Collection Development "Gay/Lesbian Fiction": A Place on the Shelf
By Devon Thomas -- Library Journal, 5/1/2007
If we read to discover new worlds, we also read to find ourselves. For gays and lesbians, this act of discovery can be problematic: literature has so often excluded them. In the last decades, as gays and lesbians have grown increasingly vocal in the effort to secure their rightful place in society, a broad range of fiction has emerged that effectively captures their concerns. Whether gay or straight, readers interested in the gay/lesbian experience now have a wealth of books from which to choose. [For nonfiction, see Neal Wyatt’s Reader’s Shelf column “Coming Out in Print: Gay and Lesbian Memoirs,” on p. 116.—Ed.]
Collection development for gay and lesbian readers is complicated by several factors. First, the mainstreaming of gay- and lesbian-themed works ironically makes it harder to locate them easily. Second, for every reader seeking a complex literary novel, there is another who wants a sexy beach read and a third who wants a cozy mystery. While all libraries should carry some of the classics, including older titles like James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room and new classics like Sarah Waters’s Tipping the Velvet, libraries with larger gay and lesbian service populations will want to offer more selection, including genre reads and experimental novels.
Connecting readers to books
All libraries have patrons interested in gay and lesbian fiction—the trick is connecting books and readers. Libraries in more conservative communities may need to be circumspect, but those in open communities will want to promote their collection actively, perhaps in conjunction with local groups or community newspapers. A separate section for gay and lesbian fiction might pose problems, making some readers feel exposed when browsing and others ghettoized. A good alternative is creating finding aids—online lists and print handouts (stored with other readers’ advisory materials) that provide both access and privacy. Finding aids can feature books that directly address the gay/lesbian experience, books by gay and lesbian authors (not always the same thing), and books that include gay and lesbian characters. But don’t rely on your catalog; only a few of the recent titles listed here had relevant subject descriptors.
For any collection, a good place to start is the list of classics from the Publishing Triangle (see below) and the current and past nominees for major awards in gay and lesbian literature, including the Lambda Literary Awards and the American Library Association’s (ALA) Stonewall Book Awards. You shouldn’t neglect the regular review channels—André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name was recently reviewed in the New York Times and The New Yorker, for example—but you’ll need to go further afield. While well-known authors are published by big houses, a number of excellent small presses specialize in gay and lesbian literature, and investigating their backlists can be fruitful. Genre fiction has its counterparts in gay and lesbian literature and like straight publishing attracts many new authors you’ll want to consider. Finally, you can find promising new writers by exploring anthologies, magazines, and the web sites of prominent organizations like the Lambda Literary Foundation (see below).
Best fiction bets
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] items are crucial even for small collections and a good starting point for any library just developing a gay/lesbian fiction collection. The list of recent titles includes important contemporary writers who might be unfamiliar to some librarians. Here, starred items will appeal to a wide range of readers. The genre fiction section briefly mentions longstanding writers in mystery, romance, and speculative fiction whom smaller collections can focus on and then lists recent titles from promising contemporaries. A list of helpful online resources rounds out this compilation.
For a Core Collection
General Lesbian Fiction Bannon, Ann. Odd Girl Out.Cleis. 2001. 211p. ISBN 978-1-57344-128-5. pap. $12.95.
Bannon wrote several pulp novels in the Fifties and Sixties that offered positive images of lesbians. In this 1957 classic, a college student is torn between male and female lovers.
Barnes, Djuna.Nightwood.New Directions. 2006. 208p. ISBN 978-0-8112-1671-5. pap. $12.95.
An expatriate in Paris has a series of affairs in this modernist novel of obsession from 1936.
Brown, Rita Mae.Rubyfruit Jungle. Bantam. 1983. 256p. ISBN 978-0-553-27886-6. pap. $7.99. A bildungsroman that follows Molly Bolt as she grows up poor in Florida. Funny and moving.
Donoghue, Emma.Slammerkin.Harvest: Harcourt. 2002. 408p. ISBN 978-0-15-600747-4. pap. $15.
Mary is an 18th-century English servant whose desire for something beautiful leads her into prostitution. A smart and intense historical novel. (LJ 6/1/01)
Flagg, Fannie.Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Ballantine. 1997. 432p. ISBN 978-0-449-91135-8. pap. $14.95.The partnership between Idgie and Ruth in a small Southern town during the Depression.
