New Books Network Barbara Jane Brickman, "Suffering Sappho! Lesbian Camp in American Popular Culture" (Rutgers UP, 2023)
Jan 8, 2026
Barbara Jane Brickman, a Professor of media and gender studies at the University of Alabama, dives into the vibrant world of lesbian camp in American culture. She defines camp as both a survival language for queer communities and a political act. From analyzing early Wonder Woman comics with their coded desires to exploring iconic figures like Tallulah Bankhead, Brickman reveals how camp subverts traditional narratives. Her insights into unintentional camp and the overlooked histories of women of color add depth to a fascinating cultural discussion.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Camp As Political Survival
- Camp mixes audience taste and performer practice into a single sensibility used for survival and resistance.
- Barbara Jane Brickman argues camp historically functioned as coded political protest within queer communities.
Childhood TV Guide Sparked Scholarship
- Brickman grew up as the family's 'TV guide' and watched hours of television daily, forming a lifelong media fandom.
- A conference comment prompted her to read about camp and realize it matched her sensibility and research interests.
A Single Line Sparked The Book
- Brickman found a single line in Lillian Faderman's history about 30–40 women watching Tallulah Bankhead that unsettled the orthodox view of the 1950s.
- That detail became the 'grain of sand' motivating her decade-long research into lesbian camp.
