It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror

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His creative and critical work has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books , Chicago Review of Books , Harvard Review , Colorado Review , Electric Literature , and elsewhere. The movie inclusion was more like a gimmick so this wouldn't be 'just another nonfiction queer memoir essay collection' rather than an an actual component when it came to writing the essays, at least the ones I read. I particularly enjoyed Trimble’s piece on The Exorcist, and growing up as a lesbian in 90s America surrounded by representatives of the Christian right. Bardzo byłam podekscytowana czytaniem jak zaczynałam, a ostatecznie mnie strasznie momentami męczyła.

Obviously, with such a diversity of approaches (and author experiences of queerness), certain essays moved or resonated with me more than others did. Killers, monsters, and demons are frequently metaphors for what we don’t understand about our own humanity; they’re an attempt to externalize the “monstrousness” so many of us suppress within ourselves — or that others project onto unchangeable aspects of who we are… I finished [the anthology] with a new appreciation for the horror genre. Doyle on In My Skin, Addie Tsai on Dead Ringers, and many more, these conversations convey the rich reciprocity between queerness and horror.I will say, I skipped the essays for the movies I hadn't seen yet, but I really loved many of the essays I did read (around half). They are well written and the storytelling aspect of it makes this sort of analysis so much more accessible and entertaining to read.

Still, viewers often remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the unique ways queerness encounters the world. Because of these gaps, in terms of iconic queerness horror has to offer, this does feel a little incomplete to me. i also wish we got more stories from trans women because i feel as though they’re particularly demonized when it comes to just general society but especially in horror.First with Shudder's Queer for Fear series that aired in October, and now with this collection of horror movie analyses through a queer lens. Doyle on "In My Skin", Addie Tsai on "Dead Ringers", and many more, these conversations convey the rich reciprocity between queerness and horror. These clear, insightful, and deeply personal essays reveal the real reasons why we've all been so scared.

Finally: a smart and serious yet playful book that interrogates the complex queerness of horror and the films that make a horror of queerness. This book is a must-read, and I hope that there will be another collection following this theme very soon because I'm already craving so much more. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. There’s a moment in this book that’ll resonate with every single reader: undead, queer, or otherwise. But I would say that if you are planning on watching any of the movies that it’s a good idea to do it beforehand since they discuss a lot of spoilers.

if you’re looking for a diverse theorization about queer appreciation for the horror (film) genre, look no further!