Description
Book Synopsis: This singular history of a prison, and the queer women and trans people held there, is a window into the policing of queerness and radical politics in the twentieth century. The Women’s House of Detention, a landmark that ushered in the modern era of women’s imprisonment, is now largely forgotten. But when it stood in New York City’s Greenwich Village, from 1929 to 1974, it was a nexus for the tens of thousands of women, transgender men, and gender-nonconforming people who inhabited its crowded cells. Some of these inmates—Angela Davis, Andrea Dworkin, Afeni Shakur—were famous, but the vast majority were incarcerated for the crimes of being poor and improperly feminine. Today, approximately 40 percent of the people in women’s prisons identify as queer; in earlier decades, that percentage was almost certainly higher. Historian Hugh Ryan explores the roots of this crisis and reconstructs the little-known lives of incarcerated New Yorkers, making a uniquely queer case for prison abolition—and demonstrating that by queering the Village, the House of D helped defined queerness for the rest of America. From the lesbian communities forged through the Women’s House of Detention to the turbulent prison riots that presaged Stonewall, this is the story of one building and much more: the people it caged, the neighborhood it changed, and the resistance it inspired. Winner, 2023 Stonewall Book Award—Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Book AwardCrimeReads, Best True Crime Books of the Year
Details
Step into the forgotten world of The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison, a groundbreaking book that unveils the untold tales of queer women and trans individuals held within its walls. This captivating exploration takes us back to a time when queerness and radical politics were policed, shedding light on the struggles faced by those who lived in the shadows of societal norms.
With the Women's House of Detention serving as a pivotal landmark in the history of women's imprisonment, Hugh Ryan's remarkable account delves deep into the lives of the thousands who once called its cramped cells home. From iconic figures like Angela Davis and Andrea Dworkin to everyday individuals criminalized for their poverty or nonconformity, this book offers a rare insight into their stories.
Did you know that approximately 40 percent of individuals in women's prisons today identify as queer? This percentage was likely even higher in earlier decades, solidifying the importance of understanding the roots of this crisis. By delving into the lives of incarcerated New Yorkers, Hugh Ryan presents a compelling queer case for prison abolition, intertwining it with the evolution of queerness in America.
The Women's House of Detention not only impacted the lives of those behind its bars but also shaped the surrounding Greenwich Village community. Its influence can be seen in the lesbian communities cultivated within its confines and the turbulent prison riots that foreshadowed the historic Stonewall uprising.
Don't miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in this captivating narrative that sheds light on a forgotten chapter of queer history. Order your copy of The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison today and discover the resilience, resistance, and remarkable lives that flourished within its walls.
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