The book revealed a world that I hadn't noticed. A society, relationships and ways of expressing myself in an in-your-face but never aggressive way. The style is imaginative, the quality of the photographs is good and the subjects exude self confidence. The book inspires me

Schulman is right. This is American History. And since it's not in the textbooks, someone like Schulman has to put it out there in print.

Schulman writes passionately about gay and lesbian issues. About the Lower East Side. About AIDS. Schulman cares about her world and it shows in her writing. I enjoy her novels but her essays are where she shines. She's an incredible essayist and an inspiration to me.

Sarah - It's time for another edition of this book. As you wrote, this first book was Volume 1.

A quirky novel about lesbians on the Lower East Side of New York. They fall in love, have sex with friends, imagine themselves as great American heros, work dull jobs, and endear themselves to the reader. Schulman richly describes lesbians in the context of their own community and the larger society around them. Very funny, very sexy.

This changed the way lesbians read, write and live. By taking the myth of Jack Kerouac and the American male on the highway, and adapting it to a lesbian, Sara Shulman not only situated herself within the American canon, but she took the worn out bohemian formulas and reinvigorated them.A classic in every sense.

Sara Schulman, Empathy (Dutton, 1992)

Until roughly twenty minutes before writing this review, I was getting ready to say Empathy was going to be a definite for my best twenty-five reads of 2003 list. Then I read the last three chapters.

The first twenty-seven are brilliant. The story's two main characters are Anna O., a lesbian attempting to get over an old relationship and find someone new, and Doc, a post-Freudian therapist who finds prospective clients by handing out business cards on the street and will never keep a client for more than three sessions. Eventually, their two stories intertwine as Anna, finding one of Doc's business cards, makes an appointment with him. The two of them then proceed to take on relationships of all sorts, Jewish funerals, AIDS, the homeless, and a rainbow of other topics with a wicked wit. Doc obsesses over an old girlfriend as well, and feels an almost supernatural connection with Anna. When one of the main questions in a book is "will Doc end up having a fourth session with Anna?", it's impossible to write a review in a way that makes it sound as important as it actually is, but Anna, Doc, and the supporting cast of characters (Anna's family, Doc's patients and mentor, Anna's old girlfriend's mother, Doc's old girlfriend) are so well-drawn and engaging that it's well-night impossible not to be drawn in to the point where you sit up at night thinking about such things.

Then Schulman hits you with the kicker, the novel's climax, and though it's nothing we haven't seen before (telling you where would be the ultimate plot spoiler, however), it's a sucker punch delivered with such aplomb that it demands a "thank you, ma'am, may I have another." I had figured I knew where the book was going, had it mapped out in my head (and it was a brilliant ending, too), then Schulman flipped all my expectations on their heads and delivered what may have been the only climax that was actually better than what I thought it would be.

Then we get to Chapter Twenty-Seven, and everything goes to hell in a handbasket. We spend two chapters involved in political polemic that has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the novel, and while they are two brief chapters, their very existence in the book poisons the whole thing. Schulman attempts to wrap things up in the last chapter by going back to the original topic of life-after-Doc Anna, but by then it's too late. The rhythm, the style, the all-around beauty of the book has been dashed against a curb on a dark, rainy street.

My advice? By all means, read this novel. Up to chapter twenty-six. Then skip ahead to chapter thirty. You will still find an ending that is an anticlimax, to say the least, but you will at least be spared pointless political diatribe along the way. ** ½

Maybe one of the most intricate and elaborate work about identity I have ever read. Sarah Schulman's writing makes us dive into a historical pool of events and questions each and every one of us have experienced in our own special moments.

Aside from being one of the funniest books I've ever read, it has a special quality: Certain paragraphs will spring out at me and I'll think: "I've always wanted the words to describe that kind of feeling or circumstance, and there on the page are the perfect words."

I tend to devalue words but S.S. reminds me of the power of well-chosen words to strengthen your position in the world. I wonder if that's what people mean when they talk about 'identity'.

As with so many first novels, this one is derivative. Although it has some elements that become Schulman staples, Schulman really comes into her own with her second book, After Delores.

Schulman creates a fine character in Sophie Horowitz, a narrator with a distinctive, singular voice. What I love best about Schulman's work is already evident in this early novel. She is a genius at sentence making: "Anyone who pays that much attention to detail spent an hour getting ready, which means they had an hour and decided to spend it getting ready."

