Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
Lillian Faderman on Lesbian History, TERFS, and Gay Bars Past | Them
In her ninth decade, the author continues to offer vibrant, human-driven accounts of the spaces that made our community.
The Yale Review | Alec Pollak: "Lorraine Hansberry's Queer Archive"
For the first time, Hansberry’s sexuality has emerged as a meaningful component of her identity, one that demands consideration in any account of her life and work.
The History and Future of Sapphic Love Stories: An Interview with Amelia Possanza
Amelia Possanza’s debut book, Lesbian Love Story, tells the stories of six queer women (with an interlude that pays a touching tribute to Sappho) alongside memoiric musings of her own queerness. Through these women – Mary Casal, Mabel Hampton, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Rusty Brown, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Amy Hoffman – Possanza shows the importance of love and community in times of crisis and beyond. For those “in the life,” as Mabel Hampton called it, stories are our legacy as sapphics.
Take a Lesbian for a Drink: On 50 Years of Rita Mae Brown’s “Rubyfruit Jungle”
A thinly veiled retelling of Brown’s own journey from childhood tomboy in Northern Florida to lesbian feminist in early-1970s New York City, Rubyfruit Jungle follows protagonist Molly Bolt in her pursuit of radical acceptance and respect-driven love.
Sinister Wisdom: Lesbian Feminist History - Philadelphia Gay News
Sinister Wisdom is an American lesbian literary, theory and art journal published quarterly. It is the longest established lesbian journal, with 128 issues as of 2023. Sinister Wisdom began publishing in 1976, during what editor Julie Enszer calls “a flowering of lesbian-feminist publications in the U.S.”
Exploring 70 Years of Lesbian Publications: From 1940s Zines to Modern Glossy Magazines
From the exploration of daily lesbian life to literary and feminist pursuits, to the modern age of glossy magazines, for over 70 years, lesbians have been finding a way to connect and share their stories in periodicals, newsletters and beyond.
Two Longtime Lesbian Activists and Writers Have Died
some words about both of them here for archival/queer history purposes
Queer Adventurers LGBTQ Writing Contest 2023: Firsts | QUEER ADVENTURERS
This year’s LGBTQ writing contest theme, FIRSTS, is an opportunity to share your own queer travel adventurers with an LGBTQ audience. Your essay just might inspire someone to stretch their comfort zone and try a new activity!
Do Queer Books Still Need a Happy Ending? – The Lesbrary
Queer stories should exist in every genre, for every mood. That doesn’t mean you have to read them, but authors should be free to write them regardless. Critique the content, for sure: call out hateful messages and clumsy depictions. But leave space for queer books to be messy and to explore every facet of our existence.
Writing a Really Short Book Description Is Harder Than It Looks | Jane Friedman
The sooner you stop trying to tell the whole darn story as if you were writing CliffsNotes, the sooner you can focus on writing a description that captures the reader’s attention.
The Practicing Writer 2.0: November 2023
As usual in this 20th year of serving writers: dozens of carefully curated, fee-free opportunities that pay for fiction, poetry, & creative nonfiction. But first, some important notes.
Self-Publishing on a Budget. Ways to cut costs to successfully… | by Alison McBain | ILLUMINATION-Curated | Oct, 2023 | Medium
You CAN learn the inexpensive options to self-publish, but with a word of warning — there are still two places where I strongly recommend, in order to produce a professional-level book, that you don’t DIY. And that’s editing and cover design.
How Algorithms Can Affect Your Book Sales | by Writer’s Relief | Oct, 2023 | Medium
Check the platforms’ guidelines for any pertinent information about which type of content they tend to promote. And try these basic hacks to help your social media post resonate with the algorithms
Indie Author Magazine: The Future of Publishing - Indie Author Magazine
As the literary landscape undergoes seismic shifts, we present expert insights to illuminate your path in this evolving narrative.
