YOUNG BLOOMSBURY

A queer history of the infamous Bloomsbury Group and their young acolytes.

In the 21st century, where ENM is used as an acronym for ethical nonmonogamy, it may be strange to think there was a time and place where people had to hide their sexual preferences and the people they loved. Of course, while much has changed for the better, so too has homophobia and discrimination been emboldened in recent years, especially against trans people. This is, in part, what motivated Strachey (a descendant of Bloomsbury’s own Lytton Strachey) to write this book. The author insightfully analyzes the substance of Bloomsbury’s social network, how their lives intertwined as a kind of queer chosen family, and how they adapted to heteronormative expectations while remaining true to their desires and identities. With short chapters written in lucid prose, this is a dream to read for those interested in queer history, and Strachey treats the colorful drama of her subject’s lives with tact. The most delightful surprise here is learning that some of the most beloved pillars of early 20th-century Anglophone culture—e.g., Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, and Lytton Strachey—were not above using their literary gifts for catty missives about their fellow creatives or paramours or roommates (or some magical commingling of all three categories). Queerness has been a social constant through the ages. What’s significant about this meeting of old and young Bloomsbury is how queer cultural knowledge has been exchanged from one generation to the next and how vital that transmission remains. A mistake the young make is assuming their antecedents have nothing left to contribute to an ever shifting present. On the contrary, the brilliant works produced by the luminaries of young Bloomsbury would not have happened without the nurture of old Bloomsbury. Strachey demonstrates this truth with aplomb.

This compact history proves that the lived experiences of our elders are essential resource for succeeding generations.