Eighteenth-century queer studies, revisited

Abstract

This review essays opens with concerns over “crisis” that have spurred widespread panic about the state and future of the humanities. Crisis, I suggest, is the rallying call for new directions in and reinvention of 18th-century queer studies. By advocating for recuperative histories wherein crisis is a motivational force that pushes 18th-century queer studies to be further self-reflexive and intersectional, I examine three potent trends and their portents for 18th-century studies: masculinity studies, the nexus of queer and disability studies, and trans studies. I close with a continued call for examinations of queerness and race as they might enlighten the long 18th century. This article ultimately surveys current terrains of 18th-century queer studies and its commitments to evolve inclusively, dynamically, and unapologetically.