I need YOUR Help

[geminigirl]

That's right, dear readers, I need your help.

My best friend called me, with an interesting project, and I know some of you have something to offer here.

He's doing an independent study this Fall term...gay and lesbian literature. And he's looking for suggestions. In the brief five minute conversation we had, other than Dancer from the Dance, which is one of his favorite books of all time, I suggested that he read Rubyfruit Jungle, Stone Butch Blues, and Oranges are not the Only Fruit or Sexing the Cherry. I also tossed out Tales of the City as a possibility. I also mentioned Annie on my Mind as a possibility, dealing with lesbianism in an adolescent context.

This was a five minute conversation so there's much untapped...I haven't yet looked through my bookshelf, nor have I gone through Lambda Rising (the local gay bookstore) but I'm throwing it out to you all for suggestions.

Update I just sent him an e-mail suggesting David Feinberg's Eighty-Sixed or Spontaneous Combustion

Update #2, 11:33 PM I just e-mailed him again about adding David Leavitt's The Lost Language of Cranes or something else by him to the list.

(Oh and no comments from the peanut gallery-you know who you are, joshuapanther and grimkitten about my music selection. I still swear I'm not goth enough.)

Comments

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

How about Venus Envy by Rita Mae Brown?

[iamlisabee.livejournal.com]

Aquamarine by Carol Anshaw or anything by May Sarton

[lcohen]

i would pick seven moves by carol anshaw over aquamarine but that's just me ;-) .

if plays really are not allowed then this won't be apt, but i think that angels in america by tony kushner is one of the finest pieces of literature/theater ever written. if your friend does read that, it was published in two parts which reflect the two evenings of performance that the play covered.

[iamlisabee.livejournal.com]

You know, thinking about the amount of GLBT literature out there these days, he might want to focus on a specific theme or such in GLBT lit, instead of the whole broad category...

[malte.livejournal.com]

I could recommend a bunch of stuff, but you really haven't given us much to go on. If he's supposed to be studying the whole of L+G lit, he ought to go back to whoever he's doing it for and complain that that's a bit like getting asked to study 'books by people whose names begin with B', or something.

OTOH, a close relative of nmc did a marvellous job of covering most of GLB politics and history in one essay...

[geminigirl]

They've asked him for a list of seven to ten books. That's all the information so far. He's got about a week to compile that list. I don't think he'll get much other guidance until they know what he's reading.

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

Also dunno if you want to include plays, but Torch Song Trilogy and Safe Sex by Harvey Fierstein are amazing in addition to As Is by William Hoffman

[geminigirl]

I think (unfortunately) plays are out, because otherwise I'm sure he'd have included Torch Song in there. (It's one of our favorites.) The film was in regular rotation in our weekly movie night in college...and he's got the soundtrack, autographed by Matthew Broderick.

When my granmother died, Scott called me, to see how I was doing and all that. I told him that I'd just covered the mirror in the foyer to get ready to sit shiva. He responds with Torch Song quotes. I needed that...I needed someone to make me laugh at such a serious and sad time.

Re:

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

I did my senior thesis on Harvey Fierstein and missed the chance to see him when he spoke at JHU a couple years ago. The man is amazing! A friend of mine did the monologue from Torch Song Trilogy in a theatre class wearing a dress of mine. Damn his eyes, he looked better in that dress than I did! Haven't worn it since.
And, we all need friends like that. I am very glad you have one *hug*

[geminigirl]

I saw him perform at Pride in Philly maybe five or six years ago...was a lot of fun, and a great show. Worth all the climbing over people I had to do to be able to see.

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[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

I'd go with you tomorrow if I could, just to hold your hand. *hug*

[geminigirl]

Awww. Thanks.

I'll be fine though. I sort of didn't realize that I really felt like I wanted anyone with me until today, since I've been sort of refusing to think about the fact that I am actually scared.

Re:

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

You'll be fine, I can feel it in me bones :) 'Sides, you have to be fine. You haven't visited me yet!

[geminigirl]

I know...I was actually thinking about that today.

And aquariumgirl is going to meet me there tomorrow, which is just good.

I took the entire day off-I think this is just one of those "I'd be too stressed to be of any use at work" types of things.

Re:

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

So, what do you have planned this weekend, hon? And I am glad you have someone caring to be there for you. It's important!

[geminigirl]

I have a fantastic girlfriend. Really I do.

Um, I don't think I have anything more thrilling than trying to get some tables painted (which may not happen depending on the weather) doing some grocery shopping (necessity) and hauling recycling (again, depending on the weather) for this weekend.

Re:

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

Sooooo, why don't you come visit? I will have to clean the house (slight OCD) and you can meet the beasts of the realm and the roommates (2 boys). And see the nifty purple bedroom and tacky beaded curtain :)

[geminigirl]

Let me see how tired I am after tomorrow...if not this weekend, I promise promise promise I'll come up and visit sometime soon.

Re:

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

Ok, as long as you take it easy tomorrow. Tell you what...I get off work around 8pm and will be home around 8:30. We can chat about it then :) BTW, where is home for you?

[geminigirl]

Alexandria. Just over the Fairfax County line.

I should be home tomorrow night...I was possibly going to go out, but I don't think so-I think I'll reschedule.

