Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories

I devoted most of a Shabbat to reading the stories in this book. Meals did not interrupt the reading; I could not make a trade-off between nourishing my body and nourishing my soul so I nourished both simultaneously. Page 159 was the emotional high point of the book for me. Andrew Ramer shares the ability of other great writers to transport the reader from this world to his stories' settings. Reading this book was a real mechaieh.

I am enjoying reading this collection of sketches and stories of a queer Midrash slowly, one story st a time, each like a sweet ripe fig, each a delight, opening my eyes to new ways of envisioning a rich, queer, Jewish life and way of being in the world. Even if I were to ignore how the subject matter intersects with my own life questins, the book would be well worth my time for the sheer beauty of the writing.

Queering the Text is a magical, brilliant, poetic book. I loved every page of it. This is a book that can be read over and over and over again.

One would think a gay re-interpretation of Jewish scriptures might be tough going in spots, but Ramer makes an effort to be more pointed than pedantic. And when it shines, as in the middle section, “Al-Andalus: Tales of an Imaginary Spain,” inspired by some homoerotic poetry from medieval Spain, his reimaginings are truly beautiful to behold. Despite a rather dry sound, this is an engaging and illuminating read worth your time.

Andrew Ramer is a gifted writer. If you read this book just to experience his writing talents, the book is more than worth your time and money. I can't by any means claim to have any real experience or background in the areas Andrew touches upon in his latest work, or those that he has published in the past. What I can tell you is, coming from someone who seeks knowledge and understanding from different perspectives and lives, is that "Queering the Text" is a phenomenally interesting book, and transports you across various universes all-at-once. His storytelling gift entices a novice reader of works in this space to explore even more. His writing perks my interest into reading more about the characters and places he references throughout his latest seminal work. Don't hesitate to buy this book. You won't regret it! - Patanjali

What a lovely book. I have always enjoyed reading "midrash", interpretations of the Torah. This creative book looks at the texts from the view point of being queer, and made for wonderful stories which expanded my thinking. Thankyou Andrew Ramer!

This book is a remarkable blending of ancient stories and inserting them into modern LGBT situations.It IS mostly fiction—rewritten legend – but it's gorgeous.