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 27
... light , day or dawn or light of sun - setting ) , but another element containing all these , magnetic , vibrant ; not the lightning as it falls from the thunder cloud , yet lightning in a sense : white , unhuman element , containing ...
... light , day or dawn or light of sun - setting ) , but another element containing all these , magnetic , vibrant ; not the lightning as it falls from the thunder cloud , yet lightning in a sense : white , unhuman element , containing ...
Page 215
... light . Be extra casual and take a very long time . making your selections , meanwhile trying to see out of the corner of your eye if she is watching you . You may , if you want to , look at her significantly before you press a button ...
... light . Be extra casual and take a very long time . making your selections , meanwhile trying to see out of the corner of your eye if she is watching you . You may , if you want to , look at her significantly before you press a button ...
Page 234
... lights out and looked outside . I saw the orange light of the street lamp through the dots of rainwater on the window . There was steam on the window from the cold outside . The leaves looked orange and bronze in the light of the street ...
... lights out and looked outside . I saw the orange light of the street lamp through the dots of rainwater on the window . There was steam on the window from the cold outside . The leaves looked orange and bronze in the light of the street ...
Contents
SARAH ORNE JEWETT Marthas Lady 1897 I | 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 JAYNE ANNE PHILLIPS 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 mother mouth never NICOLE BROSSARD night Ogilvy's Picasso 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