{"product_id":"loving-mountains-loving-men-memoirs-of-a-gay-appalachian-9780821416501","title":"Loving Mountains, Loving Men: Memoirs of a Gay Appalachian","description":"\u003cp\u003e • Author(s): Jeff Mann\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher: Ohio University Press\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher Imprint: Ohio University Press\u003cbr\u003e • BISAC: Personal Memoirs\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLoving Mountains, Loving Men\u003c\/i\u003e is the first book-length treatment of a topic rarely discussed or examined: gay life in Appalachia. Appalachians are known for their love of place, yet many gays and lesbians from the mountains flee to urban areas. Jeff Mann tells the story of one who left and then returned, who insists on claiming and celebrating both regional and erotic identities. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In memoir and poetry, Mann describes his life as an openly gay man who has remained true to his mountain roots. Mann recounts his upbringing in Hinton, a small town in southern West Virginia, as well as his realization of his homosexuality, his early encounters with homophobia, his coterie of supportive lesbian friends, and his initial attempts to escape his native region in hopes of finding a freer life in urban gay communities. Mann depicts his difficult search for a romantic relationship, the family members who have given him the strength to defy convention, his anger against religious intolerance and the violence of homophobia, and his love for the rich folk culture of the Highland South. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e His character and values shaped by the mountains, Mann has reconciled his homosexuality with both traditional definitions of Appalachian manhood and his own attachment to home and kin. \u003ci\u003eLoving Mountains, Loving Men\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling, universal story of making peace with oneself and the wider world.","brand":"Ohio University Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47781011947671,"sku":"9780821416501","price":3168.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0666\/3471\/1191\/files\/9780821416501.webp?v=1778049883","url":"https:\/\/atlanticbooks.com\/products\/loving-mountains-loving-men-memoirs-of-a-gay-appalachian-9780821416501","provider":"Atlantic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}