There are so few books which really do New York justice the way this one does. And as for representing lesbian lives-- this book goes places "Ellen" and other yuppie-oriented projects wouldn't dare venture. Schulman is at her best in this novel: funny, poignant, thrilling, and sexy.

Sarah Schulman is one of my very favorite writers in the world. Heck, just the fact she's on the planet makes me smile. In People in Trouble, Schulman returns to themes in all her books, Queerness, loss, and being lost. Incidentally, the plot of this novel is a heck of a lot like that musical RENT. So similar that it can't be a coincidence. And this book came first....

In grade 12 English, we had to pretend to be a person and talk about our life. I picked up this book, and started looking through it, read the first page and was very impressed. Nobody has ever heard of Faye Schulmann, so, I figured it would be a nice idea. Everybody kind of looked at me funny when they asked me whom I chose, and chuckled a bit. I have always been interested in this topic, especially being from Germany. People my age just don't have a clue about what went on over there, and that is a shame. I thought this book brought part of the war to life anyway. Everybody was sceptical about my speech at first, kind of got a giggle out of it, but by the time that I was finished, half of my class was in tears, and were very moved by that story. Books such as this one is a great educational book. It was sad to see, that people actually had to live through this just because of their religion.Maybe it will make somebody think twice about judging someone by their skin colour or their religion.

In one scene in the book, Faye described an attack by a German helicopter on their group of partisans. Two of the reviews said that the book is historically inaccurate as they claim that the Germans did not have helicopters in use in WWII. This is false information. The Germans did use a helicopter in WWII called the Flettner FL-282 Kolibri. Initially it was used by the German navy for reconnaissance purposes for convoy protection and submarine warfare. However, later in the war, it was used in land warfare by artillery brigades to direct artillery fire. It is entirely possible that Faye and the partisans had an encounter with the helicopter in this context. And even though the helicopter did not have its own weapons, it's not difficult for a soldier to stick a machine gun out of the window and fire away at targets on the ground. This book is accurate, and the details of Faye's exploits, and her courage, will serve as an inspiration for generations.

I cried at least once every other chapter...I would like to applaud Faye for having the courage to write about such painful memories!!! It is hard for me to even imagine what life must have been like in Europe during WWII...especially for the Jews!! Faye does an outstanding job of pulling the reader into her world, and it is impossible not to feel her pain and terror. And she does so with such little bitterness or self-pity!! If you love memoirs, you must read this one!!! Excellent!!!

Sara Schulman's novel 'Shimmer' was a disappointment. I admit, I was intrigued by the cover (I read the hardcover copy). I'm especially intrigued by the 50's since I grew up then. The novel is unfocused, angry (maybe whiney is a better word), and confusing throughout. She does not delve deep enough into her characters to make them real, they almost seem like caricatures. I kept hoping it would get better, and as a dedicated reader, I usually read to the end. I bought the book at B. Dalton, from their ... rack (I usually do this with hardcovers, once a year after the gift certificates from Christmas arrive), so I really didn't expect much, but sometimes you get a winner.

'Shimmer' is not a winner. It's a dud. If one wants to read a 'real good book' about the 50's, the McCarthy era, etc. I recommend 'The Book of Daniel' by E. L. Doctorow. Now that I bought for ... at the Humane Society Thrift Store, another of my haunts.

Initially, I kind of identified with Sylvia. She seemed real, she had a cause. But then that cause developed into a general hatred of men, hatred of the system, just finally hatred; she didn't forgive, at all. N. Tammy was a flake, someone only concerned with appearances and sex. Austin was evil incarnate and played it to the hilt. O'Dwyer a rich blowhard, but at least his heart's in the right place. Cal could have developed into a major force, but he also, is too angry and not given to giving in at any point. Caroline is another flake, sounds good but nothing there: a playgirl.

Had I known the author was an avowed lesbian, I probably would have passed on the book. I didn't even suspect until near the end of the book where Sylvia owns up to it. Had I known, I probably would have thought 'I told you so' whenever the hatred and whining showed through during the course of the story.

I really didn't see the point to the story, it lacks a sense of completeness, and it's written in kind of like a journal format with the years, the hit songs, etc. Perhaps there's a sequel to be done? Who knows. I do know I won't be reading it.

