baum ' s ▁claim ▁is ▁that ▁opera ▁der ives ▁its ▁power ▁from ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁physical ▁sympathy ▁between ▁singer ▁and ▁audience ▁that ▁has ▁as ▁much ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁desire ▁as ▁with ▁hearing . ▁ ▁He ▁says ▁of ▁the ▁act ▁of ▁listening : ▁The ▁dance ▁of ▁sound ▁waves ▁on ▁the ▁tym pan um , ▁and ▁the ▁s igh ▁I ▁ex h ale ▁in ▁sympathy ▁with ▁the ▁singer , ▁persu ade ▁me ▁that ▁I ▁have ▁a ▁body — if ▁only ▁by ▁anal ogy , ▁if ▁only ▁a ▁second - best ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁singer ' s ▁body . ▁ ▁I ' m ▁a ▁lem ming , ▁im print ed ▁by ▁the ▁sop rano , ▁my ▁existence ▁an ▁after effect ▁of ▁her ▁cres c endo . ▁ ▁( 4 2 ) ▁Ko esten baum ' s ▁conclusion ▁is ▁that ▁gay ▁men ' s ▁aff inity ▁for ▁opera ▁tells ▁us ▁as ▁much ▁about ▁opera ▁and ▁its ▁inher ent ▁questions ▁about ▁mascul inity ▁as ▁it ▁does ▁about ▁hom osex ual ity . ▁ ▁Hum ili ation , ▁Ko esten baum ' s ▁crit ically ▁acc laimed ▁dis quisition ▁on ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁hum ili ation ▁( both ▁personal ▁and ▁universal ), ▁was ▁pra ised ▁by ▁John ▁W aters ▁as ▁" the ▁fun ni est , ▁smart est , ▁most ▁heart bre aking ▁yet ▁powerful ▁book ▁I ' ve ▁read ▁in ▁a ▁long ▁time ." ▁ ▁Ko esten baum ▁star red ▁in ▁a ▁web ▁series ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁this ▁book , ▁" D ear ▁Wayne , ▁I ' ve