“Glances Backward breaks new ground in gay studies. The anthology explores the full range of writing about gay males from before the Civil War to just after the First World War. In its treatment of largely unknown and inaccessible texts—from overwrought expressions of romantic friendship to modern diatribes against homosexuals as poor insurance risks—it offers the best scholarly introduction to ... Read morethe period when homosexuality was just finding its voice. It is a landmark text, necessary not only for queer scholars but for any student of American literature.” — David Van Leer, University of California, Davis “This is an astonishing array of writing about same-sex relations. James Gifford is a scholar who leaves no archival page unturned, and he has put together an anthology that all readers can turn to for discovery, delight, and a deeper appreciation of American history and culture.” — David Bergman, Towson University “A recognizably ‘gay’ American culture is a lot older, and a lot richer, than we thought—and here is the archive to prove it! This anthology brings together for the first time the major and minor voices of queer American literature, who together represent an astonishing range of experience, hope, and desire.” — Eric Savoy, Universite de Montreal Show Less