Hall, Radclyffe. The Well of Loneliness. Anchor. 1990. 448p. ISBN 978-0-385-41609-2. pap. $14.95. Banned in Britain upon its publication in 1928 but still a best seller. A sympathetic, though dated, portrayal of lesbianism.
Highsmith, Patricia.The Price of Salt. Norton. 2004. 299p. ISBN 978-0-393-32599-7. pap. $13.95.A housewife who’s divorcing and her lover are chased cross country by a private investigator. Originally published in 1953 under the pseudonym Clare Morgan.
Miller, Isabel. Patience & Sarah.Arsenal Pulp. 2005. 225p. ISBN 978-1-55152-191-6. pap. $16.95. The story of a painter and a farmer in 19th-century New England. One of the first lesbian novels with a happy ending and, in 1971, the first recipient of ALA’s Stonewall Book Award.
Rule, Jane.Desert of the Heart. Bella. 2005. 222p. ISBN 978-1-59493-035-5. pap. $12.95. Awaiting her divorce in Reno, Evelyn meets free-spirited Ann. A beautifully written novel with complex characters, this was made into the movie Desert Hearts.
Sarton, May.Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing. Norton. 1993. 220p. ISBN 978-0-393-30929-4. pap. $13.95.A poet reminisces about love, literature, life.
Waters, Sarah. The Night Watch.Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). 2006. 528p. ISBN 978-1-59448-230-4. pap. $15. This Man Booker finalist is a haunting novel of damaged lives during and after the London blitz. (LJ 1/06)
Winterson, Jeanette.Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.Grove. 1997. 192p. ISBN 978-0-8021-3516-2. pap. $13.
Winterson won the 1985 Whitbread Prize for best first fiction with this semiautobiographical tale of coming out amongst British fundamentalists.
General Gay Men’s Fiction
Baldwin, James. Giovanni’s Room.Delta. 2000. 176p. ISBN 978-0-385-33458-7. pap. $14. Much of Baldwin’s work includes gay themes, but sexual identity is central to this 1956 novel about an American’s struggle to accept his desire for an Italian bartender in Paris.
Capote, Truman. Other Voices, Other Rooms. Modern Library. 2004. 224p. ISBN 978-0-679-64322-7. $19.95.
Capote’s first novel is a semiautobiographical tale of a 13-year-old sent to live with the father who had abandoned him at birth.
Forster, E.M.Maurice. Norton. 2005. 256p. ISBN 978-0-393-31032-0. pap. $13.95. Maurice is a conventional upper-class young man—except for his sexuality. Forster was unable to publish this beautifully written novel in 1913 because of its happy ending; it appeared in 1970 after his death.
Holleran, Andrew. Dancer from the Dance. Perennial: HarperCollins. 2001. 256p. ISBN 978-0-06-093706-5. pap. $13.Beautiful prose distinguishes this novel about a young man who falls into the party scenes on Fire Island and in Manhattan.
Isherwood, Christopher. A Single Man. Univ. of Minnesota. 2001. 186p. ISBN 978-0-8166-3862-8. pap. $15.95.Here, Isherwood confronts the oppression of gay life directly in his portrayal of George, who is grieving over the death of his longtime lover.
Maupin, Armistead. Tales of the City. Perennial: HarperCollins. 1989. 384p. ISBN 978-0-06-096404-7. pap. $14.Originally published as a serial in 1978, Tales and its sequels follow several San Franciscans connected to the house at 28 Barbary Lane. The forthcoming Michael Tolliver Lives (LJ 4/15/07) continues the saga.
Melville, Herman. Billy Budd. Tor Classics. 128p. ISBN 978-0-8125-0426-2. pap. $3.99. Repressed sexual attraction lies at the heart of this classic 1889 novel. Critics have noted homosexual themes in much of Melville’s works.
Rechy, John. City of Night.Grove. 1994. 400p. ISBN 978-0-8021-3083-9. pap. $15.
A nameless hustler describes the characters he meets in New York, Los Angeles, and New Orleans in this gritty novel from 1963.
Vidal, Gore. The City and the Pillar.Vintage. 2003. 240p. ISBN 978-1-4000-3037-8. pap. $13.95. This 1948 novel shocked readers with its sympathetic portrayal of Jim Willard, who has never outgrown his crush on his best friend. A revised ending, dating from 1968, is not exactly happy but better than the murder that ended the original version.
White, Edmund. A Boy’s Own Story.Modern Library. 2002. 272p. ISBN 978-0-679-64254-1. $18.95. A semiautobiographical novel followed by The Beautiful Room Is Empty. Both novels track the coming of age of a young man from mid-Fifties prep school to the Stonewall riots.
