States of Desire
.jpeg) | |
| Author | Edmund White |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | E. P. Dutton |
| Publication date | February 1979 |
| Publication place | United States |
States of Desire: Travels in Gay America is a book by American writer Edmund White.[1][2][3][4] Published in early 1979, the book follows the lives of gay men and their communities across several U.S. states.[1][3]
The book provides several accounts from gay men in multiple American cities and states, such as New Mexico, Cincinnati and Salt Lake.[1] A common theme discusses by them, as well as White himself, was the fear of aging out of the gay sexual market. At the end of the book, he interviews a pedophile who fears he will be imprisoned for his sexual interests, to whom White responds that "while you were talking I kept wishing I'd met you when I was nine and you the age you are now".[2]
References
- 1 2 3 "STATES OF DESIRE: Travels in Gay America". Kirkus Reviews. February 1, 1979. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- 1 2 Cowan, Paul (February 3, 1980). "The Pursuit of Happiness". New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- 1 2 Lanchester, John (January 28, 2026). "Butch Perrier Drinkers". Literary Review. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ↑ Woods, Gregory (January 16, 2015). "Edmund White: STATES OF DESIRE REVISITED". Times Literary Supplement (5833): 27–28 – via Gale Academic OneFile.