Living Sexuality

Keith Berry, Ph.D. (2004), Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is Associate Professor of Communication at University of South Florida. He has published numerous journal articles and book chapters, and the book Bullied: Tales of Torment, Identities, and Youth. He is past Chair of the Ethnography Division of the National Communication Association (NCA) and past Co-chair of NCA's Anti-Bullying Task Force.Catherine M. Gillotti, Ph.D. (1996), University of Kentucky, is Associate Professor of Communication at Purdue University Northwest. She has published several book chapters and journal articles in the area of interpersonal communication and health communication.Tony E. Adams, Ph.D. (2008), University of South Florida, is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Bradley University. He is the co-author and/or co-editor of six books including Narrating the Closet: An Autoethnography of Same Sex Desire. He is a co-editor of the "Writing Lives: Ethnographic Narratives" book series and founding co-editor of the Journal of Autoethnography.

"Living Sexuality explores the diverse ways that people who identify as LGBTQ experience and live their sexualities. The authors show how sexualities are constructed, changed, and understood, and how desires and relationships with family, friends, and partners are animated in day-to-day social practices. Unique in its attention to everyday details, embodiment, and emotional vulnerability, the autoethnographic stories add both a personal and conceptual dimension to our understanding of sexuality, evoking a rich and textured experience of the complexities, fears, joys, and sorrows of living LGBTQ lives. Discussions at the end of each chapter will stimulate lively and introspective discussions in classrooms, particularly those focused on human sexuality, queer studies, and gender. This is an important and welcome addition to the literature on LGBTQ issues." - Carolyn Ellis, Distinguished Professor Emerita, Department of Communication, University of South Florida"Living Sexuality makes good on its claim that engaging stories provide valuable insight into the lived experience of desire, identity, and communication. Berry, Gillotti, and Adams (with welcome trans cameos from their colleague Billy Huff) exhibit their diverse and complementary strengths in personal narrative and authoethnography. Through the LGBQ(T) stories they tell across ably disposed chapters, and across the arcs of their lives to date, we understand better how relational communication matters in complex contexts of friendship, family, mentorship, religion, sexual liaison, partnership, and more. They offer much to reflexively contemplate as we strive as queer people to communicate better with those who share the sexuality of our daily lives." - Charles E. Morris III, Professor and Chair, Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies, Syracuse University, Co-Editor, QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking"Demonstrating that sexualities should be more naturalized and less subject to ideological critique, Living Sexuality weaves the deeply personal, sometimes painful, and often joyful experiences of authors Keith Berry, Catherine M. Gillotti, and Tony E. Adams into a thinking/feeling experience not soon forgotten. Whether celebrating The Golden Girls or musing about monogamy, the authors offer meaningful, productive, and candid accounts of their sexual being. This book is a must for my next Sexuality & Communication seminar." - Jimmie Manning, Chair and Professor, Communication Studies, University of Nevada

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Ode to the BoysKeith Berry2. The ClosetTony E. Adams3. Mental GymnasticsCatherine M. Gillotti4. WallsBilly Huff5. Things I Don’t Have to DoKeith Berry6. Queer DuckTony E. Adams7. True CompanionCatherine M. Gillotti8. Relational GiftsKeith Berry9. The GirlsTony E. Adams and Keith Berry10. Language MattersTony E. Adams11. RuminationCatherine M. Gillotti12. The Sexual RelationshipBilly Huff13. MonogamyTony E. Adams14. The JoyCatherine M. Gillotti15. Things I Must Still DoKeith Berry16. RefrainCatherine M. Gillotti17. Resilient YouKeith Berry18. Estrangement - Pride - ForgivenessTony E. AdamsAbout the Authors