Illustrations . . vii
Preface . . ix
Introduction . . 1

1. Flight to the Land of Oz . . 9
   Blackmail, Arrest, and Jail . . 9
   Flight to Italy and China . . 13
   Flight of the Imagination . . 17

2. The Exotic Appeal of Chinese Boy-Actors . . 25
   The Rise and Fall of the Boy-Actor Aesthetic . . 25
   European Men and Chinese Boy-Actors . . 32
   Same-Sex Male Love in China . . 37

3. Establishing Friendships in Imperial China . . 41
   "A Very Human Affection, and Contrary to Religious Detachment" . . 41
   "The Greatest Affliction of My Long and Agitated Life" . . 46

4. Establishing Friendships in Post-1911 China . . 55
   Friends from Afar . . 55
   The Search for Boys . . 61
   Mixing Boys and Politics . . 64
   Friends but Not Lovers . . 69
   Special Friends . . 73

5. Establishing Intellectual Connections with China . . 75
   The Persistent Rumor . . 75
   The Eccentric Sinologist . . 80
   Foreign Expatriates and Chinese Intellectuals . . 89
   Virgil and an Unfinished Poem . . 101

6. The Reorientation of Western Aesthetics . . 109
   French Homoeroticism . . 109
   Moving the Muse of Poetry from Europe to China . . 114
   Moving the Muse of Popular Verse and Drama from Europe to China . . 122
   Bringing Chinese Art to the American Heartland . . 131

Epilogue . . 137
Notes . . 141
Chinese Character Glossary . . 167
Bibliography . . 173
Index . . 185
About the Author . . 199