Recent Titles to Consider Also look for works by Dorothy Allison, Christopher Bram, Michael Cunningham, Alan Hollinghurst, David Leavitt, William J. Mann, Paul Monette, Leslea Newman, Sarah Schulman, Michelle Tea, and Colm Tóibín.
Aciman, André. Call Me by Your Name. Farrar.2007. 278p. ISBN 978-0-374-29921-7. $23.Seventeen-year-old Elio falls for a young professor (and paying guest) at his family’s home on the Italian Riviera. A heady, beautifully written novel of longing, first love, and loss. (LJ 11/15/06)
Baby Remember My Name. Caroll & Graf. 2007. 272p. ed. by Michelle Tea. ISBN 978-0-7867-1792-7. pap. $14.95.
Lambda Award winner Tea passes the torch with this collection of original stories whose authors focus more on the angst of being young and uncertain than on the issue of coming out.
Byrnes, Rob. When the Stars Come Out.Kensington. 2006. 331p. ISBN 978-0-7582-1324-2. $23.
Noah has found the perfect subject for his book: actor Quinn Scott lost his career 30 years ago when he was blacklisted by his vindictive ex-wife. Noah just has to convince Quinn that he actually wants to tell all.
Ciletti, Maria V. The Choice. Alice Street Ed: Haworth. 2007. 210p. ISBN 978-1-56023-638-2. pap. $16.95.
This coming-out story follows a married nurse who struggles to accept her desire for women.
Clinger, R.W.Just a Boy. Southern Tier Ed: Haworth. 2007. 239p. ISBN 978-1-56023-661-0. pap. $14.95.
In this sweet novel, well-liked high school athlete Jove is too scared to do much about being gay (besides dreaming of Matt Damon) until another student is outed.
Ford, Michael Thomas. Full Circle.Kensington. 2006. 423p. ISBN 978-0-7582-1057-9. $23. When Ned and Jack meet Andy at college, their lives are forever intertwined. Ford addresses cultural signposts from Vietnam to AIDS.
Harris, Jennifer. Pink. Alice Street Ed: Haworth. 2007. 161p. ISBN 978-1-56023-629-0. pap. $10.95.
Written in the future tense, Pink is a litany of what will happen when the narrator’s book scores. Utterly original, poetic, and funny.
Hayes, J.G. A Map of the Harbor Islands. Southern Tier Ed: Haworth. 2006. 390p. ISBN 978-1-56023-596-5. pap. $19.95.
Two South Boston boys are best friends, but then Petey comes out—something blue-collar Danny has trouble understanding.
Liebegott, Ali. The IHOP Papers. Carroll & Graf. 2007. 256p. ISBN 978-0-7867-1794-1. pap. $14.95.
IHOP waitress Francesca is obsessed with her former professor Irene. While Irene’s power trip quickly palls, Francesca is an engaging voice. (LJ 12/06)
Lynch, Lee. Sweet Creek. Bold Strokes. 2006. 352p. ISBN 978-1-933110-29-5. pap. $15.95.
Lynch, who often writes about the butch/femme dynamic, here looks at a clash between lesbian separatists and small-town libertarians. A portrait of an increasingly overlooked lifestyle.
McAuley, Stephen. Alternatives to Sex. Washington Square: S. & S. 2006. 291p. ISBN 978-0-7434-5319-6. pap. $14. Real estate agent William swears off sex in an attempt to change his life and further complicates his relationship with best friend Edward. (Xpress Reviews, LJ 4/25/06)
Mann, William J. Men Who Love Men. Kensington. 2007. 314p. ISBN 978-0-7582-1375-4. $24.
Henry has hit his mid-30s, and they have hit back. The impending wedding of his best friends forces him to examine his dream of finding Mr. Right.
SanGiovanni, Mari. Greetings from Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer. Bywater. 2007. 260p. ISBN 978-1-932859-30-0. pap. $13.95. When Maria inherits her grandmother’s estate, she’s hard-pressed to keep her boisterous relatives in line. Laugh-out-loud humor distinguishes this debut.
Taylor, Robert.A Few Hints and Clews.Southern Tier Ed: Haworth. 2007. 231p. ISBN 978-1-56023-673-3. pap. $15.95.
A dreamy meditation of two men together that captures the experience of being gay in 20th-century America.
