The Penguin Book of Lesbian Short StoriesAnd 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 124
mo W And then Djuna was there , to remove the arrows implanted in Lillian , to
cleanse them of their poison , to open the prison door , to open the trap door , to
protect , to give transfusion of blood , and peace to the wounded . But it was
Lillian ...
mo W And then Djuna was there , to remove the arrows implanted in Lillian , to
cleanse them of their poison , to open the prison door , to open the trap door , to
protect , to give transfusion of blood , and peace to the wounded . But it was
Lillian ...
Page 130
You will save me , ' said Lillian always , clinging . Lillian was the large foundering
ship , yes , and Djuna the small lifeboat . But now the big ship had been moored
to the small lifeboat and was pitching too fast and furiously and the lifeboat was ...
You will save me , ' said Lillian always , clinging . Lillian was the large foundering
ship , yes , and Djuna the small lifeboat . But now the big ship had been moored
to the small lifeboat and was pitching too fast and furiously and the lifeboat was ...
Page 131
When my husband said : Lillian , let ' s be reasonable , it meant he had none of
the feeling I had , that he could be objective . What a power ! Then there was
another thing . When I felt his great choking anguish I discovered one relief , and
that ...
When my husband said : Lillian , let ' s be reasonable , it meant he had none of
the feeling I had , that he could be objective . What a power ! Then there was
another thing . When I felt his great choking anguish I discovered one relief , and
that ...
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Contents
ISAK DINESEN The Blank Page 1957 117 | 1 |
SARAH ORNE JEWETT Marthas Lady 1897 I | 20 |
The Wise Sappho c 191618 | 26 |
Copyright | |
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arms asked beautiful become Beebo beginning blood body called close coming dark don't door dress eyes face feel felt fingers friends Furr girl give hair half hand head heard heart Helena hold keep knew Lady later laughed Laura leave lesbian Letty light Lillian living longer looked lover Martha Mary matter mean mind Miss Ogilvy mother mouth moved natural never night once passed play reached remember roll roses seemed seen side sitting Skeene smiled someone sometimes sound stand stay stood stop story sure talk tell things thought told took touch trying turned voice wait walked watch whole window woman women writing young