Luminous presence: Derek Jarman's life-writing is the first book to analyse the prolific writing of queer icon Derek Jarman. Although he is well known for his avant-garde filmmaking, his garden, and his AIDS activism, he is also the author of over a dozen books, many of which are autobiographical. Much of Jarman's exploration of post-war queer identity and imaginative response to HIV/AIDS can be found in his books, such as the lyrical AIDS diaries Modern Nature and Smiling in Slow Motion. This book fully explores, for the first time, the remarkable range and depth of Jarman's writing. Spanning his career, Alexandra Parsons argues that Jarman's self-reflexive response to the HIV/AIDS crisis was critical in changing the cultural terms of queer representation from the 1980s onwards. Luminous presence is of great interest to students, scholars and readers of queer histories in literature, art and film.

About the Author
Alexandra Parsons is a Paul Mellon Centre fellow and teaches contemporary literature and culture at University College London

Reviews

'In this engrossing collection of essays, Parsons captures well Jarman's frenetically creative impulses...'
Choice
(Reprinted with permission from Choice Reviews. All rights reserved. Copyright by the American Library Association)

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Book Information
ISBN 9781526171573
Author Alexandra Parsons
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint Manchester University Press
Publisher Manchester University Press
Weight(grams) 535g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 19mm