Genre Fiction
Mystery If you don’t know established authors Nathan Aldyne, Joseph Hansen, Greg Herren, Fred Hunter, Lev Raphael, and John Morgan Wilson, check them out. For lesbians, consider Nicola Griffith, Ellen Hart, Randye Lordon, Val McDermid, Claire McNab, Mary Wings, and Eve Zaremba. And don’t forget major series from Anthony Bidulka (“Russell Quant”), five-time Lambda winner Michael Nava (“Henry Rios”), Richard Stevenson (“Donald Strachey,” adapted for television), Laurie R. King (“Kate Martinelli”), Sandra Scoppetone (“Lauren Laurano”), and Katherine V. Forrest (“Kate Delafield”). Also of interest: Patricia Highsmith’s “Tom Ripley” series.
Andrews & Austin. Stellium in Scorpio. Bold Strokes. 2007. 235p. ISBN 978-1-933110-65-3. pap. $15.95.
Screenwriter Teague meets astrologer girlfriend Callie in Vegas for some R&R, but Callie is distracted by several unexplained deaths.
Hill, Gerri.The Target.Bella. 2007. 271p. ISBN 978-1-59493-082-9. pap. $13.95.
To protect the daughter of a senator from an assassin, a homicide detective infiltrates a women’s therapy group on a camping trip. A taut thriller with romantic elements.
Keenan, Joe. My Lucky Star. Little, Brown. 2006. 368p. ISBN 978-0-316-06019-6. $24.95.Keenan channels P.G. Wodehouse in his farcical mysteries involving nice-guy Philip, morally suspect pal Gilbert, and their sensible friend Claire. (LJ 1/06)
Opyr, Joan. Idaho Code. Bywater. 2006. 322p. ISBN 978-1-932859-15-7. pap. $13.95. Short-listed for a Lambda, this novel follows Bil Hardy and her eccentric family as they try to solve a murder dating back to 1978.
Serah, Tonne. Drop…Dead: The DJ Murders. Haworth. 2007. 222p. ISBN 978-1-56023-635-1. pap. $12.95.
In this fresh, funny mystery, Joey is forced out of his dissipated self-absorption when a DJ literally drops dead on him.
Stukas, David. Biceps of Death. Kensington. 2004. 226p. ISBN 978-0-7582-0639-8. pap. $14.
In this fourth series title, straight-laced Robert, flamboyant friend Michael, and mystery nut Monette solve a murder revolving around a gym rat.
Zubro, Mark Richard. Everyone’s Dead but Us. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. 2006. 279p. ISBN 978-0-312-34345-3. $24.95.This new entry in Lambda winner Zubro’s Tom and Scott mystery series has the couple vacationing on a Greek isle when a storm cuts off all contact. Then the bodies start piling up. Zubro also writes police procedurals about homicide detective Paul Turner.
Romance Katherine V. Forrest’s Curious Wine is a romance classic, and Karin Kallmaker and Radclyffe are among the best-selling authors of lesbian romances, though each writes in other genres. Romance is less well represented in gay fiction, but the duo Scott & Scott has created a series of Harlequin-style romances that most recently includes Lambda finalist Surf'n’Turf: A Romentics Novel.
Kallmaker, Karin. Finders Keepers. Bella. 2006. 254p. ISBN 978-1-59493-072-0. pap. $13.95.
Marissa and Linda meet cute when their cruise ship sinks, but their vacation romance fades when each returns to her own life. More realistic than many romances, with enjoyable, complex characters.
Martin, Marianne K. Dance in the Key of Love. Bywater. 2006. ISBN 978-1-932859-17-1. pap. $13.95.
Lambda nominee Martin revisits fugitive Paige (Dawn of the Dance ) in this thoughtful romance. Paige is on her way to Canada when she reconnects with Marissa, a dancer whose life has been shattered by an accident.
Pierce, Max. The Master of Seacliff. Southern Tier Ed: Haworth. 2007. 202p. ISBN 978-1-56023-636-8. pap. $16.95.
With allusions to Rebecca and Jane Eyre, this gothic romance has it all: an imposing estate, a mysterious disappearance, and a brooding, handsome owner, all of which captivate naïve tutor Andrew Wyndham
Radclyffe. When Dreams Tremble. Bold Strokes. 2007. 262p. ISBN 978-1-933110-64-6. pap. $15.95.
A high-powered attorney returns to her childhood home for some rest only to be confronted with her past.
