The B Word

"Charting representations of bisexuality—ever present, hardly discussed—in films from Pandora's Box to Persona to Brokeback Mountain and television's True Blood, Maria San Filippo proves that there is plenty of room left in that celluloid closet. Her knowledge is comprehensive; her writing is astute and witty (she points out that Brokeback Mountain is not about gay cowboys, but bisexual shepherds), and her love of film comes through on every page. The B Word is essentially for film scholars, everyone interested in queer studies, and anyone who just likes movies."

~Michael Bronski, author of A Queer History of the United States

"Maria San Filippo argues convincingly that bisexuality should not be entirely subsumed under the heading of queer studies, but deserves to be as legitimate an object of scholarly attention as gay and lesbian studies. Her argument is provocative and thoughtful."

~Tania Modleski, author of Loving with a Vengeance: Mass Produced Fantasies for Women

"Maria San Filippo turns her razor-sharp intellect on the representation of bisexuality in modern media, where it still remains somewhat unspoken, often overshadowed by the hard-won visibility of gays and lesbians. Placing bisexual desire center stage, San Filippo's book is a much-needed addition to the field of queer media studies."

~Next Magazine

"...[A] comprehensive, no-holds-barred examination of the portrayal and impact of bisexuality in modern entertainment...Power, privilege, exploitation, the dominance of monosexuality—no permutation goes unexplored, no bisexual presence goes unmentioned...It's a passionate, knowledgeable, educational study, drawing from old and new sources alike."

~Publishers Weekly

"...[O]ne of the most compelling and thoughtful academic reads from the first half of 2013."

~Slant Magazine

"[San Filippo's] study is full of fresh insights about a mostly neglected subject, and she makes good use of a wealth of cultural material."

~Gay & Lesbian Review

"San Filippo is well-read in feminist and queer theory, and the book is sprinkled with ideas from those fields, which makes this most suitable for graduate-level reading. It can, however, serve as undergraduate coursework for students with a solid background in those subjects. . . . Highly recommended."

~Choice

"This captivating new study by Maria San Filippo raises numerous persuasive questions about the perspectives that our culture has of bisexuality while it explores the ongoing and, typically, problematic efforts to portray it on screen."

~Cinema Journal

"For anyone interested in the politics of bisexuality, The B Word should be on your reading list."

~Journal of Bisexuality