Timothy Gitzen, "Unscripting the Present" (SUNY Press, 2025)

Timothy Gitzen, "Unscripting the Present" (SUNY Press, 2025)

Author: New Books Network December 9, 2025 Duration: 41:26
Timothy Gitzen's Unscripting the Present (SUNY Press, 2025) interrogates contemporary sex panics in the United States, looking especially at popular culture texts to conceptualize queer youth survival strategies. Sex panics saturate contemporary discourse and politics in the United States. While such panics have a long history, they are now infused with rhetoric, logics, and methods of security that turn queer sexuality into an existential crisis. Queer youth bear the brunt of this crisis, with their presumed innocence always in danger of being lost. Unscripting the Present interweaves analysis of laws and lawsuits, news media, sociological studies, and popular culture both to understand contemporary sex panics and to highlight how queer youth find ways to survive in the here and now. Developing a novel technique of "unscripting," Gitzen focuses our attention on those impromptu moments when things go awry in representations of queer youth-moments that disrupt securitization's social "scripts." Foregoing well-worn promises of things getting better, texts such as Netflix's "Sex Education", the film "Love, Simon", and the multimodal show "Skam" upend the anxious hyperfocus on what's to come in favor of a hopeful present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/lgbtq-studies

Dive into the vibrant and evolving world of queer scholarship with New Books in LGBTQ+ Studies. This podcast, part of the broader New Books Network, functions as a unique academic audio library, bringing rigorous yet accessible conversations directly to your ears. Each episode features an in-depth dialogue where authors discuss their latest publications with a knowledgeable host, unpacking the ideas, research, and personal journeys behind their work. You’ll encounter a rich spectrum of topics that span the categories of arts, culture, society, health, and sexuality, reflecting the interdisciplinary heart of LGBTQ+ studies. Rather than dry lectures, these are lively explorations that connect academic research to lived experience and contemporary issues. The format allows for nuanced discussion you simply can’t get from a book jacket or review, offering listeners a front-row seat to the cutting edge of queer thought. It’s an invitation to engage with the scholars who are shaping our understanding of identity, community, history, and politics. For anyone curious about the depth and breadth of queer scholarship-from seasoned academics to dedicated allies and lifelong learners-this channel provides a consistently enlightening resource. Tune in to hear the voices defining the field, one compelling book at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

New Books in LGBTQ+ Studies
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