Uneven: Nine Lives that Redefined Bisexuality

(Hardback, Main)

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Uneven tells the stories of nine pioneering bisexual artists, writers and musicians that will change our understanding of the world's largest sexual minority. Bisexuality is often seen as something temporary, in spite of increasing openness around it: a sign of immaturity or a waystation on the road to a different sexuality altogether, rather than its own distinct entity. In this beautifully written cultural history, Sam Mills reclaims bisexuality as its own identity, interweaving her experience of being bisexual with illuminating portraits of a clutch of artists, writers and musicians, including Colette, Bessie Smith, Marlene Dietrich, Anas Nin, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Madonna. Celebrating the resilience, diversity and spirit of the bisexual community through the ages, Uneven explores how each of these trailblazing figures have been misunderstood; how social attitudes affected their sexuality, their relationships and their work; how LGBTQ+ identities have been portrayed from the Victorian era to the present day; and how attitudes have progressed.Illuminating, personal and entertaining, Uneven paints a nuanced portrait of a sidelined community.

Reviews

a beautifully written memoir ... a brave and original book filled with all kinds of glittering fragments -- personal, literary and political ... It is not a how-to manual, but a powerful exploration of loving and giving * The Times on The Fragments of My Father *
a poignant memoir about being a carer for a father who suffered from mental illness. Mills melds her own touching story with reflections on the literary figures - including Zelda Fitzgerald - who have been through similar struggles * Independent on The Fragments of My Father *

Author Bio

SAM MILLS is the author of The Quiddity of Will Self and The Watermark, along with three young adult novels, including the award-winning Blackout. Her memoir about being a carer, The Fragments of My Father, was published in 2020. Sam has written for a number of publications, including the Guardian, Independent, 3 AM and London Magazine. She is the co-founder of the independent press Dodo Ink and lives in London looking after her father and cat.