A Year of Reading Lesbianly
2024 was my year of reading lesbianly. Not only did I write about eight books for this newsletter (pitiful, I hope to cover more next year), I read 34 books...
Her canine teeth in the side of my neck
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu (1872) Light some taper candles and get your fake blood ready because it’s time for the Reading Lesbian Classics Samhain...
They just keep changing
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg (1993) More than any of the books I’ve written about so far, the reputation of Stone Butch Blues precedes it. Talk to...
A creature of intense passionate feeling
I Await the Devil's Coming by Mary MacLane (1902) Mary MacLane is a genius—at least according to her. In the 176 pages that make up I Await the Devil’s...
Ecce lesbianae
The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel (2008) Happy Lesbian Visibility Week! I’d be lying if I said I planned to put out a newsletter about...
Obscenity, book bans, and The Well of Loneliness
I’m in the middle of a few books right now that I’m enjoying reading slowly. Rather than rush to finish any of them, here’s something a little different. A...
And they were roommates!
Spring Fire by Vin Packer/Marijane Meaker (1952) Two girls lock eyes on the dance floor: one a freshman looking to pledge a sorority at Cranston University,...
I wish I was back in the army
Women's Barracks by Tereska Torrès (1950) As I worked on on a draft of this newsletter, I sat at the kitchen table with my roommate, occasionally...
Just wanting to share a good thing
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982) To be completely honest, I’ve been putting off writing about The Color Purple. That’s not the only reason it’s been a...
People in Trouble (1990)
Two weeks ago I was reading at the lesbian bar when the only man in the room asked me about my book. “It’s called People in Trouble. It’s about AIDS activism...
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highmith (1952)
Dear reader, In any piece that invokes The Price of Salt, it will inevitably be mentioned that that it's the first lesbian novel with a happy ending. Writing...
An Introduction
Hello reader, On Thursday I finished reading The Price of Salt and promptly put down the book, picked up my phone, and posted a quick Instagram story...