Editorial Review

Twenty years ago lesbian fiction thrived in a number of independently produced, alternative literary journals. Many of those journals have since folded, leaving fewer places for short fiction to appear. Susan Fox Rogers's Read more

Reviews (2)

Eclectic reading
I have to say that I was greatly impressed by the diverse content of this anthology. I bought Close Calls six months ago, and have read it several times since. In many of the stories, I find things in the main character's personality, life, or problems that I can relate to. I would recommend it firsthand for a good read - lesbian, straight, or otherwise - as it offers glimpses into aspects of our lives that even some of us would not think of.

Evocative and poetic.
The reviewers have said it well:"Rogers's criterion for selection was unpublished stories that kept her glued to her seat -- in this case, an appropriate description for a collection that is without exception well written, original, and compelling."(Library Journal)"'. . .[T]he stories in this collection encompass all the possibilities of the form in general, yielding some delightful results.... With very few exceptions, the tales here are of high literary quality."'(Publisher's Weekly). . ."Close Calls provides a revealing survey of lesbian lives -- young and old; black, white, and Asian -- and deserves to find an audience of both lesbian and mainstream readers." (Booklist) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Lesbian    5. Literature of special Lesbian interest    6. Modern fiction    7. Short stories   

Reviews (1)

Women On Women 3
Before i read this book .. i felt lost and curious at the same time . I knew that I had feelings for women , just as i had taught myself to "act" like i felt for men .I came across " Women on Women 3" on a road trip to Maine with some friends of mine . I was only 17 . So , i stayed up one night, the same day i bought the book , and read all night . Each story spoke to me , and i had come to this grand realisation that i was in fact a lesbian. It was as though a little light in my head was turned on ! I carried the book to my chest with me everywhere . I couldn't have been more happy .When i came home though , it was a different story . I had left my book lying on the stair case. My mother; with her air of revernt grace that seems to follow her about , took one look at the book , and thew it away . I never saw my book again , and living in the small town that i do , it is close to impossible to find any lesbian literature . So i wrote this.. I feel that now i can not mourn the loss of it .. but now i can be blessed with the knowlege that someone who is searching for their 'indenity' can read this , and know that there is one great book out there too look to .. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Short Story Collections    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. Lesbians' writings, American    7. Short stories, American    8. Women As Authors (American Literature)    9. Women authors    10. American English    11. Fiction anthologies & collections    12. Literature of special Lesbian interest    13. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -    14. USA   

Reviews (4)

Wonderful Variety
Lois Cloarec Hart's Assorted Flavours: A Collection of Lesbian Short Stories is a delightful and engaging read that illustrates the author's talent and range.The ten stories are well written with enough variety for any reader who enjoys terrific fiction.
Truly delightful collection of stories
A wonderful writer - and this is an excellent collection of stories, some short and others much longer but all of them were wonderful to read. You will read '9 minutes' and than read it again and again just to make sure you didn't miss a word.I loved 'Lost and Found',I've read that a couple times too.'The Lion and the Lamb' was a super story and the ending came as a nice surprise.I can't wait for more books from this super author. 'Postscript' and 'Thursday's Child' were wonderful and heartwarming. Keep them both to read for a rainy day!
Brilliant!
What a thoroughly delightful collection of short stories by a talented writer.Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Lesbians    5. Romance - Short Stories    6. Short Stories (single author)    7. Drama / General   

Editorial Review

This anthology has a tremendous range. The first story, by Hannah Bleier, begins with a lesbian who gets an infection from a trick and ends with the same woman beating an obnoxious anti-gay neighbor. The prose is tough, lean, pointed. The second story, by Elizabeth Crowell, is about a long-term lesbian couple who discover that the gracious old lady who sits in front of them at the Boston Symphony is a lesbian. It's written with a wit and ease that is about as far as you can get from the first story. Terry Wolverton and Robert Drake, who have edited four other anthologies of queer fiction, have collected an impressive mix of new and established writers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. Lesbians' writings, American    7. Popular American Fiction    8. Women As Authors (American Literature)    9. Women authors    10. Literature of special Lesbian interest    11. Modern fiction    12. Short stories   