News You Can Use
Out100 Star Brandi Carlile Wants a Lesbian 'Golden Girls'
While accepting the award for Icon of the Year at the Out100 party, presented by Lexus, in Los Angeles on Thursday night, Brandi Carlile opened up about feeling like she never expected to live to old age because of her queer identity.
The Great Gaylor Debacle - by Kira Deshler
The Gaylors are a group of Swifties who believe Swift is secretly gay or queer, or at the very least, interpret her lyrics from a queer perspective. Gaylor conspiracy theory number one is the existence of Kaylor, the supposed relationship between Swift and her former best friend Karlie Kloss. (Swiftgron, which alleges a relationship between Swift and Diana Agron, is another favorite within the fandom.)
Not all queer Swifties count themselves as Gaylors, and Gaylors vary in dedication.
LGBTQ activist and political organizer Amber Hollibaugh dies at 77
Amber Hollibaugh, an out lesbian activist and organizer for the most marginalized people within the LGBTQ community, died at her Brooklyn home on Oct. 20, at the age of 77, due to sudden complications from diabetes. She is survived by her life partner, Jenifer Levin, and stepsons Mak Levin and Van De Laurier.
Newark street renamed ‘Sakia Gunn Way’ in honor of slain lesbian teen
a 15-year-old Black lesbian who was murdered in an anti-gay attack on May 11, 2003
Radicalesbians, the first lesbian rights group post-Stonewall - Philadelphia Gay News
Radicalesbians was created to provide a supportive community that gave lesbians a voice in the gay and women’s liberation movements, and to take action against their oppression.
You Need to Know About This Jewish Lesbian Activist and Holocaust Survivor - Hey Alma
Eva also began having relationships with other women and understood herself to be a lesbian. (She even was a love of Susan Sontag’s!) In 1986, she met Jewish poet and labor activist Naomi Replansky at a Gay Women’s Alternative poetry reading. “It just feels right and natural and I love Naomi, and so in a certain sense, it is very simple,”
Lesbian Date Ideas Inspired By Stock Images | Autostraddle
Stock photography sure has a lot of ideas about lesbianism! So I thought: Why not see if the stock image overlords have some hot date ideas? I’ve got my usual go-to dates of bowling, picnics, pizza nights, etc. It’s time to think outside the dyke date box.
After decades of declines, lesbian bars are having a renaissance
From Brooklyn to Oklahoma City, a dozen new venues owned by queer women have opened their doors since 2020.
Learning From Butch History - by Kira Deshler
Butch Lineages, a self-styled “DIY research group” based in the UK. They meet every month to discuss butch history and share knowledge, drawing both from personal experiences and archival materials.
‘She’ Feels Safe — But Is It Me? - GO Magazine
I don’t mind being called “she” because it’s what I’m used to, and sometimes I do feel like “she” but most times I feel like “they” and I don’t expect my employers to keep up – so I give them the option of “she.”
“She” is safe. “She” is what people expect.
Children of queer parents are the forgotten victims in the right-wing crusade against LGBTQ+ rights - LGBTQ Nation
The majority of students with LGBTQ+ parents face bullying, harassment, and exclusion at school, according to a new report from GLSEN, COLAGE, and Family Equality. The report, which surveyed the experiences of students with LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers in grades K-12, found that young people overwhelmingly experience hostile school environments due to prejudices against their families.
After 16 Years, the Feminist Publication Jezebel Is Shutting Down | Them
Jezebel joins a wave of feminist and women’s publications that have been shuttered in recent years.
Queering Language, Space, and Time with Colette Denali Montoya of the Lesbian Herstory Archives
Colette Denali Montoya, a queer, Indigenous archivist for the audio collection at LHA. A member of the Isleta Pueblo and descendant of the San Felipe Pueblo, Montoya came to the archives in 2011 as a volunteer intern. “The work is serendipitous in many ways. That moment when folks come into our space and connect to it through their own identities…it’s really profound.”
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A Terrific Quote
Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes
Art hurts. Art urges voyages — and it is easier to stay at home.