Jim Tushinski

Jim Van Buskirk

A collection of creative nonfiction by queer writers exploring their attachment to another identity - a different race, religion, ethnicity, sex, nationality, class, a pop culture figure, something, anything - while wrestling with feelings of displacement, of not belonging. Humorous and hard-hitting, poignant and provocative, Identity Envy includes essays, memoir, and creative nonfiction that explore the dynamics of growing up and being grown up, of wanting to belong and of finding one's way.

Wanting to be who We're Not : Creative Nonfiction by Queer Writers

Identity Envy

Gay men and lesbians present humorous and hard-hitting accounts of the need to belong . . . somewhere Why would a lesbian raised in a Jewish home have a sudden desire to be a tough-talking Catholic girl? And why would a gay man travel to Ireland in a desperate attempt to escape his “hillbilly” roots? Identity Envy—Wanting to Be Who We’re Not explores the connections gay men and lesbians have to religions, races, ethnicities, classes, families of origin, and genders not their own. This unique anthology takes both humorous and serious looks at the identities of others as queer writers explore their own identity envies in personal essays, memoirs, and other creative nonfiction. Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, intersex, and other sexual minorities often feel marginalized by mainstream culture and have a need to belong somewhere, to claim a group as their own. This surprising book presents stories of identity envy that are humorous and hard-hitting, poignant and provocative, written with energy, wit, and candor by many of your favorite writers-and some exciting newcomers. Identity Envy—Wanting to Be Who We’re Not includes: Gerard Wozek’s King Fu-infused “Chasing the Grasshopper” Max Pierce’s fantasy of being a “Child Star” that helped him through a troubled family life Lori Horvitz’s “Shiksa in my Living Room” D. Travers Scott's “EuroTex” Perry Brass's “A Serene Invisibility: Turning Myself into a Christian Girl” Jim Tushinski’s ode to Lost in Space, “The Perfect Space Family” Al Cho’s unlikely identification with Laura Ingalls Wilder characters, “Farmer Boy” Irish-American John Gilgun wishes he could be one of those “Italian-American Boys” Joan Annsfire rejects her Jewish heritage to become Catholic schoolgirl Corinne O'Donnell in “The Promise of Redemption” Andrew Ramer’s “Tales of a Male Lesbian” city slicker Mike McGinty’s life with the cattle folk, “You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me, Helen” and much more! Identity Envy—Wanting to Be Who We’re Not is a must-read for anyone who appreciates good writing—especially gay and lesbian readers who know what it’s like to wish you were someone else.

Creative Nonfiction by Queer Writers

Identity Envy Wanting to Be Who We're Not

Born into an extraordinarily talented family, 29-year-old Michael Van Allen is the gay son of a well-known concert pianist and an equally famous painter. All his life, he has yearned for the talent and creativity that should have been his birthright but have somehow been denied him. When he wakes up in a mental hospital, his memory gone, his former life erased, his doctor tells him of his screaming breakdown during one of his father's performances. Van Allen's Ecstasy is the story of Michael's journey in search of his former self. As he pieces together his forgotten life, Michael uncovers jealousy, obsession, and secret desires that threaten to destroy his sanity once again.

Jim Tushinski

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