Racialized Politics of Desire in Personal Ads

Maureen Daly Goggin is professor of rhetoric and Neal A. Lester is professor of English, both at Arizona State University.

The essays in Racialized Politics of Desire in Personal Ads explore complex intersections among the social categories of race, gender and sexuality within personal ads, revealing a dynamic tapestry of power relations and hierarchies. The ephemeral nature of personal ads, their anonymity, the space limitations, and the linguistic encoding characteristic of the genre make it an interesting and important opportunity to witness the performative nature of identity politics.

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction. Trapped in Lines and Language: Distorted Selves in Personal Ads Chapter 3 Chapter 1. "EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!" Constructions of Heterosexual Black Male Identities in the Personals Chapter 4 Chapter 2. In Living Color: Politics of Desire in Heterosexual Interracial Black/White Personal Ads Chapter 5 Chapter 3. Black Gay Men Seeking Black Gay Men: Cultural and Historical Implications Chapter 6 Chapter 4. Personal Ads and the Intersection of Race and Same-Sex Male Attraction Chapter 7 Chapter 5. SBF Seeks Miss Afrekete: Authentic Lesbians and Same-Sex Desire in the Personals Chapter 8 Chapter 6. Ethnic Chasers, Auntie Toms, and E(gal)itarians: Black Females Seeking and Being Sought by White Females Chapter 9 Chapter 7. "The 21st Century Option to Meet and Socialize": Discursive Conventions of Black Heterosexual Male Identities in Match.com Chapter 10 Chapter 8. Afterword