Book Review: Butch is a Noun

I got this book for my partner for Christmas this year and after she flew through it in a day, I thought that I would pick it up. Typically, I am not a fan of essays. I find them dull and many times narcissistic. Bergman's book did the exact opposite!

Each of the essays focuses on a different aspect of butches beginning with "what/who" butches are, which she is unable to define. Hir writing ranges from reflections on the special friendships that butches have with each other to the complexities of using genered bathrooms and just about everything in between. Of course this means that there are some essays on sex, but they are far from graphic. While some reviewers think that this book is for butches and "those who love them", I would say that this collection is a must read for everyone in today's society for it touches on the larger issue of identity and its constructs. At times funny, but always insightful, Bergman educates the reader in a way that feels like we are not being educated. Perhaps this is because Bergman is a professional lecturer on the topic and has excelled at teaching important gender issues to everyone from college students to convicts.

Overall, this is an incredibly important read and one that people should not shy away from.

-DLP