Editorial Review

There are those among us--you know who you are--who tend to avoid lesbian fiction because the genre isn't known for literary excellence. The occasional lesbian mystery or vampire story may slip through as vacation reading, but for something serious you turn to the poets (Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Jewelle Gomez), or to straight women novelists, or to writers such as Dorothy Allison, whose work transcends the boundaries of lesbian fiction. This anthology is for readers like you. The consistently fine quality of the stories is matched by their unusual ingenuity and playfulness with language (the specter of James Joyce hovers over many stories, and not only those by Irish writers). In fact, American writers--who might be thought to have pioneered the genre--may seem sluggish and puritan by comparison. As the editors point out, "the word Read more

Reviews (1)

Astounding
This collection of lesbian fiction, not all by lesbian authors, is a marvelous assortment of voices from around the world. From such big names as Violette Leduc, Emma Donoghue, Makeda Silvera, and Dionne Brand, tonew-to-American-eyes writers like Jeanne d'Arc Jutras, Yasmin Tambiah, andNgahuia Te Awekotuku, this anthology has definitely opened my eyes to thediversity of lesbian fiction. I only wish there was more available by someof these authors here in the US! This book only whets the appetite likestanding in the middle of an international food festival, not knowing whichmorsel to savor first. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Anthologies (multiple authors)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Lesbian    6. Lesbians    7. Lesbians' writings    8. Sexuality In Literature    9. Short Stories (Anthologies)    10. Women In Literature    11. Women authors    12. Fiction / Lesbian    13. Literature of special Lesbian interest    14. Modern fiction    15. Short stories   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gender identity    4. General    5. Lesbians    6. Short Stories (single author)    7. Modern fiction   

Reviews (4)

Funny, Moving, Enjoyable
This is a collection of stories that offer a fresh perspective on current issues of homosexuality and anti-Semitism. It lends a unique voice to those experiencing growing pains and self-discovery. In these stories characters anxiously discover their lesbian identities while beginning to understand, and finally to embrace, their Jewish heritage.
A moving collection of stories
"A Letter to Harvey Milk," by Leslea Newman, is a collection of 9 stories that explores what it means to be Jewish and lesbian in America. The book includes a glossary of the many Yiddish terms used in the stories. Thanks to College Professor
I read this book as part of my women's studies class and want to thank my professor, Marlene Howell, for leading me and my classmates to this bookseveral years ago.This book really opened my eyes to two worlds that I,as a boring, straight, Presbyterian girl, had always been fascinated by:Judaism and Lesbianism.Newman structures her book so that each of thestories represents one candle on the Hannakah menorah, revealing eachwoman's fears and issues as they come to terms with their sexuality,religious, and personal issues such as sexual abuse.There are reflectionson the Holocaust and discrimination against Jews and homosexuals.WhileNewman helped me to reflect on my own sexuality, and to discover my ownlove for other women-without erotic details-you don't need to be bi,lesbian, or Jewish to take something away from this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Jewish fiction    5. Jewish women    6. Lesbians    7. Short Stories (single author)   

Reviews (3)

"Depending on the Light" Shines
One of San Francisco�s most promising writers, Thea Hillman digs deep to express a vast range of experiences, emotions and discoveries in this impressive collection of poetry. Packed with punch, along with poignant and surprising observations, this book will really get to you in one way or another. At times contradictory, violent, funny, innocent, raw, intelligent, brave, and always in your face, "Depending on the Light" will definitely make an impression on anyone who picks it up, so dive in!

Holding my diary key tight in my angry fist...
Thea was obviously able to pry it lose as so much common experience is reflected in these amazing pieces. This book reflects Thea's eyes on the world around her. She is a talented writer who has the ability to articulate thought into poetry.

