Indecent Advances

In his revelatory and meticulously researched book, James Polchin has discovered a forgotten chapter of queer history hiding in plain sight: in sensationalistic newspaper articles documenting decades of anti-gay violence, often in coded terms. Looking at gay life through this novel lens offers an entirely fresh take on what previous generations endured. Like the best true crime stories, Indecent Advances is both brutal to read and impossible to put down. – Wayne Hoffman, author of An Older ManA grisly, sobering, comprehensively researched new history. – The New YorkerA reflective, thoughtful first book that perfectly blends true crime and the history of discrimination against gay men in the 20th century. – Library JournalThoughtful, accessible and well-researched, Polchin’s book offers useful insight into some of the lesser-known cultural currents that gave rise to the gay rights movement. An enlighteningly provocative cultural history. – Kirkus Reviews

James Polchin is a cultural critic and professor at New York University. He’s held faculty appointments in the Princeton Writing Program, the Parsons School of Design, and the New School for Public Engagement, and has given talks on art history, literary journalism, and queer history at universities in the US and UK.