The Penguin Book of Lesbian Short StoriesMargaret Reynolds And more than that - sometimes women love women. Like Queen Victoria, the world has preferred to believe that sex between women is impossible, resulting in a long silence between the writings of Sappho and the flowering of talent produced by feminism and the sexual revolution. Lesbian writing has come a long way since Virginia Woolf's famous essay of 1928. Since then women have challenged traditional forms of expression and subject matter in an extraordinarily rich and varied discourse to give voice to the lesbian imagination. In this wide-ranging anthology, Margaret Reynolds has brought together the work of thirty-two women from Britain, continental Europe, and the Americas - including three specially commissioned pieces - that covers nearly a century of lesbian writing, from Sarah Orne Jewett (1897) to Jeanette Winterson (1993). The collection ranges from Frances Gapper's pastiche of a Romantic melodrama, through the wry humor of Merril Mushroom's description of butch and femme courting rituals, to the wit of Alison Bechdel's cartoon strip. The anxiety of unresolved desire is present in many stories - Radclyffe Hall's Miss Ogilvy is unable truly to find herself in this world, Djuna and Lillian hold back from each other in Anais Nin's "Cities of the Interior, " and the energy and commitment that should go into a loving relationship are stifled by convention in Jane Rule's story of passion outside marriage. But here are brave spirits, too - Renee Vivien's Sarolta and her Prince(ss) live forever in a vision of ideal tenderness, Colette's heroines preserve the sanctity of their little white bed, and Jewelle Gomez's bulldagger society survives far from the haunts of men. There arecoming-out stories, stories about cross-dressing, vampire tales, science fiction, parody, and romance. Each story is quite different from the others, yet each acknowledges a particular facet of lesbian history and makes it real. |
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Page 313
... Kerry had received many invitations like these . Perhaps she was being paranoid . But if that was the case , her rule was that the other must make an explicit request . It would be insulting to anticipate such needs in a colleague . So ...
... Kerry had received many invitations like these . Perhaps she was being paranoid . But if that was the case , her rule was that the other must make an explicit request . It would be insulting to anticipate such needs in a colleague . So ...
Page 321
... Kerry really was . A face was close to hers , familiar for its wolfish features , unfamiliar for its look of peace . The teeth in that smile were stained , and the tongue was cupped . The mouth came toward hers , and she opened her ...
... Kerry really was . A face was close to hers , familiar for its wolfish features , unfamiliar for its look of peace . The teeth in that smile were stained , and the tongue was cupped . The mouth came toward hers , and she opened her ...
Page 323
... Kerry really felt about her , if only because she was so ignorant about her own emotions . The first one , the almost - forgotten one , so needy and yet powerful , had been that way , and Kerry seemed younger , less experienced than it ...
... Kerry really felt about her , if only because she was so ignorant about her own emotions . The first one , the almost - forgotten one , so needy and yet powerful , had been that way , and Kerry seemed younger , less experienced than it ...
Contents
SARAH ORNE JEWETT Marthas Lady 1897 | 1 |
RENÉE VIVIEN Prince Charming 1904 translated | 20 |
The Wise Sappho c 191618 | 26 |
Copyright | |
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Adrienne Rich Alison Bechdel arms asked beautiful Beebo blood body breasts butch butch and femme Charlotte Mews dance dark daughter Delia Djuna Djuna Barnes door Dorothy Allison dress Emma Donoghue eyes face feel felt fingers friends Georgine Skeene girl hair hand head heard heart Helen Furr Helena husband Iduna JEANETTE WINTERSON KATHY ACKER Kerry kissed knew lady laughed Laura leaned legs lesbian Letty light Lillian lips living Lizzy looked lover Marcie Margaret Martha Miss Ogilvy Miss Pyne Mistress Mary MONIQUE WITTIG mother mouth never NICOLE BROSSARD night Ogilvy's Picasso pulled Renée Vivien Sappho seemed sleep smiled soft someone stay stood story sweet talk tell things thought told took turned voice wait walked watch wheat roll window woman women words writing young