Gritty and Seamless
Thea's book absorbed me like so few have.All the poems and prose are gritty and raw and real, yet they are delicately woven together.It's great that you can pick up the book and read pieces at a time or read it as a montage of a woman's life and the multifacted person she is--grappling with sex, women, men, family, insecurities, and language.I would highly recommend this book to people infatuated with poetry--and people who are not. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. Literary collections    7. Short Stories (single author)    8. Short stories    9. Fiction / General    10. Literary Collections / American / General    11. Literature of special Lesbian interest    12. Modern fiction   

Reviews (2)

This book... I can't say enough
I found this book in my school library, and, always being on the lookout for good lesbian fiction to relate to, I figured I'd pick it up and read it... I didn't have very high expectations, to tell the truth, but afterthe first few pages I was pulled in... the writing is so pure, soexpressive; it made me laugh and cry and...Well, put it this way: halfway through I stopped reading it, and went to meet my girlfriend... shesaid, "You're radiant! In such a good mood!" and honestly, it wasthis book that did it.On a different note, after about 30 pages or so, Inoticed how many little familiarities I found in the descriptions of theheroine's boarding school life... about the campus, the classes, the dorms.I went to check the card catalog and sure enough she is an alumnae of myschool. And though this is categorized as fiction, it is honestly onlythinly-veiled autobiography. It was like a little revelation, to find thiswoman's story, so similar to my own.As is apparent, I cannot recommendthis book more... this is one of the few books about which I will say to myfriends: "Read this. Now."

An adorable book!
This book is one I wished I would have had when I was in high school.Itis about a girl discovering that she is falling in love with her friend,who happens to be a girl.It's adorable to read as she journals herfeelings, and her uncertainty, excitment, and everything comes out onpaper.Parent's of gays would do well to read this book.I could easilyrelate to the feelings portrayed inside by the lovable character, Stevie. I'm online now searching for other books by this author. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American First Novelists    2. Bildungsromane    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Lesbians    6. Short Stories (Anthologies)    7. Modern fiction   

Reviews (2)

Entertaining anthology
I bought this book because it had a story by the always original Joan Nestle.
a hot read--fun for the straight reader too
Lesbian, bi or straight, a woman is bound to find SOMETHING here that will amuse, enlighten, or, yes, turn her on.The lead story, Towson University grad Teresa Palomar's hilarious take-off on Thurber's famous "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," is worth the price of the book all byitself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Lesbians    3. Sexuality In Literature    4. Women In Literature    5. Modern fiction    6. Short stories   

Reviews (2)

Confused
I would like to know if this author is the same author who wrote set the captives free, unbroken curses, vessels of honor!! Ethereal beauty
Rebecca brown's main talent in her writing is being able to portray a feeling of intimacy and love between two people that everyone can relate to. Although the author is in fact a lesbian, you are not able to tell inher stories, because gender does not become an issue. Her use of pronounsand usage is so simple and straight-forward that you find yourself thinkingof your own lover in her terms-whether they are same sex or not.AnnieOakley's Girl gives a glance into this emotionally complex and beautifulworld that she is able to weave. From selfish lovers to being haunted bysomething or someone none of us can seem to find, her stories will staywith you and teach you something as well. It gives both sides of thespectrum: the simple and the twisted versions of what love can become.Iwas spellbound and speechless when I was done.I recommend it to everyone.Her point of view is something we should all recognize at least once. (andthis is a great place to start) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Popular American Fiction    5. Short stories    6. Fiction / General    7. Modern fiction   

Reviews (2)

Excellent assortment of authors
Some of the best fiction from the past thru 1990. I can't say who I enjoyed more, although I did buy it initially when I saw that one of the short stories was from the terrific author Lee Lynch.
Offers passionate insights into the lesbian experience ...
28 stunning stories by some of America's best-known Lesbian writers and new voices in lesbian fiction. Not all of these stories are about sex, but all explore relationships and are seen from a point of view not heard from often enough. "... to live, to observe, to write as a lesbian is to live, observe, and write from a position of difference."Stories range from slow and sensual to hot and hard, and appeal to a wide variety of readers, including heterosexuals and couples. Featured writers include: Willa Cather, Sapphire, and Jewelle L. Gomez.In their introduction, the editors say: "Irreverence and exuberance are perhaps at last becoming integrated into the lesbian experience in a manner that will help give still more varied forms to lesbian lives and literature."To find more books of lesbian fiction, along with erotica and sexuality, please visit my Amazon.com Associate Bookstore:http://www.accelnet.com/victoria/bookshelf.html ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Lesbians    5. Lesbians' writings, American    6. Short stories, American    7. Women authors    8. Literature of special Lesbian interest    9. Modern fiction    10. Short stories   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay women    4. Jewish fiction    5. Jewish women    6. Lesbians    7. Short Stories (single author)    8. Fiction / General    9. Modern fiction   

