Deep Sniff

A History of Poppers and Queer Futures

Three, two, one...inhale deeply. From the Victorian infirmary and the sex clubs of the 1970s, poppers' vapor has released the queer potential inside us all.

This is the intriguing story of how poppers wafted out of the lab and into gay bars, corner shops, bedrooms, and porn super cuts. Blending historical research with wry observation, Adam Zmith explores the cultural forces and improbable connections behind the power of poppers. What emerges is not just a history of pub raids, viral panics, and pecs the size of dinner plates, it is a collection of fresh and provocative ideas about identity, sex, utopia, capitalism, law, freedom, and the bodies that we use to experience the world.

In Deep Sniff, what starts as a thoughtful inquiry into poppers becomes a manifesto for pleasure.

©2021 Adam Zmith (P)2021 Repeater