Speculative Fiction Sf, fantasy, and horror have always been open to portrayals of other lifestyles and sexualities. Gay and lesbian authors to know in these genres include Carol Anshaw, Nicola Griffith, Joanna Russ, Katherine V. Forrest, Jim Grimsley, Keith Hartman, and Geoff Ryman. Also check out Arsenal Pulp Press’s new anthology, The Future Is Queer: A Science Fiction Anthology, edited by Richard Labonté and Lawrence Shimel.
Berman, Steve. Vintage: A Ghost Story. Positronic: Haworth. 2007. 150p. ISBN 978-1-56023-631-3. pap. $12.95.
As if being kicked out of the house for being gay isn’t enough, a Goth teen suddenly finds he can communicate with ghosts—one of whom seems to be stalking him.
Brooke, Gun. Protector of the Realm. Bold Strokes. (Supreme Constellations, Bk. 1). 2005. 355p. ISBN 978-1-933110-26-4. pap. $15.95.
Space opera meets romance in this first installment of a series. Commodore Rae Jacelon arrests Kellen O’Dal and ward Armeo but soon finds herself protecting them.
Clegg, Douglas. Mordred, Bastard Son. Alyson. (Mordred Trilogy, Bk. 1). 2006. 260p. ISBN 978-1-53583-899-7. $24.95.Clegg retells the Arthurian legend from the perspective of the villain Mordred, who is ambitious, powerful, and gay in this compelling reimagining. (LJ 12/05)
Fletcher, Jane. The Exile and the Sorcerer. Bold Strokes. (Lyremouth Chronicles, Bk. 1). 2006. 314p. ISBN 978-1-933110-32-5. pap. $15.95.
The first in a solid fantasy series that follows warrior Tevi and sorcerer Jemeryl on a quest.
Lord, David Thomas. Bound in Flesh. Kensington. 2006. 298p. ISBN 978-1-57566-765-2. pap. $14.
Seductive vampires and a cop who tries to battle them—and himself. Comparable to Laurell K. Hamilton and Anne Rice.
Scott, Darieck. Hex: A Novel of Love Spells. Carroll & Graf. 2007. 601p. ISBN 978-0-78671-764-4. pap. $16.95. Magick permeates this complex first novel, in which Langston and Azaril become separated from Damien during the bacchanalia that follows Castro’s death.
Online Resources In addition, Amazon’s ListMania features several themed lists. The Insightout Book Club is a direct mail book club, but its featured titles indicate popularity. Powell’s Books maintains a weekly list of ten top sellers. Wikipedia has some informative articles linked from its entry on LGBT literature.
Information on bisexual and transgender themes are usually incorporated into general LGBT resources. Glbt has a good article by poet Donald Hall on bisexuality in literature from Shakespeare to modern times. Susan’s Place has a good listing of mostly older titles for transgendered fiction; see also Amazon’s ListMania.
Alternative Sexualities in Fantasy and SF Booklist
www.mamohanraj.com/balist.html
A long, detailed list of titles with LGBT content, including quality ratings and notes on type of sexuality portrayed.
Books To Watch Out For!
www.btwof.com
A snappy, attractive e-newsletter in three editions: Lesbian, Gay Men’s, and More Books for Women.
The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide
www.glreview.com
This literary journal includes fiction reviews.
GLBT Fantasy Fiction Resources
www.glbtfantasy.com
Reader reviews and news of LGBT fantasy and sf, both old and new.
glbtq
www.glbtq.com/subject/literature_a-b.html
The literature section of this online encyclopedia is thorough, detailed, and a great resource for identifying older titles, smaller genres, and ethnic literature.
Lambda Literary Foundation
www.lambdaliterary.org
Publishes the Lambda Book Report, a quarterly review of LGBT literature, and sponsors the Lambda Literary Awards.
Lodestar Quarterly
www.lodestarquarterly.com
Online journal of gay, lesbian, and queer lit.
The Publishing Triangle
www.publishingtriangle.org/index.asp
Association of lesbians and gay men in publishing. Sponsors the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and presents the Ferro-Grumley Awards. The web site includes lists of the 100 best gay and lesbian novels.
Stonewall Book Awards
www.ala.org/ala/glbtrt/stonewall/stonewallbook.htm
Sponsored by ALA’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table.
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WEB ADDENDUM Publishers Akashic Books Alyson Books Bella Books Bold Strokes Books Carroll & Graf Cleis Haworth Press Kensington Publishing Corp. New York Review of Books Regal Crest Suspect Thoughts Press University of Wisconsin Press |
| Author Information |
| Devon Thomas, a longtime LJ fiction reviewer who has served as an adult services librarian, is a freelance book and database indexer |
