<DIV><p>Gay topics have been central to most national literary traditions, whether in fiction, memoir, drama, or verse. Yet &ldquo;crossover&rdquo; success stories are remarkably few, as are works of literature about gay subjects, written by heterosexual authors. Furthermore, openly gay-themed books tend to get passed over in favor of works more evidently addressing &ldquo;universal&rdquo; or &ldquo;mainstream&rdquo; concerns. No longer: Here's the book that cues you in to the essential titles in the gay and lesbian literary canon.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Edited by Richard Canning, with a foreword from renowned literary critic Harold Bloom, this volume contains fifty succinct essays by critics, public figures, and authors. They illuminate works by fifty men and women that <I>everybody</I> should read.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Canning tackles important themes, issues of regional and cultural diversity, political aspects, and analyses of that old chestnut: What makes a work of literature gay or lesbian? Don&rsquo;t expect a definitive answer. <I>Do</I> expect to learn why these titles are must-reads.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Rearrange your shelves, book-club lists, and expectations. Whether your preference is for Ginsberg or Woolf or Melville, this is one volume no bookworm&mdash;straight or gay&mdash;should miss out on.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><B>Richard Canning</B> is the editor of the Between Men<I> </I>series and author of <I>Gay Fiction Speaks </I>and <I>Hear Us Out</I>, which won the 2005 Lambda Literary Award for Editor&rsquo;s Choice. Born in England, he divides his time between London and Sheffield, where he is a lecturer in English and American literature at the University of Sheffield.</p></DIV>