading Queer Country helped me to better understand my own genre’s resistance to stories from people whose identities may been seen as disruptive to certain readers’ expectations of the world.

This will always be a painful thing, I think. But I am more at peace with it than I have been for what feels like a long time. So. Um. Yeah. I may know sweet FA about queer country music but a book about it was exactly what I needed at the close of 2021.

A fantastic examination of the queer roots and contemporary manifestations in American country and folk music.
The author demonstrates a clear love and respect for the genre and medium, as well as a willingness to let the artists and their stories speak for themselves. Spanning the length and breadth of the genre's history, as well as unpicking the often complex political and cultural tensions which haunt the music, this book is a feat of intervention into the study of Queer Country music.