But I still like the cover.

I bought this book after reading "Girls, Visions & Everything" and was initially disappointed in the characters in this book. Schulman abandons the gay urban setting, trading it for the age of McCarthyism. However, after reading a few chapters, I began to get immensely drawn into the narrative. The writing is amazing, linking different characters from different times and places into one cohesive story. The ability to see the events from many perspectives is creative and interesting.

The book reminded me a great deal of "Slaughterhouse Five" in its seemingly disconnected events that later are drawn together into one larger story.

I read "shimmer" in german, the paperback-edition. And as in the beginning I expected fiction and characters like I knew them from other Sarah Schulman books like Empathy or Rat Bohemia, such ones I could easily identify with, I first was surprised, that it had not this issue. I was breathless each time I took the book - I read her using words I didn't find yet to express thoughts I didn't have yet, but knew and felt deep inside. And the more I read I loved the way she used the 1950ies to describe today's reality.

Interesting blurb and sale price helped me decide to buy this book. It was boring and did not live up to the hype. Not wirth more than $2, so if you see it in the dollar bin, then that's the only time to buy it.

I bought this book without knowing anything about it. I wasnot disappointed, in fact I was amazed. This book so touchinglyrelates the experiences of gay men and lesbians in regards to their famlies. I feel like sending it to the parents and siblings of all my queer friends. They need to know what it means to have family love withheld from a child for something that child can not change, nor should need to. The book is a good read. I enjoyed the stories of Rita, David and Killer. They are characters who will stay with me. The last chapter is haunting. I need to find someone to discuss it with.

Rat Bohemia articulates one of the simple truths behind the complexity of lesbian and gay experience - the overpowering need for parental acceptance and the lifelong pain and coping necessitated by its absence.

Also, as I've come to expect with her books, Ms. Schulman manages to find the words to explain things I've always sensed but not been able to articulate. The section on marketing to gays (who, as she puts it, are still struggling with post-traumatic stress as a result of being raised in this society) was brilliant, and funny. An instance where she really stopped me in my tracks: when she compared gays and lesbians to a older relative of hers who was freed from a Nazi concentration camp and shortly afterwards had a small breakdown when trying to choose what color drinking glass to buy from a shelf of glassware that came in too many colors, sizes and shapes.

Schulman has the uncanny ability to: a) tell a personal story about the plagiarism of her work, her attempts for resolution, her experiences as a woman, a lesbian, an author in the fight against AIDS; b) write an insightful account of the state of the commercial theatre -- a late '90s version of the type of essay Miller and Albee wrote 40-50 years ago; c) create a remarkable context for unmasking homophobia and explaining the cultural position of gays and lesbians in contempory America; and d) give the reader something that's both challenging and easy to read. I found it to be entirely engaging and incredibly smart.

I am also one of the many people who saw "Rent" on Broadway during the week it won the Tony, and I'm not ashamed to say, I loved it. But a year or so later, when it came to LA, I took a couple of friends and saw it again -- and I have to admit, it seemed fake, packaged, forced. In her role as a critic, apart from her personal connection to the show, Schulman explains why parts of "Rent" seem false. She puts into words some of the fleeting, troubling thoughts I couldn't articulate for myself.

I'm an English professor and I teach drama -- I intend to use "Stagestruck" in future courses.

Sarah Schulman is a pioneer in the world of lesbian fiction. Schulman has written countless articles, novels, and non-fiction, yet still maintains her edge.

It doesn't matter whether or not RENT was taken from the pages of "People in Trouble." I think that is beside the point, even for Schulman. She uses her own personal experience to discuss the broader issues that face our society, and the gay movement as a whole.

Looking for "proof" for what Schulman suggests in her text? Proof can be found in our own lives as gay people: from the patriarchal system of gender roles and power that dominate our society, to the pandering for gay votes and gay money. Further proof exists in the writings of such scholars as Gayle Rubin and Urvashi Vaid, among others. Schulman's book should be used as a jumping off point for other things. The book itself is call to re-examine our inner homophobia, our subconscious desire to be "normal," and our ability to be manipulated by the mainstream. If one cannot recognize these things in one's daily life, then one is not looking.

Schulman shares TRUTH and, although that is hard for some to deal with, who's going to do it, if she doesn't.