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DARK ENTRIES EDITIONS
The Butch Manual
The Current Drag and How to Do It
By Clark Henley. Foreword by Brendan McHugh.
Now back in print after 40 years, this tongue-in-cheek manual advises gay men on how to appear more "butch"
"No one was born Butch. People were born babies and promptly burst into tears, which was most Un-Butch," declares Clark Henley's Butch Manual, a hilarious 1980s cult classic that reminds us that being "butch" is just another form of drag. The Butch Manual educates wannabe Butches on how to walk, talk, stand (or lean), dress and even what drugs to take to avoid "the freak out zone." Henley doubles as a hunky model for campy photo spreads demonstrating the proper way to sit (if you must) and an admonishment to the fey among us: "Do not talk with your hands." Originally published by Sea Horse Press in 1982, Butch appeared on multiple bestseller lists and graced the cover of Christopher Street Reader. Today, used copies trade for $500 or more. Now, with the support of the author's family, we bring Butch back into print and share its timeless humor with a new generation. Clark Henley (1950–88) was a writer, model and artist, born in San Francisco. He was known for his illustrated maps A Butch LOOK at America and Alligator Oz: Tails of the City, which reimagined his home country and city as raunchy gay paradises. In 1979, Henley moved to Los Angeles with the ambition of further pursuing his career. After being diagnosed with HIV in 1986, he returned to his native San Francisco to live with family and spent his final years as an HIV/AIDS activist before his death in 1988.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
Wallpaper*
Hannah Silver
Revisiting the book now marks a crucial moment politically and culturally, amidst a backdrop of HIV/AIDS research and care being defunded, making a poignant tribute to Clark, who died of complications from AIDS in 1988.
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Featured spreads are from bookseller favorite, The Butch Manual: The Current Drag and How to Do It—a facsimile reprint (aside from the revised cover) of the cult 1982 Sea Horse Press satire by Jesse Clark Henley, the San Francisco humorist, activist and member of the “lost generation” of Out gay men who died of AIDS in the 1980s. “The Butch Manual is a revelation of visual prowess and comical intuitiveness,” “extremely loud and incredibly gay” San Francisco writer, Deaf advocate and Green-Apple-Books-on-the-Park bookseller Brendan McHugh writes in his Foreword. “This reprint of Butch revels in the book’s biting staying power as it turns focus to a hyper-specific gay white masculinity that queer people still grapple with. The genius in centering Butch as an achievable way of being—while also laughing hysterically at it—is a gift to readers and queer studies scholars alike. To what end will we go as queers to transform ourselves into fantasy? Is fantasy also the path in becoming our true selves? Tragically, Clark’s life was cut short in 1988 by AIDS. His last writings on living with AIDS were heartfelt but still retained Butch’s playful snark, too. Clark’s playfulness is deeply needed in a moment where our community is under direct attack. The importance of having an inside joke helps us stay sane as we remain on the political and cultural defense.” continue to blog
FORMAT: Pbk, 5.25 x 7 in. / 120 pgs / 58 b&w. LIST PRICE: U.S. $19.95 LIST PRICE: CANADA $27.95 GBP £14.99 ISBN: 9798985170436 PUBLISHER: Dark Entries Editions AVAILABLE: 7/29/2025 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: WORLD
The Butch Manual The Current Drag and How to Do It
Published by Dark Entries Editions. By Clark Henley. Foreword by Brendan McHugh.
Now back in print after 40 years, this tongue-in-cheek manual advises gay men on how to appear more "butch"
"No one was born Butch. People were born babies and promptly burst into tears, which was most Un-Butch," declares Clark Henley's Butch Manual, a hilarious 1980s cult classic that reminds us that being "butch" is just another form of drag. The Butch Manual educates wannabe Butches on how to walk, talk, stand (or lean), dress and even what drugs to take to avoid "the freak out zone." Henley doubles as a hunky model for campy photo spreads demonstrating the proper way to sit (if you must) and an admonishment to the fey among us: "Do not talk with your hands."
Originally published by Sea Horse Press in 1982, Butch appeared on multiple bestseller lists and graced the cover of Christopher Street Reader. Today, used copies trade for $500 or more. Now, with the support of the author's family, we bring Butch back into print and share its timeless humor with a new generation.
Clark Henley (1950–88) was a writer, model and artist, born in San Francisco. He was known for his illustrated maps A Butch LOOK at America and Alligator Oz: Tails of the City, which reimagined his home country and city as raunchy gay paradises. In 1979, Henley moved to Los Angeles with the ambition of further pursuing his career. After being diagnosed with HIV in 1986, he returned to his native San Francisco to live with family and spent his final years as an HIV/AIDS activist before his death in 1988.
