An archaeology of posing

"An Archaeology of Posing compiles previous and new writing on gay culture by one of the field's most provocative critics. Diverging from the text-based premise of most LGBTQ theories, Meyer utilizes performance studies and interpretive anthropology to examine camp and drag performances in the spaces in which they appear. He explores a variety of topics - from transsexual striptease and Harlem drag balls to the death of camp-- within the genre of gay and gendered performance. This collection of essays, with his celebration of the effeminate gay male body, presents a fresh interpretation of established art forms. From the pre-Stonewall era to the present day, Meyer redefines how we understand the phenomena of camp and drag."--Page 4 of cover.