Arguing for renewed attention to covert same-sex-oriented writing (and to authorial intention more generally), this study explores the representation of female and male homosexuality in late sixteenth- through mid-eighteenth-century British and French literature. The author also uncovers and analyzes long-term continuities in the representation of same-sex love, sex, and desire. Covering multiple genres (poems, plays, novels) and modes (such as satire, scandal, and pornography), this study engages with the historiography of sexuality as a whole.

Contents: Preface; Part I: Intentionality: Closeted Homosexual Writing: Chapter 1: Closeted writing before 'the closet'; Chapter 2: 'Philips-Lover' and the abominable Madame de Murat; Chapter 3: The closeting of closeting: Cleland, Smollett, sodomy, and the critics. Part II: Intentionality: Closeted Homophobic Writing: Chapter 4: Pornographic homophobia: L'Academie des dames and the deconstructing lesbian; Chapter 5: 'For how can they be guilty?': the sophisticated homophobia of Manley's New Atalantis. Part III: Continuity: Chapter 6: Metamorphosis and homosexuality I: Ovid's 'Iphis and Ianthe' and related tales; Chapter 7: Metamorphosis and homosexuality II: Iphis, Ianthe, and others on the early modern stage. Postscript; Bibliography; Index.

David M. Robinson was Associate Professor of English at the University of Arizona, USA, where he taught English literature and Lesbian & Gay Studies. He now teaches English literature at The College Preparatory School, in Oakland, California.