Re:

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Night hon...sleep well and dream wonderful dreams. I will think of you tomorrow...even go so far as to light a candle. Every little bit helps :)

[geminigirl]

Thanks. Good thoughts are appreciated.

Re:

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

If you're home....hope you are feeling well. Was thinking good thoughts for you today :)

[geminigirl]

I am indeed home.

They told me to make sure I ate and that I drank extra fluids today. I came home, ate fruit, made a lasagna, and fell asleep. Fortunatly I'd turned the oven timer on, and woke up before the lasagna crisped. I also managed to find a bottle of diet Cherry Coke this morning on the way home. The dye made me a little ill, but I napped until nearly 4 in the afternoon, and it seems gone. Now I'm home and fidgety, but sort of alternating between reading and the computer. I just took some soup out of the freezer too, to nuke for dinner later.

Thanks again.

Re:

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

MMmnnnn, lasagne :) I'd eat that more often but the cheese nearly does me in. If you'd like, we could chat on the phone for the heck of it. I'm glad everything went well today for you. I'd search for dinner but just about everything needs more effort than I feel up to putting in tonight.

[geminigirl]

I seriously have like 16 pint containers of pea soup that Mom sent a few months back when some the grad students from her department were staying with me for a few days. I just decided to pull one of those out and defrost it. I might even have some frankfurters in the fridge to go with it. It's comfort food...what can I say.

Oh, and I'm sending you an e-mail in a second.

[joshuapanther.livejournal.com]

You're goth enough for me!

:)

The sci-fi contingent speaks up

[tactisle.livejournal.com]

I just had to, of course...

Confining myself to queer sci-fi _with a strong MOTSS sex/relationship content only_...

Samuel R. Delany! A thousand times. _Dhalgren_ and _Stars In My Pockets, Like Grains of Sand_ in particular. (both of them are works of queer pornography disguised as illustrations of the transformation-pangs of a dying culture, or is that the other way around?)

Melissa Scott, _Trouble and Her Friends_. Hacker dykes rule! As important to contemporary tech-genre fiction as Neuromancer, in its way.

I just had to pipe up with a little of my fave genre, you understand... but seriously, Delany never really fit inside science fiction too well in the first place. Them's literature.

:)

[schillerium.livejournal.com]

To throw in a bit of Canadian content here: Shyam Selvadurai, Marnie Woodrow, Anne Marie McDonald, Timothy Findley, Tomson Highway, Dionne Brand, Daphne Marlatt, Scott Symons, Michel Tremblay, Anne-Marie Alonzo, Jean-Paul Daoust, bill bissett, Robin Blaser, Erin Mouré, RM Vaughan, Daniel David Moses, André Roy, Nicole Brossard, Jovette Marchessault, Marie Claire Blais, Jane Rule, Don Hannah, Karen X. Tulchinsky, Sky Gilbert, Brad Fraser, Wayson Choy, David Demchuk, Daniel MacIvor, Anne Cameron, Anne Fleming, Derek McCormack, Shani Mootoo, Billeh Nickerson, Gregory Scofield, Andy Quan, David Watmough.

I, of course, think that any serious literary study should include some Canadian literature, but then, considering that I haven't entirely given up trying to be Canadian literature, I would say that, wouldn't I

[roosterbear.livejournal.com]

The only thing that pops to mind (that didn't already get mentioned by someone else, unless I just missed it) is Michael Chabon (The Mysteries of Pittsburgh specifically) for a little bit of bi flavor. I think it resonated with me because it reflected something I went thru: the main character is torn between a man and a woman, neither of whom want to share him, when he is still trying to figure out which side he wants to butter his bread on (or if he wants to butter both). He also wrote Wonder Boys (I saw the movie, and want the book) but while that one has some gay content, it's floating around in the background.

I'm gonna have to bookmark this entry, because there is a lot of stuff people are recommending that I haven't read. And I am gonna have room for books again soon! Yippee!

[meirion.livejournal.com]

hrmmm. my suggestions would include: something by felice picano (either "the book of lies" or "like people in history" are particularly good), something by edmund white, something by alan hollinghurst (probably "the swimming pool library", as some of his later stuff is a bit disturbing), colm toibin's "the story of the night", patrick gale's "rough music", lisa alther's "five minutes in heaven", emma donoghue's "hood" and jeanette winterson's "the power book". there's lots of lesbian detective fiction too, of course. armistead maupin's latest book is also good, although considerably darker than "tales of the city".

if science fiction is of interest, then greg egan's "teranesia" is definitely worth a read. his "distress" is also well worth a read, despite not really touching directly on motss relationships.

hope some of this is helpful ;-)

-m-

[cappyhead.livejournal.com]

Sarah Waters: Tipping the Velvet, and Affinity. I haven't read her latest, Fingersmith, yet, but I'm looking forward to it. She does "lesbian Victoriana." I loved Tipping the Velvet. Affinity was darker and less satisfying.

[tigerfemme.livejournal.com]

I'm fond of S/He by Minnie Bruce Pratt (and currently can't find my copy of that *or* Stone Butch Blues, authored by her handsome partner).

[eeblet.livejournal.com]

well, this isn't literature so much as laugh-your-ass-off autobiography, but... David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day rules. I have never before read a non-comicbook book that caused so many belly laughs.

[geminigirl]

David Sedaris rocks my world. I miss his pieces on NPR though.