The Last Deployment: How a Gay, Hammer-swinging Twentysomething Survived a Year in Iraq (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies) - Softcover

Lemer, Bronson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0299282147 ISBN 13: 9780299282141

Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press, 2011

Synopsis

The Last Deployment In the midst of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy debate, a gay former soldier offers a firsthand account of his experiences in the Iraq war, capturing the real experience of gay servicemen and servicewomen.

About this title

Review

“Lemer writes with clarity, temperance, and an eye for detail. . . . Without ever becoming polemical, the book shows graphically how ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ cruelly affects gay soldiers who play by the rules.”—David Bergman, editor of" Gay American Autobiography: Writings from Whitman to Sedaris"

“An important contribution to this national debate. . . . A book we should have on the president’s desk as soon as possible.”—Tim Miller, author of "Body Blows" and "1001 Beds"

"Lemer writes with clarity, temperance, and an eye for detail. . . . Without ever becoming polemical, the book shows graphically how 'don't ask, don't tell' cruelly affects gay soldiers who play by the rules."--David Bergman, editor of" Gay American Autobiography: Writings from Whitman to Sedaris"

"An important contribution to this national debate. . . . A book we should have on the president's desk as soon as possible."--Tim Miller, author of "Body Blows" and "1001 Beds"

"A well-written, often provocative memoir of the author's struggle to reconcile military brotherhood with self-acceptance. . . . Regardless of how you feel about the war, this memoir is well worth reading."--"Lambda Literary"

"This is extremely touching material. Lemer describes the emotional turbulence of being gay in the military, tortured with the strong natural desire to connect with his fellow soldiers yet unable to reveal himself because of his sexuality. There is real pain in that kind of personal concealment, and it permeates this moving, substantive account."--"Bay Area Reporter"

"This book provides a poignant example of a gay man learning more about his place in the world. Lemer's fears and joys highlight the humanity associated with being gay in the military, along with complexities of the discriminatory and soon to be ended policy of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"--"High Plains Reader"

"A masterful balance of straightforward wartime reporting, anguished self-reflection and a wealth of absurd asides."--"Pittsburgh's Out"

"Lemer's is a wonderfully descriptive, wryly humorous, heart-crushing story, and I couldn't put it down. . . . If you love a soldier, your country, or both, " The Last Deployment" is a book you'll want to tell everybody about."--"The Dallas Voice"

Lemer writes with clarity, temperance, and an eye for detail. . . . Without ever becoming polemical, the book shows graphically how don t ask, don t tell cruelly affects gay soldiers who play by the rules. David Bergman, editor of" Gay American Autobiography: Writings from Whitman to Sedaris""

About the Author

Bronson Lemer served in the North Dakota Army National Guard for six years, including deployments to Kosovo and Iraq. His writing has appeared in Blue Earth Review, The Rekjavik Grapevine, and Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers. He teaches English and humanities courses at Turtle Mountain Community College near Belcourt, North Dakota.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0299282147
• ISBN 13: 9780299282141
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320