Actual rating 4.5 stars

[Digital copy provided by Netgalley]

This was such an interesting read! I've only been to Newark once and only caught a brief glimpse of it. Queer histories in general are deeply compelling to me regardless of my personal connection to the locations involved, but it was nice to have some familiarity still. This is a scholarly work but with a lot of heart with varingly approachable language depending on the chapter. I especially enjoyed the walking tour and the early history before the 1967 revolution. The only criticism is the very frequent repetition of certain story beats like the death of Sakia Gunn, the founding and relocation of the LGBTQ center and the history of notable queer bars. Since the book does mention certain things being covered in other chapters, there is clearly a level of editing involved beyond just pasting together thematically matching scholarly work that was separately written. I would have loved for that editorial touch to have been more liberally used. Still, this is an excellent work and a great insight into oral histories in particular.

Great account of history in this book. Definitely learned a lot and would read more from this author in the future

This book was very wonderful! It did something that so many non-fiction queer books don't do. It actually talked about and recognized the contributions of people of color and primarily within that Black people. It's also incrediblt well written and engaging.

4 stars. Lots of great scholarship and work went into this book.

The book didn't get 5 stars from me for three main reasons. First, it was sometimes a bit too academic, although I recognize that it's meant to be a corrective to the invisibility, past and present, of queer communities in Newark, and by extension, other places, and the writers and contributors do succeed in making us care about our queer ancestors. The one other minus is that the copy editing and proofreading that should have been manifest in an academic work were lacking. (I don't have my notes with me, but I'm happy to find them if anyone wants.) Lastly, I felt that if a book is about a specific city and its many past and present queer landmarks, maps and diagrams should have been provided, but they sadly are missing from the book. At first I thought this was because I had received an e-book ARC. However, the print version confirms that the editor/publisher did not include something that could have been so valuable, both to the casual reader and the more committed researcher.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Queer Newark
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is really fascinating. I so often see queer history presented only in terms of big cities, like New York, San Francisco, or Chicago. I really enjoyed this in depth look into the queer history and politics of Newark, New Jersey, which lacks the PR of those other places. This book really looks into the intersections of race and class and queer identity. This book is very academic and a little complex, but it is not totally inaccessible. The organization makes it very clear and easy to follow, even for those who aren’t trained historians or history buffs. I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it.