Understanding Edmund White

"Radel's adroit study supports programs in American literature and criticism as well as gay/lesbian studies."—Choice

"Deft, detailed, and discerning, Nicholas F. Radel's book not only illuminates his complex subject, but demonstrates that Edmund White is one of our finest and most challenging writers. Radel places White both in his immediate context and in the wider frame of global thought and literature. He demonstrates how White's varied oeuvre is energized by concerns that make it important for everyone to understand."—David Bergman, editor of Gay American Autobiography: Writings from Whitman to Sedaris and author of The Violet Hour: The Violet Quill and the Making of Gay Culture

"This meticulously researched, lucidly argued, and sharply written book ushers Edmund White onto the national literary pantheon, where he not only rightfully belongs, but where he also confirms the prominent place that works by, about, and for gay men have begun to occupy in American letters. . . . Interweaving facts from the writer's rich international life and oeuvre, Radel creates a nuanced portrait that will attract students looking for a comprehensive introduction and also scholars and nonacademics seeking sophisticated readings of White's books."—Magdalena J. Zaborowska, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor