Righting my World

A collection of writings over the past half-century from the acclaimed professor of politics and gay rights activist.

From the inauguration of Richard Nixon to Trump’s America, from Gay Liberation to the AIDS crisis and beyond, Dennis Altman has been both a participant in the changing times and an acute observer. The publication of Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation in 1971 heralded his arrival as an exciting new voice in the movement for gay rights and in Australian writing. And alongside his longer works, Altman has honed his craft and vision in literary journals, the queer press, academic forums and daily newspapers.

This collection captures the sense of Australia and the wider world as it was and as it is, charting the course of a conversation about civil rights and cultural change, while at the same time highlighting the persistence of prejudice and the value of art. Interspersed with personal essays reflecting on Altman’s cultural heritage, grief and ageing, Righting My World is a powerful and illuminating chronicle.