Reviews (1)

AGOOD BOOK
I personally had a dificult tine getting into this book,but once I did, Iwanted to finish to see how it ended. ..Not one of my favorite books, butone worth reading.If you liked this book, or want to read one that goesstraight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .Itisa beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story ofthe nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caughtup in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning,I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter'sbattle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in theface of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range ofhuman emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nicecontrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I'venever read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth.Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious andnot to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'mgrateful. StolenMomentsis written with so much sensitivity that it mademe want to cry. It isa spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara doeshave an exceptional gift!This book was edited by Lupus specialist Dr.Matt Morrow too, and has the latest information on that disease. ..Aperfect gift for someone who started college late in life, fell in love toolate in life, is living with any illness, or trying to understand a lovedone who is. . .A Christmas gift to be cherishedforever. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbians    4. Medical novels    5. Popular American Fiction    6. Short Stories (Anthologies)    7. Adventure / thriller   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Lesbians    5. Popular American Fiction    6. Short stories   

Subjects:  1. American Short Story Collections    2. Fiction    3. Lesbians    4. Lesbians' writings, American    5. Short stories, American    6. Women As Authors (American Literature)    7. Women authors    8. English    9. Literary studies: general    10. Literature of special Lesbian interest    11. Modern fiction    12. Short stories    13. USA   

Reviews (6)

Anyone can get published, doesn't mean everyone should...
I've had the misfortune to come into constant contact with Blanche Boyd seeing that she's a professor at my college. She berates students' work if it doesn't match her narrow definition of what "good" writing is and trashes well known authors, probably because she is nowhere near as successful. She is self-absorbed and abrasive, as is this book. Do yourselves a favor and DON'T waste your time on it.

She's the Real Deal
Years ago I came across this book and found it to be one of the most authentic, funny, and enjoyable reads in a long while.It remains one of my favorites.As a Southerner, I can attest that Blanche gets it right.As a straight male, I find her perspective refreshing and her humor irresistible. I feel the same about her novels.No pressure Blanche,but when is the next one coming out?

Horrible and tasteless
I will not waste time with a plot rehashing. This book was a nouveux piece of trash.I had the unfortunate experience of not only reading this book but being is Ms. Boyd's creative writing class at Connecticut College.I feel the author garnishes attention toward her writing by attempting towrite outlandish plots...she conducted herclass the sameway...anything for attention, Blanch.I am an avid reader of literatureand this book hardly qualifies.Superficial it is.If you would like toread a good book revolving around the south, I recommend anyone of thefollowing, YaYa Sisterhood, New Orleander, Crazy Ladies, or DorothyAllison's work.Do not waste your precious time reading these pointlessattempts at humor and life.I would have given this negative starsbut I could not.Most people are not amused by the brash, senseless,and pathetic tone of this book.As I said before, it hardly qualifies asliterature...maybe a 90's version of a Danielle Steel novel. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1945-    2. 20th century    3. Authors, American    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Boyd, Blanche M.,    7. Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology    8. Fiction    9. Lesbians    10. Literary    11. United States    12. Women    13. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    14. Boyd, Blanche M    15. Modern fiction    16. Short stories   

Reviews (1)

A Most Excellent Collection

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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American fiction    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Lesbians    8. Short Stories (Anthologies)    9. Sociology   

Reviews (1)

on Necrologue
An excellent compilation -- I wholeheartedly reccommend it, especially for those of a darker bent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Horror - General    4. Lesbian    5. Fiction / Lesbian    6. Horror & ghost stories    7. Literature of special Lesbian interest    8. Short stories   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful
I am a fan of well written magic realism, and I highly recommend this collection, edited by Lawrence Schimel. My favs were his, Sarah Schulman, and Laura Antoniou's stories. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Fantasy    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Gay    6. Lesbian    7. Short Stories (Anthologies)